Learning Disability Research and Evaluation: Exploring Participatory and Emancipatory research in Learning Disabilities studies.

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Learning Disability Research and Evaluation: Exploring Participatory and Emancipatory research in Learning Disabilities studies.

Introduction

In this assignment I will explore two majors learning disability research paradigm which happens to be Participatory and Emancipatory research. I will also look at the pros and cons of conducting research within the positivist versus emancipatory and participatory paradigm. I will finally identify and discuss challenges and dilemmas one might encounter carrying out a participatory/ emancipatory research. I will also try to discuss approaches one might develop to resolve and minimise challenges and dilemmas.  

Brief history and key facts of Inclusive research  

Emancipatory and participatory research also known as inclusive research emerged due to people questioning who should research and take control in learning disabilities studies. Many researchers like Barnes and Mercer (1997) and Oliver ( 1993) have take on the sociological feminist views who naturally speak about social oppression faced by woman, researchers have taken this theory and applied to the social oppression faced by people with learning difficulties( Danielie and Woodham 2005, Walmsley, 2001). In a sense inclusive research is seen as form of an advocate and voice to raise social issues (Walmsley, 2001).  

It is also known that the social model, wolfenburgers (1989) theory on social role valorisation, normalisation, the social model and cultural theory, NHS and Community care act (1990) and postmodernist theory have had an influence on the construction and perception of Participatory and Emancipatory research (Gilbert, 2004).  In fact according to Gilbert (2004) Normalisation is derived from sociological theory focusing on interpersonalisation and deviance in the society. Normalisation and social role valorisation sees being different as deviance therefore it seeks to remove the difference between people with learning difficulties and people without learning difficulties (Gilbert, 2004). Allowing people with learning difficulties to fully participate and to help construct research will give people are valued role in the society and this will help to remove negative labelling and stereotypes of people with learning difficulties. in fact it seems normalisation had tremendous effect in inclusive research specially in the adaptation of participatory research, Jan Walmsley (2001) talks about the influence of normalisation in great detail in one of her research which was based on her reflection of inclusive research, her work shows that normalisation supplied the condition to allow people with learning difficulties to speak out in research (Walmsley, 2001).In fact almost every journal I have read on the topic of inclusive research all discuss the potential doors opened by normalisation and social role valorisation. However, Normalisation is an important aspect to participatory paradigm, in reference to emancipatory research the disability rights movement and the influence of social model has created the base for emancipatory research.

What’s more Walmsley (2001) work has highlighted some key historical factors about inclusive research. Walmsley (2001) states before the work of Robert Edgerton in the 1960s none before had tried to represent the voice of people with learning difficulties in learning difficulties research. Prior to Edgerton’s work most learning disabilities research was based on the medical model (Walmsley, 2001). Reflecting back to my studies in BA learning disabilities studies I’ve had insight into medical models approach to research which saw people with learning difficulties as someone who needed to be “fixed”, during the stand of medical model most research focused on eugenics and medical investigations often these research where done by medical professionals.  However thanks to the innovative work of disabled people movement, normalisation and social model there was growth of inclusive style research in late 80s and early 90s, Walmsley(2001) talks about this rise in her research ( Walmsley, 2001).

Participatory Research

In the past learning disability research was often done “on” people with learning difficulties rather “with” them.  the social model of disability has had quite an impact on participatory research, however it’s not directly associated with social model, it has a deeper route with Normalisation and social role valorisation theory, the social model which argues that it is not the impairments that disables the person, but it’s the social and economical exclusion faced within the society that really disables the person (Richardson, 2000, Finkelstein 1980, Oliver 1993). Richardson (2000) explains that if the problem is created by society the society needs to change to resolve this, in order to resolve this disabled people and their organisations need to be in control of constructing and implementing research. Oliver (1997) argues that a good inclusive research should allow people with learning difficulties to emerge themselves into research and be the key player who drives the research. However, with respect to social model I don’t believe participatory research doesn’t t do justice for people with learning difficulties unlike emancipatory research.

It’s well known that there is often confusion on the meaning and interpretation of participatory and emancipatory research, Walmesly (2001) states that participatory research is concerned with experience of people with disabilities and is influenced by normalisation and social model. Participatory research works in partnership with people with learning difficulties. However, Gilbert (2004) argues that this is still research “on” people with learning difficulties; this is because research is countable to the funding bodies and the researcher interprets and explains peoples experience                 (Walmesly, 2001, Gilbert 2004).

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What’s more, In participatory research individuals are called participants and advisors they have no real ownership of the work, for example a research carried out by Manning (2009) on oral history who used the participatory paradigm, she was instructed by local governments to go and collect data about people with learning difficulties experience of being institutionalised  , this research was clearly driven by the researcher and her board of advisors who happen to be the local government, people with learning difficulties had no real part on construction of the research, but I guess in a sense because it was their ...

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