Week 2: Indigenous & Positivist Worldviews Flashcards
What two nationwide initiatives draw on and inform the future of Indigenous research in Canada?
-Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996)
-Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action (2015)
What are the OCAP principles of Indigenous research?
-Ownership (of data)
-Control (all steps of the research)
-Access (to data, regardless of where it is stored)
-Possession (physical control of the data)
In a wholistic Indigenous research perspective, what are the four aspects of the self/one’s context?
-Body
-Mind
-Spirit
-Heart
What guides research in an Indigenous approach?
The self: body, mind, spirit, and heart
What is the significance of using the term re-search in an Indigenous approach?
Denotes that one is “considering a way of coming to know that restores balance, harmony, humanity, respect, relationality, and responsibility to all of creation”
What are the 8 Rs, and what approach to research encompasses them?
Indigenous research:
-Respectful representations
-Revising
-Reclaiming
-Renaming
-Remembering
-Reconnecting
-Recovering
-Researching
What are some common characteristics of Indigenous research approaches? (4)
-Introspective and reflexive
-Honours reciprocity, relational accountability, and consciousness-raising
-See participants as co-searchers
-Sees all knowledge as belonging
Describe some common methods of an Indigenous research approach
-Qualitative + quantitative, with a critical lens
-Nation/territory-specific designs
-Data collection through storytelling, beadwork, critically examined surveys, land-based designs, etc.
-“Moccasin telegraph” approach to recruitment, based on relationships
How is quality assessed in an Indigenous research approach?
-Culturally-based teachings
-Demonstration of honour, respect, reciprocity, positionality, and humility
-Community participation at all levels
-Community ownership
-Inclusion of rituals
What does positionality mean in Indigenous research?
Researchers locate themselves to bring forward their reality, show why research is important to them, and offer legitimacy when reclaiming Indigenous knowledges
How are relationality and reciprocity demonstrated in Indigenous research?
-Rejection of hierarchy between researchers and participants
-Building of respectful relationships
-Accountability to the community(ies) being served
-Protection of participants/co-searchers
What are some common knowledge mobilization methods used in Indigenous research?
-Community networks
-Reports
-Publications
-Conference presentations
-Storytelling, art, and media
-Community feasts and gatherings
What is another term used for positivist research?
Scientific method
How does a positivist worldview understand knowledge, truth, and reality?
-Universal reality/seeking one truth
-Objective, concrete, and fixed
-Generalizable to others within the target population
In what way does a post-positivist worldview differ from a positivist worldview in its understanding of truth?
Post-positivism acknowledges that complete objectivity and truth do not exist, but believes we should still strive to achieve it
What is the purpose/aim of positivist research? (4)
-To establish cause and effect relationships
-To predict and describe trends
-To explain phenomenon
-To generalize findings (breadth)
Which theoretical frameworks inform positivist research?
-Medical model
-Behavioural
-Learning
-Attachment
-Systems theory
What is the role of researchers in positivist research?
-Expert and authority
-Distant and informed decision-maker
-Policy-maker and change agent
What is the role of participants in positivist research?
-Passive and distant subject
-Unaware of a study’s purpose
What is the goal of positivist research in regards to change?
-No intended individual change during the study
-Results are meant to inform change after study completion
What values guide positivist research?
-Objectivity and neutrality
-Being value-free
What is bracketing, and what worldview is it associated with?
Acknowledging that implicit bias and values are present in research, but still aiming to reduce them; post-positivism
What type of reasoning is used in positivist research?
Deductive: pre-determined hypotheses are tested (although some post-positivist studies may use inductive)
What is the typical methodology of positivist research?
Quantitative (some post-positivist studies may use open-ended questions)
