Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement

'Entrance fees': Black youth and access to artistic production in Gqeberha, South Africa

2023-06-30T15:34:56+10:00

The arts sector in South Africa is portrayed as a multiracial, emancipatory and inclusive sector that promises to reduce youth unemployment and to mitigate inequality. In post- apartheid art institutions, artistic merit and perseverance are deemed to be sufficient in order to access the art sector and its market. The paths of individual black artists from poor areas who have succeeded in accessing the institutional art circuit are praised by the media, policymakers and curators. A romanticisation of their efforts is coupled with identifying them as role models for younger generations.

Despite emphasis on the inclusivity of the art sector and the hailing of successful paths, black artists report a long-standing difficulty in gaining access to, and being fully accredited in, the institutional art circuit. The ambiguity of the art sector, which claims to be inclusive in word but is de facto exclusionary, deeply affects young black artists whose first steps into the art sector are often accompanied by a feeling of uneasiness and bewilderment.

Drawing on the multivocal accounts of the everyday life of young black artists who work in the field of performance art in Gqeberha, this article unveils the ‘entrance fees’ that black artists have to negotiate in order to access the institutional art circuit, i.e. the obstacles they have to overcome, but also the deals and concessions they have to make in order to build their career and be fully recognised as artists.

Moreover, the article sheds light on a double invisibility in the performing arts sector: on one side the economic, spatial and reputational obstacles that artists deal with are dismissed as part of the everyday life of individuals coming from marginal areas; on the other side, the performing arts and spaces that young black artists create within alternative or complementary circuits are not considered part of the city’s artistic production.

Voice, Choice and Power: Using co-production to develop a community engagement strategy for an ethnically diverse community

2023-06-30T15:34:55+10:00

The context of the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need to increase co-production activities to empower communities. The pandemic has further highlighted systemic health and socioeconomic inequities, especially for those from ethnic minority communities and in areas of economic deprivation. This research article presents a complex, collaborative process of co-production we undertook as part of the service design of Community Engagement work within the Better Start Bradford Programme; a program of projects for pregnant women and families with children aged 0–4 years living in an ethnically diverse area. Using theory of change as our underpinning theoretical framework, we co-produced a community engagement logic model or ‘strategy’. Our approach involved nine 90-minute workshops with a range of community stakeholders. We used the seven Scottish National Standards for Community Engagement and Communities’ self-identified key concepts of ‘voice’, ‘choice’ and ‘power’ to structure the partnership activity. Workshop discussions were analysed using qualitative framework analysis, and we developed a comprehensive, multi-faceted community engagement logic model with the community.

Discussions with the community highlighted that (1) the COVID-19 pandemic had opened new avenues of community engagement, primarily virtual ones, and a blended offer of face-to-face and online activities; (2) vital support for community readiness to engage, facilitated through culturally sensitive engagement delivered by trusted sources, transparent governance processes and informal consultation, combined with a flexible approach to adapting to the community’s needs; (3) the need for a continuous reflective process of recruitment to key governance roles to include a range of diverse voices to ensure power is given to community voices.

A strong two-way feedback loop is at the core of our community engagement strategy, with both the community and the organisation playing equal roles.

Re-imagining the research article: Social-semiotic signposts and the potential for radical co-presence in the scholarly literature

2023-07-01T00:30:27+10:00

As a prestigious form of writing, the empirical research article is vital for communication, assessment and legitimisation of community-based research and practice. Yet, the research article is powerful partly because it draws upon social-semiotic conventions for the proper communication of new knowledge and practice, which are deeply and thoroughly embedded within institutions of higher education ‘dominated by technical rationality’, as Donald Schön (1995, p. 31) stressed nearly 30 years ago. This inherent tension is an important, but under scrutinised and underutilised, site of engagement for community-based research.

This article sheds light on what genre conventions are, why they are important, and how they might be used and adapted to better support the collaborative, reciprocal and justice-focused change goals of community-based research and practice. Using genre analysis and social semiotics, I undertake empirical analysis of co-authored peer reviewed research articles to reveal authors’ innovative rhetorical strategies. By uncovering the emerging shared patterns – what I call here the symbolic ‘signposts’ for communicating participatory research – I hope to strengthen them collectively. Building on these embryonic efforts, and informed by Santos’s (2018) concept of an ‘ecology of knowledges’, I propose some alternative signposts for reciprocal and non-hierarchical recognition. These social-semiotic guidelines seek to ensure that diverse ways of knowing and being are not merely accommodated within our texts, but are radically co-present.

'I want to be screened just like the pirates!': The Power of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Theatre to Aid Research Participation

2023-06-30T15:34:54+10:00

Research participation is an important component of advancing whole health and eliminating health disparities, especially in communities facing environmental justice (EJ) issues. Though federally mandated, recruitment of racial and ethnic minorities can be a daunting task and recruitment of children an even greater challenge. A range of typical recruitment strategies (printed materials, word of mouth, broadcast etc.) for those of ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds have exhibited only limited to modest success, depending on the community being served and the type of engagement. To date, there has been only limited assessment of the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) theatre as a culturally relevant recruitment strategy.

The ENRRICH Railyard Study used CBPR theatre to engage an underserved EJ community, and to assess the health impact of residential proximity to a major freight railyard. The railyard community is comprised of primarily low-income Hispanic families. To promote participation, a CBPR theatre play – a partnership between a community- based organisation (CBO) and a university institution – was produced, from design to production, at two elementary schools. Following the play, parental consents and surveys were sent home. The response was immediate and one of the largest to date – 74 percent of children participated in the study.

The CBPR theatre, university and CBO partnership provided an opportunity to engage under-
served minority children and their parents, thus encouraging participation and facilitating education
on respiratory health and the environment. This article includes experiences and lessons learned from using CBPR theatre to encourage study participation, critical for promoting sustainable change in an EJ community.

The Full SPECTRUM: Developing a Tripartite Partnership between Community, Government and Academia for Collaborative Social Policy Research

2023-06-30T17:14:08+10:00

Problem: In Canadian society, public policies guide the development and administration of social services and systems, including the public education system, the justice system, family services, social housing and income support. However, because social services are often planned and implemented in a ‘siloed’ manner, coordination and collaboration across departments, sectors and organisations is sorely lacking. Data and resource constraints may prevent services being evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of the people for whom they are intended. When the needs of individuals are not addressed, the result is poor outcomes and wasted resources across multiple areas.
Our Response: In 2018, we formed the SPECTRUM Partnership in response to a recognised need for collaborative cross-sector approaches to strengthening the policies that shape social services and systems in our country. The tripartite SPECTRUM partnership comprises representatives from community organisations, government and academia, and is an entity designed to conduct social policy research and evaluation, incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives and expertise from its members. Guided by community-driven research questions and building on existing data resources, SPECTRUM seeks to address specific knowledge gaps in social programs, services and systems. New research findings are then translated into viable public policy options, in alignment with government priorities, and presented to policy-makers for consideration.
Implications: In this practice-based article, we describe the key steps we took to create the SPECTRUM partnership, build our collective capacity for research and evaluation, and transform our research findings into actionable evidence to support sound public policy. We outline four of SPECTRUM’s achievements to date in the hope that the lessons we learned during the development of the partnership may serve as a guide for others aiming to optimise public policy development in a collaborative evidence-based way.

A novel instrument for the community-centered assessment of outcomes resulting from visits by foreign student groups

2023-07-01T01:14:06+10:00

Academic institutions in the United States have increasingly emphasised Community-Based Global Learning (CBGL) programs within international contexts. These programs are assumed to have positive outcomes, but often lack substantive assessment data to support their claims. Although meaningful program evaluation has increasingly become a priority, these investigations frequently overlook the views, opinions and goals of community organisations and community members. At present, few brief quantitative instruments are available to assess higher education CBGL project outcomes from the perspective of community partners. Here we detail the initial use of the Community Benefit Survey (CBS), a novel 17-item instrument designed to help fill this gap, within the context of a unique CBGL program in rural Sri Lanka. The CBS demonstrated value in facilitating equitable community assessment and centring the voices of community members. The CBS possesses significant utility in describing the benefits of student group/community partnerships and can be generalised for use across a wide variety of domestic and international contexts.

Gardening education in early childhood: Important factors supporting the success of implementing it

2023-07-01T01:25:09+10:00

Preparing children to become the Rabbani, or godly, generation is the parents’ choice when educating their children. In Indonesia, children are seen as an investment in the nation, state and religion as they will become the generation to change civilisation for the better. Through gardening education in nursery school, it is hoped that children’s monotheism and cognitive, psychomotor and affective development will be achieved. This article offers a service-learning program, developed with the aid of agricultural science and early childhood university education, and partnered with a large social charity, Muhammadiyah. Methods used in this program are group discussion forums, gardening education for class teachers and class action by students in the class. The program involves 60 students aged six at a nursery school, Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal, in East Java Province, Indonesia.

This program is important as it involves measurable assessment of the educational model, learning tool requirements, methods of delivery and evaluation of activities. The program and results shared here demonstrate that gardening education can be accomplished at the nursery school level. Gardening tools are needed, but can be modified to suit this age group. Gardening education for these young children is conducted in accordance with pre-prepared lesson plans. Multilevel learning methods, ranging from reading books, telling stories and watching documentaries to practising and reflecting on gardening activities, are part of the success of this type of gardening education. School support for the implementation of this program markedly determined its success.

Oral health education for school children and capacity building of local community health workers in cleft care: An experience of student-led community service in a West Java village

2023-08-28T11:08:56+10:00

This article presents a program that seeks to establish partnerships between universities and rural villages in West Java provinces, with a focus on health-related activities. The program involves undergraduate students participating in field studies in the community through three activities: educating school children about oral health, providing capacity building for community health workers in managing infants with cleft, and assisting community health workers at Integrated Service Post (Posyandu). The program was developed by scholars at Universitas Padjadjaran and West Bandung Regency of West Java Province to contribute to the development of neighbouring regions. The program has had two significant impacts. First, the undergraduate students are directly involved in the community and can reflect on what they have learned in the context of the community, while also earning credits towards their transcripts. Second, the program has had a positive impact on healthcare by educating various community groups on topics ranging from oral health to early management of infants with orofacial clefts. This program serves as an example of how academic study and community service can be successfully combined to produce positive outcomes for both the students and the community.

Inciting Change Makers in an Online Community Engaged Learning Environment During Pandemic Restrictions: Lessons from a Disability Studies and Community Rehabilitation Program

2023-11-01T15:42:10+11:00

This practice-based article presents strategies employed in the shifting of the Community Engaged Learning (CEL) components of an undergraduate program in community rehabilitation and disability studies (CRDS) to an online modality during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 restrictions. The CRDS program, based in Calgary, Canada places high importance on CEL with a focus on critical engagement, mentorship, and community action for social justice. The Inciting Change Makers (ICM) framework, which we present here, is foundational to our teaching and learning in this field. During the pandemic restrictions, we found the framework not only supported us to engage learners in our focus areas for inciting change, but also provided the opportunity to consider ways that the online learning environment enhanced the CEL practica experience.

Using vignettes, we demonstrate the successful use of the ICM framework in an online CEL context to develop a more authentic, engaged and inclusive community of learners. Three vignettes illustrate specific approaches used to carry out meaningful, impactful CEL opportunities in a mandated online environment. Lessons from these strategies may assist similar programs in adapting their own Community Engaged Learning programs in an increasingly online world.

Stroke Community Rehabilitation Centre (SCORE): A community transformation program

2023-10-09T15:40:46+11:00

Stroke is the second most prevalent disease in Malaysia, so promoting awareness of stroke is essential as it is preventable and treatable if action is prompt. Long-term rehabilitation at the community level is also crucial to reducing congestion in acute care hospitals. Hence, establishing an evidence-based community rehabilitation centre would help educate the community and support the welfare of stroke survivors.

This article discusses a community-engagement initiative launched by experts from University Malaya Rehabilitation Medicine in partnership with Pusat Pemulihan Kesihatan (PERKIM), a religious and social welfare organisation in Malaysia, to transform an existing non-functional community centre run by PERKIM into the Stroke Community Rehabilitation Centre (SCORE). This was achieved through the provision of expert input into how to improve service provision, knowledge transfer to the community, and implementation of more thematic and creative components to the model of care currently offered. Importantly, under this new model, stroke survivors and the wider community would be considered learners and active participants in their own care, not mere passive recipients of charity.

Since its inception in 2016, the number of patients has almost doubled, increasing to over 100. Thus, the Stroke Community Rehabilitation Centre benefits the stroke community by providing resources and education to facilitate recovery at a reduced cost to hospital-based care. With its adherence to the recommended features of the community-based rehabilitation model, as outlined by WHO, the success of SCORE is an exemplary model for future stroke community rehabilitation centres in Malaysia.