This paper examines the use of visual methods in geographical field research, and in
particular p... more This paper examines the use of visual methods in geographical field research, and in particular photo-elicitation. The technique involves photos, videos and other forms of visual representation used in an interview, with informants asked to comment on the images. The aim is to promote more direct involvement of the informants in the research process and to encourage and stimulate the collection of quantitatively and qualitatively different information to that obtained in conventional interviews. The potential and limitations of this technique in the field are investigated, describing and discussing photo-elicitation data collection in the Maasai village of Mkuru in northern Tanzania to explore the use and preservation of natural resources. Results and methodological insights from the fieldwork are presented and discussed.
in U. MORELLI e G. FINIZIO (a cura di) L’Unione Europea nelle relazioni internazionali del XXI se... more in U. MORELLI e G. FINIZIO (a cura di) L’Unione Europea nelle relazioni internazionali del XXI secolo Carocci, Roma 2015, pp. 177-193.
In an era of increasing access to digital technologies, Indigenous communities are progressively
... more In an era of increasing access to digital technologies, Indigenous communities are progressively more able to present sophisticated and differentiated narratives in order to maximise their longterm survival. In this article, we explore how Indigenous communities use participatory video and participatory photography as tools of Indigenous media to enhance, adapt and/or reinforce their collective social memory. This social memory is key for identity formation and self-representation, and the ways in which Indigenous representations are performed promote particular interests and worldviews to the local, national and global scales. Working with the Makushi and Wapishana communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, the current social memory ‘in use’ was surfaced through the participatory video and photography process led by the Indigenous community. Through an iterative process of analysing images (photos and video clips) and text (written material, narration and spoken word), we identified key narratives of the communities’ social memory. We show how communities provide different messages to different actors through the way they use participatory video and participatory photography, revealing how self-conscious multiple identities shape differing purposes. We suggest that our ability, as non-Indigenous stakeholders, to perceive, appreciate and act upon these more complex and nuanced narratives is critical to help address environmental governance in a rapidly changing social–ecological context.
One of the most recurring strengths attributed to the use of participatory video is its ability t... more One of the most recurring strengths attributed to the use of participatory video is its ability to enable social change, advocacy, activism and empowerment. Yet, to what extent is this a joint vision of all parties involved in the participatory video process? Why do researchers and participants do participatory video? What are their differential motivations and how does this affect decisionmaking during the participatory video process? In this paper, we reflect on these questions through discussing participatory video experiences of research carried out by the authors in collaboration with indigenous communities in the North Rupununi, Guyana and in Tumucumaque, Brazil. Participatory video formed part of a project involving local communities, local, national and international civil society organisations and academic researchers.We evaluate the different perceptions and distinct worldviews of the individuals, groups and organisations involved in the participatory video process, and show how these determine the ways in which people participate.We conclude that a significant component of the participatory video process needs to include the iterative surfacing of individual motivations and worldviews using an adaptive research approach. This helps to negotiate expectations of all researchers and participants at different stages of the participatory video, enabling greater outcomes for all participants, while at the same time producing more nuanced and grounded academic research .
Participatory video (PV) can raise new levels of self-perception and can contribute to forming, t... more Participatory video (PV) can raise new levels of self-perception and can contribute to forming, transforming and reconstructing the identity and visions of those involved. Although this aspect is often underlined in the PV literature, reflection on the emotional process underpinning these changes is lacking, particularly from the perspective of community researchers facilitating the PV process. Why and how does facilitating PV contribute to changing attitudes, roles and perceptions of community researchers? This paper explores these aspects by drawing on empirical material (interviews, informal conversations, participant observation, email exchanges) collected during a three-and-a-half year EU-funded project in South America where the PV process was led by five Guyanese Indigenous community researchers. We found that the community researchers working on the project had to repeatedly deal with a rollercoaster ride of emotions: from fear of failing, dissatisfaction, and social pressure; to pride, satisfaction, commitment, and belonging. The question we ask is: can PV shape emotions and emotional bonds in the community researchers in ways that render their actions more sustainable and effective across space-time? We show how the emotional force of PV practice creates ‘thick places’ where community researchers challenge their specific abilities, capacities and ambitions and develop more autonomous research skills.
Literature on therapeutic landscapes has not sufficiently explored the relational dynamics that c... more Literature on therapeutic landscapes has not sufficiently explored the relational dynamics that contribute to shaping therapeutic landscapes. In particular, not enough attention has been paid to the patient–healer relationship and its role in producing wellbeing, especially in non-western settings. This article is a first attempt to address these deficiencies by exploring the role of the patient–healer relationship in shaping therapeutic landscapes especially as regards traditional healing in the city of St. Louis in Northern Senegal. By exploring the understandings of health and well-being of 160 people (including patients, herbalists and traditional healers), this article will show how therapeutic landscapes of traditional healing are built relationally in the patient–healer encounter; it will also underscore the strong link between the herbal component of traditional healing, the cognitive component of dialogue with the healer and the spiritual and sociocultural elements associated with rituals. The findings have relevant policy implications. This article takes a stand in the debate on integration between 'traditional' and 'western medicine' in Africa by stating that integration should give more serious consideration to the ability of traditional healing systems to create wellbeing because, as the case study shows, the latter strongly relies on the relational dimension of healing.
Participatory research is supposed to involve participants in a collective definition of goals, a... more Participatory research is supposed to involve participants in a collective definition of goals, and the coproduction and sharing of research outputs. However, when articulated through an extended period of time involving a range of local, national and international actors, the practicalities of participatory research means that certain groups and individuals become responsible for taking leading roles, with subsequent ethical dilemmas. In the ‘Community-owned solutions for future environmental challenges in the Guiana Shield, South America’ (COBRA) project, the participatory research process involves a group of five Indigenous researchers – ‘‘the local team’’ – in charge of carrying out the research on the ground e.g. defining procedures, carrying out community engagement and supporting the communities in analyzing and disseminating the material. This local team is, in turn, supported by researchers from a national NGO and foreign academics. Considerable responsibility has been given to the local team for achieving project outcomes, and freedom in defining project tasks and activities. This paper analyses the multiple ethical dilemmas arising out of this situation, particularly the role of the local team as intermediaries between the wider community and project partners. We highlight the existence of significant mismatches between research expectations, and the ethical processes in operation at community level which are usually established on long-term, tacit and reciprocal relationships. We discuss how local community researchers are challenged with balancing the tensions between these two ethical polarities, while at the same time producing participatory research outcomes that are acceptable by everyone involved.
Globalization and cultural interaction, new lifestyles, the diffusion of ''modern medicine'', the... more Globalization and cultural interaction, new lifestyles, the diffusion of ''modern medicine'', the transformation of traditional religious practices and beliefs, have profoundly challenged and modified indigenous health systems. This paper questions whether due to these changes traditional healing systems are to some extent converging into ''herbalism'' and losing ties with their original cultural systems. By analyzing the healing practices of two communities (Maasai and Meru) in the rural ward of Ngar-enyanyuki (Northern Tanzania), the paper explores how traditional and modern health knowledge circulates , changes, and evolves. Evidence from the case study shows that herbal remedies play an increasingly key role in traditional healing practices. Nevertheless, Maasai and Meru health knowledge emerges as a rich and challenging mix of evolving practices. The paper discusses these ongoing processes and inputs into the debate on health provision in African countries by underlining the need for a policy transition to more holistic healing systems which may provide highly desirable options in the current context of health reforms.
The paper engages with the changes undergoing in the field of development cooperation and offers ... more The paper engages with the changes undergoing in the field of development cooperation and offers a systematic appraisal of the relationship undergoing between geography and development cooperation, with special attention to the Italian context. On the one hand the paper reflects on how this relationship contributes to the debate on the epistemological basis and social legitimacy of the discipline. On the other hand it concentrates on how geographical studies can meet the needs of development cooperation, focusing especially on its transcalar and comprehensive approach.
Visual research methods are increasingly used in the field of international aid and in geographic... more Visual research methods are increasingly used in the field of international aid and in geographical research within international aid. The aim of this contribution is to reflect on the reasons and outcomes of the encounter between visual research, geography and international development cooperation. How can visual tools bring benefit to geographical research operating within international aid? What types of information and processes do they allow to foster? The article focuses in particular on participatory video, investigating its application in geographical research operating within international development cooperation.
Policies and actions that come from higher scale structures, such as international bodies and nat... more Policies and actions that come from higher scale structures, such as international bodies and national governments, are not always compatible with the realities and perspectives of smaller scale units including indigenous communities. Yet, it is at this local social-ecological scale that mechanisms and solutions for dealing with unpredictability and change can be increasingly seen emerging from across the world. Although there is a large body of knowledge specifying the conditions necessary to promote local governance of natural resources, there is a parallel need to develop practical methods for operationalizing the evaluation of local social-ecological systems. In this paper, we report on a systemic, participatory, and visual approach for engaging local communities in an exploration of their own social-ecological system. Working with indigenous communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, this involved using participatory video and photography within a system viability framework to enable local participants to analyze their own situation by defining indicators of successful strategies that were meaningful to them. Participatory multicriteria analysis was then used to arrive at a short list of best practice strategies. We present six best practices and show how they are intimately linked through the themes of indigenous knowledge, local governance and values, and partnerships and networks. We highlight how developing shared narratives of community owned solutions can help communities to plan governance and management of land and resource systems, while reinforcing sustainable practices by discussing and showcasing them within communities, and by engendering a sense of pride in local solutions.
There is increasing advocacy for inclusive community-based approaches to environmental management... more There is increasing advocacy for inclusive community-based approaches to environmental management, and growing evidence that involving communities improves the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Most community-based approaches rely on partnerships and knowledge exchange between communities, civil society organizations, and professionals such as practitioners and/or scientists. However, few models have actively integrated more horizontal knowledge exchange from community to community. We reflect on the transferability of community owned solutions between indigenous communities by exploring challenges and achievements of community peer-to-peer knowledge exchange as a way of empowering communities to face up to local environmental and social challenges. Using participatory visual methods, indigenous communities of the North Rupununi (Guyana) identified and documented their community owned solutions through films and photostories. Indigenous researchers from this community then shared their solutions with six other communities that faced similar challenges within Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, and Brazil. They were supported by in-country civil society organizations and academics. We analyzed the impact of the knowledge exchange through interviews, field reports, and observations. Our results show that indigenous community members were significantly more receptive to solutions emerging from, and communicated by, other indigenous peoples, and that this approach was a significant motivating force for galvanizing communities to make changes in their community. We identified a range of enabling factors, such as building capacity for a shared conceptual and technical understanding, that strengthens the exchange between communities and contributes to a lasting impact. With national and international policy-makers mobilizing significant financial resources for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, we argue that the promotion of community owned solutions through community peer-to-peer exchange may deliver more long-lasting, socially and ecologically integrated, and investment-effective strategies compared to top-down, expert led, and/or foreign-led initiatives.
Scientific research and communications is dominated by a command-and-control approach which lacks... more Scientific research and communications is dominated by a command-and-control approach which lacks the ability to engage the public in managing and adapting to surprises and rapid change. These initiatives emerge from higher-scale structures e.g. national institutions, which are not always compatible with the realities and perspectives of communities. The failure of top-down, 'deficit model' approaches to science communication have encouraged communities to support an alternative, bottom-up, culturally and ecologically sensitive approach to communication for addressing complex socio-ecological problems. This paper explores the development and promotion of a 'community-expertise' model of public engagement through the COBRA Project, a participatory project involving indigenous communities of South America. The project’s aim is to significantly scale up the sharing of indigenous expertise and knowledge through photography, video and online platforms. We will present the results of how this expertise is identified, recorded and shared with national and international scientists and policymakers. We report on the conflict between the principles behind participatory community engagement and the demands of policymakers for scientific, empirically validated data, which clearly require an imposition on the type and process of data collection, analysis and modes of communication. We argue that participatory methods that engage local indigenous communities are empowering for these involved, but it is in the end up to the scientific and policy-making establishment to accept the validity of these ‘non-standard’ forms of science communication.
'Resilience' is a term that has achieved significant prominence in scientific circles and now wit... more 'Resilience' is a term that has achieved significant prominence in scientific circles and now within popular discourse. However, its practical application is often unclear or confused because it can mean different things to different people: To resist? To adapt? To transform? In this paper, we propose a framework - System Viability - able to coherently engage with six distinct properties of all systems, from ecosystems to communities, allowing the identification of trade-offs and synergies for maximising the chances of systems persistence. We apply and evaluate the System Viability framework through participatory visual methods within three indigenous communities in the North Rupununi, Guyana. This paper highlights how the framework allows the measurement of community survival strategies in a consistent and theoretically corroborated way, with implications for national and international policy-makers aiming to promote resilience and sustainability.
Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the developmen... more Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing social-ecological systems that can be easily applied by a range of stakeholders whose interests lie at different scales, but where the results of the analysis can be compared in a straightforward way. We outline the system viability framework, which allows participants to characterize a range of strategies in response to environment challenges for maintaining the long-term survival of their particular system of interest. Working in the Guiana Shield, South America, and with a range of local, regional, and international stakeholders, our aim was to use system viability to (1) investigate synergies and conflicts between distinct scales of governance, (2) identify scale-related challenges, and (3) test the framework as a conceptual tool for supporting cross-scalar analysis for environmental governance.
At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis.
Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical, participative and “big-picture” approach for facilitating the integrated governance of nested local and regional social-ecological systems.
Il volume indaga il rapporto tra geografia e cooperazione allo sviluppo,
con particolare attenzio... more Il volume indaga il rapporto tra geografia e cooperazione allo sviluppo, con particolare attenzione al nesso tra sviluppo, cooperazione, partecipazione e territorio, intrecciando due prospettive di analisi. Una prima prospettiva è orientata ad una geografia della cooperazione allo sviluppo, nelle sue diverse forme (bilaterale, multilaterale, decentrata, non governativa), esplicitandone le logiche spaziali e i rapporti con il territorio alle differenti scale geografiche. Una seconda prospettiva va nella direzione di una geografia per la cooperazione allo sviluppo, proponendo cioè analisi dei contesti territoriali alle diverse scale come conoscenza indispensabile ai programmi e progetti di cooperazione, nelle diverse fasi del loro ciclo di vita. Attraverso un contributo a più voci, tra studiosi e operatori del mondo della cooperazione, vengono affrontati in particolare l’evoluzione del rapporto sviluppo e territorio, il ruolo del territorio nella cooperazione allo sviluppo, con particolare attenzione alla cooperazione decentrata, l’approccio dello sviluppo locale nelle strategie della cooperazione, il nodo della partecipazione, vista sia nei suoi presupposti teorici sia negli strumenti e nelle prassi adottate nei progetti di cooperazione, di cui vengono ripercorse le diverse filosofie di intervento.
Disegni, carte, mappe, fotografie: la geografia ha costruito nel tempo modalità specifiche e tra ... more Disegni, carte, mappe, fotografie: la geografia ha costruito nel tempo modalità specifiche e tra loro differenti per guardare e interpretare il mondo. Elisa Bignante introduce agli strumenti e ai nuovi mezzi tecnologici per fare ricerca geografica utilizzando la fotografia e il video.
«Con un’esposizione attenta su come utilizzare le immagini per documentare la realtà geografica, su come creare nuove immagini con i partecipanti alla ricerca ed esplorare quelle già esistenti nel mondo, questo libro costituisce uno strumento molto prezioso per i tanti ricercatori che cercano di dare un senso alla creazione di molti e diversi mondi geografici da parte dei materiali visivi». Dalla prefazione di Gillian Rose, The Open University
Perché alcune regioni sono ricche, attraenti, centrali, mentre altre sono povere, periferiche, de... more Perché alcune regioni sono ricche, attraenti, centrali, mentre altre sono povere, periferiche, desolate? Il sottosviluppo è semplicemente la mancanza di sviluppo? I paesi poveri sono ‘in ritardo’ nel loro percorso di sviluppo, ma prima o poi diventeranno ‘come noi’? Quali sono i meccanismi che sottintendono alla produzione e riproduzione di centri e di periferie geografiche? Perché ogni luogo sviluppa una particolare specializzazione e svolge un differente ruolo nell’economia globale? Geografie dello sviluppo affronta questi ed altri quesiti e, a partire da alcuni temi-chiave, propone una rassegna ragionata e critica di classiche teorie geografiche, unite ad alcune delle riflessioni più attuali e provocatorie della disciplina. Il tentativo non è tanto quello di fornire risposte univoche, quanto piuttosto suggerire come riformulare e problematizzare il rapporto tra sviluppo economico e spazio geografico, aprendo lo sguardo a nuovi modi di pensare alla struttura e all’organizzazione del mondo.
This paper examines the use of visual methods in geographical field research, and in
particular p... more This paper examines the use of visual methods in geographical field research, and in particular photo-elicitation. The technique involves photos, videos and other forms of visual representation used in an interview, with informants asked to comment on the images. The aim is to promote more direct involvement of the informants in the research process and to encourage and stimulate the collection of quantitatively and qualitatively different information to that obtained in conventional interviews. The potential and limitations of this technique in the field are investigated, describing and discussing photo-elicitation data collection in the Maasai village of Mkuru in northern Tanzania to explore the use and preservation of natural resources. Results and methodological insights from the fieldwork are presented and discussed.
in U. MORELLI e G. FINIZIO (a cura di) L’Unione Europea nelle relazioni internazionali del XXI se... more in U. MORELLI e G. FINIZIO (a cura di) L’Unione Europea nelle relazioni internazionali del XXI secolo Carocci, Roma 2015, pp. 177-193.
In an era of increasing access to digital technologies, Indigenous communities are progressively
... more In an era of increasing access to digital technologies, Indigenous communities are progressively more able to present sophisticated and differentiated narratives in order to maximise their longterm survival. In this article, we explore how Indigenous communities use participatory video and participatory photography as tools of Indigenous media to enhance, adapt and/or reinforce their collective social memory. This social memory is key for identity formation and self-representation, and the ways in which Indigenous representations are performed promote particular interests and worldviews to the local, national and global scales. Working with the Makushi and Wapishana communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, the current social memory ‘in use’ was surfaced through the participatory video and photography process led by the Indigenous community. Through an iterative process of analysing images (photos and video clips) and text (written material, narration and spoken word), we identified key narratives of the communities’ social memory. We show how communities provide different messages to different actors through the way they use participatory video and participatory photography, revealing how self-conscious multiple identities shape differing purposes. We suggest that our ability, as non-Indigenous stakeholders, to perceive, appreciate and act upon these more complex and nuanced narratives is critical to help address environmental governance in a rapidly changing social–ecological context.
One of the most recurring strengths attributed to the use of participatory video is its ability t... more One of the most recurring strengths attributed to the use of participatory video is its ability to enable social change, advocacy, activism and empowerment. Yet, to what extent is this a joint vision of all parties involved in the participatory video process? Why do researchers and participants do participatory video? What are their differential motivations and how does this affect decisionmaking during the participatory video process? In this paper, we reflect on these questions through discussing participatory video experiences of research carried out by the authors in collaboration with indigenous communities in the North Rupununi, Guyana and in Tumucumaque, Brazil. Participatory video formed part of a project involving local communities, local, national and international civil society organisations and academic researchers.We evaluate the different perceptions and distinct worldviews of the individuals, groups and organisations involved in the participatory video process, and show how these determine the ways in which people participate.We conclude that a significant component of the participatory video process needs to include the iterative surfacing of individual motivations and worldviews using an adaptive research approach. This helps to negotiate expectations of all researchers and participants at different stages of the participatory video, enabling greater outcomes for all participants, while at the same time producing more nuanced and grounded academic research .
Participatory video (PV) can raise new levels of self-perception and can contribute to forming, t... more Participatory video (PV) can raise new levels of self-perception and can contribute to forming, transforming and reconstructing the identity and visions of those involved. Although this aspect is often underlined in the PV literature, reflection on the emotional process underpinning these changes is lacking, particularly from the perspective of community researchers facilitating the PV process. Why and how does facilitating PV contribute to changing attitudes, roles and perceptions of community researchers? This paper explores these aspects by drawing on empirical material (interviews, informal conversations, participant observation, email exchanges) collected during a three-and-a-half year EU-funded project in South America where the PV process was led by five Guyanese Indigenous community researchers. We found that the community researchers working on the project had to repeatedly deal with a rollercoaster ride of emotions: from fear of failing, dissatisfaction, and social pressure; to pride, satisfaction, commitment, and belonging. The question we ask is: can PV shape emotions and emotional bonds in the community researchers in ways that render their actions more sustainable and effective across space-time? We show how the emotional force of PV practice creates ‘thick places’ where community researchers challenge their specific abilities, capacities and ambitions and develop more autonomous research skills.
Literature on therapeutic landscapes has not sufficiently explored the relational dynamics that c... more Literature on therapeutic landscapes has not sufficiently explored the relational dynamics that contribute to shaping therapeutic landscapes. In particular, not enough attention has been paid to the patient–healer relationship and its role in producing wellbeing, especially in non-western settings. This article is a first attempt to address these deficiencies by exploring the role of the patient–healer relationship in shaping therapeutic landscapes especially as regards traditional healing in the city of St. Louis in Northern Senegal. By exploring the understandings of health and well-being of 160 people (including patients, herbalists and traditional healers), this article will show how therapeutic landscapes of traditional healing are built relationally in the patient–healer encounter; it will also underscore the strong link between the herbal component of traditional healing, the cognitive component of dialogue with the healer and the spiritual and sociocultural elements associated with rituals. The findings have relevant policy implications. This article takes a stand in the debate on integration between 'traditional' and 'western medicine' in Africa by stating that integration should give more serious consideration to the ability of traditional healing systems to create wellbeing because, as the case study shows, the latter strongly relies on the relational dimension of healing.
Participatory research is supposed to involve participants in a collective definition of goals, a... more Participatory research is supposed to involve participants in a collective definition of goals, and the coproduction and sharing of research outputs. However, when articulated through an extended period of time involving a range of local, national and international actors, the practicalities of participatory research means that certain groups and individuals become responsible for taking leading roles, with subsequent ethical dilemmas. In the ‘Community-owned solutions for future environmental challenges in the Guiana Shield, South America’ (COBRA) project, the participatory research process involves a group of five Indigenous researchers – ‘‘the local team’’ – in charge of carrying out the research on the ground e.g. defining procedures, carrying out community engagement and supporting the communities in analyzing and disseminating the material. This local team is, in turn, supported by researchers from a national NGO and foreign academics. Considerable responsibility has been given to the local team for achieving project outcomes, and freedom in defining project tasks and activities. This paper analyses the multiple ethical dilemmas arising out of this situation, particularly the role of the local team as intermediaries between the wider community and project partners. We highlight the existence of significant mismatches between research expectations, and the ethical processes in operation at community level which are usually established on long-term, tacit and reciprocal relationships. We discuss how local community researchers are challenged with balancing the tensions between these two ethical polarities, while at the same time producing participatory research outcomes that are acceptable by everyone involved.
Globalization and cultural interaction, new lifestyles, the diffusion of ''modern medicine'', the... more Globalization and cultural interaction, new lifestyles, the diffusion of ''modern medicine'', the transformation of traditional religious practices and beliefs, have profoundly challenged and modified indigenous health systems. This paper questions whether due to these changes traditional healing systems are to some extent converging into ''herbalism'' and losing ties with their original cultural systems. By analyzing the healing practices of two communities (Maasai and Meru) in the rural ward of Ngar-enyanyuki (Northern Tanzania), the paper explores how traditional and modern health knowledge circulates , changes, and evolves. Evidence from the case study shows that herbal remedies play an increasingly key role in traditional healing practices. Nevertheless, Maasai and Meru health knowledge emerges as a rich and challenging mix of evolving practices. The paper discusses these ongoing processes and inputs into the debate on health provision in African countries by underlining the need for a policy transition to more holistic healing systems which may provide highly desirable options in the current context of health reforms.
The paper engages with the changes undergoing in the field of development cooperation and offers ... more The paper engages with the changes undergoing in the field of development cooperation and offers a systematic appraisal of the relationship undergoing between geography and development cooperation, with special attention to the Italian context. On the one hand the paper reflects on how this relationship contributes to the debate on the epistemological basis and social legitimacy of the discipline. On the other hand it concentrates on how geographical studies can meet the needs of development cooperation, focusing especially on its transcalar and comprehensive approach.
Visual research methods are increasingly used in the field of international aid and in geographic... more Visual research methods are increasingly used in the field of international aid and in geographical research within international aid. The aim of this contribution is to reflect on the reasons and outcomes of the encounter between visual research, geography and international development cooperation. How can visual tools bring benefit to geographical research operating within international aid? What types of information and processes do they allow to foster? The article focuses in particular on participatory video, investigating its application in geographical research operating within international development cooperation.
Policies and actions that come from higher scale structures, such as international bodies and nat... more Policies and actions that come from higher scale structures, such as international bodies and national governments, are not always compatible with the realities and perspectives of smaller scale units including indigenous communities. Yet, it is at this local social-ecological scale that mechanisms and solutions for dealing with unpredictability and change can be increasingly seen emerging from across the world. Although there is a large body of knowledge specifying the conditions necessary to promote local governance of natural resources, there is a parallel need to develop practical methods for operationalizing the evaluation of local social-ecological systems. In this paper, we report on a systemic, participatory, and visual approach for engaging local communities in an exploration of their own social-ecological system. Working with indigenous communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, this involved using participatory video and photography within a system viability framework to enable local participants to analyze their own situation by defining indicators of successful strategies that were meaningful to them. Participatory multicriteria analysis was then used to arrive at a short list of best practice strategies. We present six best practices and show how they are intimately linked through the themes of indigenous knowledge, local governance and values, and partnerships and networks. We highlight how developing shared narratives of community owned solutions can help communities to plan governance and management of land and resource systems, while reinforcing sustainable practices by discussing and showcasing them within communities, and by engendering a sense of pride in local solutions.
There is increasing advocacy for inclusive community-based approaches to environmental management... more There is increasing advocacy for inclusive community-based approaches to environmental management, and growing evidence that involving communities improves the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Most community-based approaches rely on partnerships and knowledge exchange between communities, civil society organizations, and professionals such as practitioners and/or scientists. However, few models have actively integrated more horizontal knowledge exchange from community to community. We reflect on the transferability of community owned solutions between indigenous communities by exploring challenges and achievements of community peer-to-peer knowledge exchange as a way of empowering communities to face up to local environmental and social challenges. Using participatory visual methods, indigenous communities of the North Rupununi (Guyana) identified and documented their community owned solutions through films and photostories. Indigenous researchers from this community then shared their solutions with six other communities that faced similar challenges within Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, and Brazil. They were supported by in-country civil society organizations and academics. We analyzed the impact of the knowledge exchange through interviews, field reports, and observations. Our results show that indigenous community members were significantly more receptive to solutions emerging from, and communicated by, other indigenous peoples, and that this approach was a significant motivating force for galvanizing communities to make changes in their community. We identified a range of enabling factors, such as building capacity for a shared conceptual and technical understanding, that strengthens the exchange between communities and contributes to a lasting impact. With national and international policy-makers mobilizing significant financial resources for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, we argue that the promotion of community owned solutions through community peer-to-peer exchange may deliver more long-lasting, socially and ecologically integrated, and investment-effective strategies compared to top-down, expert led, and/or foreign-led initiatives.
Scientific research and communications is dominated by a command-and-control approach which lacks... more Scientific research and communications is dominated by a command-and-control approach which lacks the ability to engage the public in managing and adapting to surprises and rapid change. These initiatives emerge from higher-scale structures e.g. national institutions, which are not always compatible with the realities and perspectives of communities. The failure of top-down, 'deficit model' approaches to science communication have encouraged communities to support an alternative, bottom-up, culturally and ecologically sensitive approach to communication for addressing complex socio-ecological problems. This paper explores the development and promotion of a 'community-expertise' model of public engagement through the COBRA Project, a participatory project involving indigenous communities of South America. The project’s aim is to significantly scale up the sharing of indigenous expertise and knowledge through photography, video and online platforms. We will present the results of how this expertise is identified, recorded and shared with national and international scientists and policymakers. We report on the conflict between the principles behind participatory community engagement and the demands of policymakers for scientific, empirically validated data, which clearly require an imposition on the type and process of data collection, analysis and modes of communication. We argue that participatory methods that engage local indigenous communities are empowering for these involved, but it is in the end up to the scientific and policy-making establishment to accept the validity of these ‘non-standard’ forms of science communication.
'Resilience' is a term that has achieved significant prominence in scientific circles and now wit... more 'Resilience' is a term that has achieved significant prominence in scientific circles and now within popular discourse. However, its practical application is often unclear or confused because it can mean different things to different people: To resist? To adapt? To transform? In this paper, we propose a framework - System Viability - able to coherently engage with six distinct properties of all systems, from ecosystems to communities, allowing the identification of trade-offs and synergies for maximising the chances of systems persistence. We apply and evaluate the System Viability framework through participatory visual methods within three indigenous communities in the North Rupununi, Guyana. This paper highlights how the framework allows the measurement of community survival strategies in a consistent and theoretically corroborated way, with implications for national and international policy-makers aiming to promote resilience and sustainability.
Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the developmen... more Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing social-ecological systems that can be easily applied by a range of stakeholders whose interests lie at different scales, but where the results of the analysis can be compared in a straightforward way. We outline the system viability framework, which allows participants to characterize a range of strategies in response to environment challenges for maintaining the long-term survival of their particular system of interest. Working in the Guiana Shield, South America, and with a range of local, regional, and international stakeholders, our aim was to use system viability to (1) investigate synergies and conflicts between distinct scales of governance, (2) identify scale-related challenges, and (3) test the framework as a conceptual tool for supporting cross-scalar analysis for environmental governance.
At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis.
Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical, participative and “big-picture” approach for facilitating the integrated governance of nested local and regional social-ecological systems.
Il volume indaga il rapporto tra geografia e cooperazione allo sviluppo,
con particolare attenzio... more Il volume indaga il rapporto tra geografia e cooperazione allo sviluppo, con particolare attenzione al nesso tra sviluppo, cooperazione, partecipazione e territorio, intrecciando due prospettive di analisi. Una prima prospettiva è orientata ad una geografia della cooperazione allo sviluppo, nelle sue diverse forme (bilaterale, multilaterale, decentrata, non governativa), esplicitandone le logiche spaziali e i rapporti con il territorio alle differenti scale geografiche. Una seconda prospettiva va nella direzione di una geografia per la cooperazione allo sviluppo, proponendo cioè analisi dei contesti territoriali alle diverse scale come conoscenza indispensabile ai programmi e progetti di cooperazione, nelle diverse fasi del loro ciclo di vita. Attraverso un contributo a più voci, tra studiosi e operatori del mondo della cooperazione, vengono affrontati in particolare l’evoluzione del rapporto sviluppo e territorio, il ruolo del territorio nella cooperazione allo sviluppo, con particolare attenzione alla cooperazione decentrata, l’approccio dello sviluppo locale nelle strategie della cooperazione, il nodo della partecipazione, vista sia nei suoi presupposti teorici sia negli strumenti e nelle prassi adottate nei progetti di cooperazione, di cui vengono ripercorse le diverse filosofie di intervento.
Disegni, carte, mappe, fotografie: la geografia ha costruito nel tempo modalità specifiche e tra ... more Disegni, carte, mappe, fotografie: la geografia ha costruito nel tempo modalità specifiche e tra loro differenti per guardare e interpretare il mondo. Elisa Bignante introduce agli strumenti e ai nuovi mezzi tecnologici per fare ricerca geografica utilizzando la fotografia e il video.
«Con un’esposizione attenta su come utilizzare le immagini per documentare la realtà geografica, su come creare nuove immagini con i partecipanti alla ricerca ed esplorare quelle già esistenti nel mondo, questo libro costituisce uno strumento molto prezioso per i tanti ricercatori che cercano di dare un senso alla creazione di molti e diversi mondi geografici da parte dei materiali visivi». Dalla prefazione di Gillian Rose, The Open University
Perché alcune regioni sono ricche, attraenti, centrali, mentre altre sono povere, periferiche, de... more Perché alcune regioni sono ricche, attraenti, centrali, mentre altre sono povere, periferiche, desolate? Il sottosviluppo è semplicemente la mancanza di sviluppo? I paesi poveri sono ‘in ritardo’ nel loro percorso di sviluppo, ma prima o poi diventeranno ‘come noi’? Quali sono i meccanismi che sottintendono alla produzione e riproduzione di centri e di periferie geografiche? Perché ogni luogo sviluppa una particolare specializzazione e svolge un differente ruolo nell’economia globale? Geografie dello sviluppo affronta questi ed altri quesiti e, a partire da alcuni temi-chiave, propone una rassegna ragionata e critica di classiche teorie geografiche, unite ad alcune delle riflessioni più attuali e provocatorie della disciplina. Il tentativo non è tanto quello di fornire risposte univoche, quanto piuttosto suggerire come riformulare e problematizzare il rapporto tra sviluppo economico e spazio geografico, aprendo lo sguardo a nuovi modi di pensare alla struttura e all’organizzazione del mondo.
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Papers by Elisa Bignante
particular photo-elicitation. The technique involves photos, videos and other forms of visual
representation used in an interview, with informants asked to comment on the images. The
aim is to promote more direct involvement of the informants in the research process and to
encourage and stimulate the collection of quantitatively and qualitatively different information
to that obtained in conventional interviews.
The potential and limitations of this technique in the field are investigated, describing
and discussing photo-elicitation data collection in the Maasai village of Mkuru in northern
Tanzania to explore the use and preservation of natural resources. Results and methodological
insights from the fieldwork are presented and discussed.
more able to present sophisticated and differentiated narratives in order to maximise their longterm
survival. In this article, we explore how Indigenous communities use participatory video and
participatory photography as tools of Indigenous media to enhance, adapt and/or reinforce their
collective social memory. This social memory is key for identity formation and self-representation,
and the ways in which Indigenous representations are performed promote particular interests
and worldviews to the local, national and global scales. Working with the Makushi and Wapishana
communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, the current social memory ‘in use’ was surfaced
through the participatory video and photography process led by the Indigenous community.
Through an iterative process of analysing images (photos and video clips) and text (written
material, narration and spoken word), we identified key narratives of the communities’ social
memory. We show how communities provide different messages to different actors through the
way they use participatory video and participatory photography, revealing how self-conscious
multiple identities shape differing purposes. We suggest that our ability, as non-Indigenous
stakeholders, to perceive, appreciate and act upon these more complex and nuanced narratives is
critical to help address environmental governance in a rapidly changing social–ecological context.
and sharing of research outputs. However, when articulated through an extended period of
time involving a range of local, national and international actors, the practicalities of participatory
research means that certain groups and individuals become responsible for taking leading roles, with
subsequent ethical dilemmas. In the ‘Community-owned solutions for future environmental challenges
in the Guiana Shield, South America’ (COBRA) project, the participatory research process involves a group
of five Indigenous researchers – ‘‘the local team’’ – in charge of carrying out the research on the ground
e.g. defining procedures, carrying out community engagement and supporting the communities in
analyzing and disseminating the material. This local team is, in turn, supported by researchers from a
national NGO and foreign academics.
Considerable responsibility has been given to the local team for achieving project outcomes, and freedom
in defining project tasks and activities. This paper analyses the multiple ethical dilemmas arising out
of this situation, particularly the role of the local team as intermediaries between the wider community
and project partners. We highlight the existence of significant mismatches between research expectations,
and the ethical processes in operation at community level which are usually established on
long-term, tacit and reciprocal relationships. We discuss how local community researchers are challenged
with balancing the tensions between these two ethical polarities, while at the same time producing
participatory research outcomes that are acceptable by everyone involved.
the relationship undergoing between geography and development cooperation, with special attention to the Italian context.
On the one hand the paper reflects on how this relationship contributes to the debate on the epistemological basis and social
legitimacy of the discipline. On the other hand it concentrates on how geographical studies can meet the needs of development
cooperation, focusing especially on its transcalar and comprehensive approach.
international aid. The aim of this contribution is to reflect on the reasons and outcomes of the encounter between visual
research, geography and international development cooperation. How can visual tools bring benefit to geographical research
operating within international aid? What types of information and processes do they allow to foster? The article focuses
in particular on participatory video, investigating its application in geographical research operating within international
development cooperation.
At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis.
Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical, participative and “big-picture” approach for facilitating the integrated governance of nested local and regional social-ecological systems.
Books by Elisa Bignante
con particolare attenzione al nesso tra sviluppo, cooperazione, partecipazione
e territorio, intrecciando due prospettive di analisi. Una prima prospettiva
è orientata ad una geografia della cooperazione allo sviluppo,
nelle sue diverse forme (bilaterale, multilaterale, decentrata, non governativa),
esplicitandone le logiche spaziali e i rapporti con il territorio alle differenti
scale geografiche. Una seconda prospettiva va nella direzione di una
geografia per la cooperazione allo sviluppo, proponendo cioè analisi dei
contesti territoriali alle diverse scale come conoscenza indispensabile ai
programmi e progetti di cooperazione, nelle diverse fasi del loro ciclo di
vita. Attraverso un contributo a più voci, tra studiosi e operatori del mondo
della cooperazione, vengono affrontati in particolare l’evoluzione del rapporto
sviluppo e territorio, il ruolo del territorio nella cooperazione allo sviluppo,
con particolare attenzione alla cooperazione decentrata, l’approccio
dello sviluppo locale nelle strategie della cooperazione, il nodo della partecipazione,
vista sia nei suoi presupposti teorici sia negli strumenti e nelle
prassi adottate nei progetti di cooperazione, di cui vengono ripercorse le
diverse filosofie di intervento.
«Con un’esposizione attenta su come utilizzare le immagini per documentare la realtà geografica, su come creare nuove immagini con i partecipanti alla ricerca ed esplorare quelle già esistenti nel mondo, questo libro costituisce uno strumento molto prezioso per i tanti ricercatori che cercano di dare un senso alla creazione di molti e diversi mondi geografici da parte dei materiali visivi».
Dalla prefazione di Gillian Rose, The Open University
Geografie dello sviluppo affronta questi ed altri quesiti e, a partire da alcuni temi-chiave, propone una rassegna ragionata e critica di classiche teorie geografiche, unite ad alcune delle riflessioni più attuali e provocatorie della disciplina. Il tentativo non è tanto quello di fornire risposte univoche, quanto piuttosto suggerire come riformulare e problematizzare il rapporto tra sviluppo economico e spazio geografico, aprendo lo sguardo a nuovi modi di pensare alla struttura e all’organizzazione del mondo.
particular photo-elicitation. The technique involves photos, videos and other forms of visual
representation used in an interview, with informants asked to comment on the images. The
aim is to promote more direct involvement of the informants in the research process and to
encourage and stimulate the collection of quantitatively and qualitatively different information
to that obtained in conventional interviews.
The potential and limitations of this technique in the field are investigated, describing
and discussing photo-elicitation data collection in the Maasai village of Mkuru in northern
Tanzania to explore the use and preservation of natural resources. Results and methodological
insights from the fieldwork are presented and discussed.
more able to present sophisticated and differentiated narratives in order to maximise their longterm
survival. In this article, we explore how Indigenous communities use participatory video and
participatory photography as tools of Indigenous media to enhance, adapt and/or reinforce their
collective social memory. This social memory is key for identity formation and self-representation,
and the ways in which Indigenous representations are performed promote particular interests
and worldviews to the local, national and global scales. Working with the Makushi and Wapishana
communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, the current social memory ‘in use’ was surfaced
through the participatory video and photography process led by the Indigenous community.
Through an iterative process of analysing images (photos and video clips) and text (written
material, narration and spoken word), we identified key narratives of the communities’ social
memory. We show how communities provide different messages to different actors through the
way they use participatory video and participatory photography, revealing how self-conscious
multiple identities shape differing purposes. We suggest that our ability, as non-Indigenous
stakeholders, to perceive, appreciate and act upon these more complex and nuanced narratives is
critical to help address environmental governance in a rapidly changing social–ecological context.
and sharing of research outputs. However, when articulated through an extended period of
time involving a range of local, national and international actors, the practicalities of participatory
research means that certain groups and individuals become responsible for taking leading roles, with
subsequent ethical dilemmas. In the ‘Community-owned solutions for future environmental challenges
in the Guiana Shield, South America’ (COBRA) project, the participatory research process involves a group
of five Indigenous researchers – ‘‘the local team’’ – in charge of carrying out the research on the ground
e.g. defining procedures, carrying out community engagement and supporting the communities in
analyzing and disseminating the material. This local team is, in turn, supported by researchers from a
national NGO and foreign academics.
Considerable responsibility has been given to the local team for achieving project outcomes, and freedom
in defining project tasks and activities. This paper analyses the multiple ethical dilemmas arising out
of this situation, particularly the role of the local team as intermediaries between the wider community
and project partners. We highlight the existence of significant mismatches between research expectations,
and the ethical processes in operation at community level which are usually established on
long-term, tacit and reciprocal relationships. We discuss how local community researchers are challenged
with balancing the tensions between these two ethical polarities, while at the same time producing
participatory research outcomes that are acceptable by everyone involved.
the relationship undergoing between geography and development cooperation, with special attention to the Italian context.
On the one hand the paper reflects on how this relationship contributes to the debate on the epistemological basis and social
legitimacy of the discipline. On the other hand it concentrates on how geographical studies can meet the needs of development
cooperation, focusing especially on its transcalar and comprehensive approach.
international aid. The aim of this contribution is to reflect on the reasons and outcomes of the encounter between visual
research, geography and international development cooperation. How can visual tools bring benefit to geographical research
operating within international aid? What types of information and processes do they allow to foster? The article focuses
in particular on participatory video, investigating its application in geographical research operating within international
development cooperation.
At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis.
Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical, participative and “big-picture” approach for facilitating the integrated governance of nested local and regional social-ecological systems.
con particolare attenzione al nesso tra sviluppo, cooperazione, partecipazione
e territorio, intrecciando due prospettive di analisi. Una prima prospettiva
è orientata ad una geografia della cooperazione allo sviluppo,
nelle sue diverse forme (bilaterale, multilaterale, decentrata, non governativa),
esplicitandone le logiche spaziali e i rapporti con il territorio alle differenti
scale geografiche. Una seconda prospettiva va nella direzione di una
geografia per la cooperazione allo sviluppo, proponendo cioè analisi dei
contesti territoriali alle diverse scale come conoscenza indispensabile ai
programmi e progetti di cooperazione, nelle diverse fasi del loro ciclo di
vita. Attraverso un contributo a più voci, tra studiosi e operatori del mondo
della cooperazione, vengono affrontati in particolare l’evoluzione del rapporto
sviluppo e territorio, il ruolo del territorio nella cooperazione allo sviluppo,
con particolare attenzione alla cooperazione decentrata, l’approccio
dello sviluppo locale nelle strategie della cooperazione, il nodo della partecipazione,
vista sia nei suoi presupposti teorici sia negli strumenti e nelle
prassi adottate nei progetti di cooperazione, di cui vengono ripercorse le
diverse filosofie di intervento.
«Con un’esposizione attenta su come utilizzare le immagini per documentare la realtà geografica, su come creare nuove immagini con i partecipanti alla ricerca ed esplorare quelle già esistenti nel mondo, questo libro costituisce uno strumento molto prezioso per i tanti ricercatori che cercano di dare un senso alla creazione di molti e diversi mondi geografici da parte dei materiali visivi».
Dalla prefazione di Gillian Rose, The Open University
Geografie dello sviluppo affronta questi ed altri quesiti e, a partire da alcuni temi-chiave, propone una rassegna ragionata e critica di classiche teorie geografiche, unite ad alcune delle riflessioni più attuali e provocatorie della disciplina. Il tentativo non è tanto quello di fornire risposte univoche, quanto piuttosto suggerire come riformulare e problematizzare il rapporto tra sviluppo economico e spazio geografico, aprendo lo sguardo a nuovi modi di pensare alla struttura e all’organizzazione del mondo.