Research Assignment on Theoretical Foundations

Question

Task: This is an individual task assessment. Throughout the first five weeks of the unit, you will be required to respond to questions related to the lectures, readings tutorials and the study guide. These are short 250-word responses. Use references as necessary.
1. As a positivist researcher and using the paradigmatic elements, how would you investigate the problem identified in The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater? What is one limitation of using this paradigm?
2. As a participatory researcher and using the paradigmatic elements, how would you investigate the problem identified in A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon? What is one challenge of using this paradigm?
3. What is the difference between Constructivist and Participatory research?
4. Using the Parker et al. (2006) reading, how has traditional research failed Indigenous communities?
5. Reflect and describe a past research project with which you were involved. Which research paradigm do you think this research reflects? Use the paradigmatic elements to explain your understanding.
6. How does the Parker et al. (2006) reading demonstrate an anti-oppressive approach? What are the impacts of using this anti-oppressive approach?

Answer

Answer
The “The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater” is a children’s book reviewed to prepare this research assignmentthat teaches individuality and conformity. In this book, Mr.Plumbean paints his house orange that distinction his home from that of the neighbors. At first, the individuals in the neighbourhood are appalled as Mr.Plumbean does not want a house that has a similar look in the street. However, Mr.Plumbean embraces the idea that each neighbour can express their dreams by painting their houses in unique colors and designs. The actions undertaken by Mr.Plumbean encourage all the neighbours to be proud of their homes (Loose, 2017).

This book undertaken in the research assignment reflects the issue of individuality and conformity as why to the neighbourhood and the individuals living in their home wish to have the same home that lacks personality. The activity of painting his home orange paint he selects the route of self-expression thereby depicting individual autonomy. The neighbours realize that their individual preferences encouraged them to embrace their dreams and individuality. As a positivity researcher working on the research assignment, I would raise questions that are there are prevailing social and cultural circumstances that challenges of freedom of expression and individuality. According to me, the book can celebrate individualism while also raising the question of individual importance and desirability. However, in the later years, many philosophers explored the issues of conformity while also believed that the social and cultural norms and pressure have undermined individual capabilities of developing their personality.

Positivist research explored in this part of research assignmentis a qualitative methodology that requires field-based work and intensive methodological process. It is an academic inquiry that objective external existence for addressing reality. It is a time and resource-consuming process thus impacting the efficacy of evaluation.

2. As a participatory researcher and using the paradigmatic elements, how would you investigate the problem identified in A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon? What is one challenge of using this paradigm?

Answer
The “Bad Case of Stripes” considered in this section of research assignmentdepicts the story about a girl named Camilla Cream who resides in lima beans and mentally stressed about individual opinion regarding her. On her first day at school, when Camilla wakes up, she discovers that she is completely covered with a rainbow. The stripes of her skin develop according to opinions given by her peers, for instance, some of her peers suggest checkerboards while some shout bacteria to which skin stripes changes (StorylineOnline, 2012).

As a participatory researcher, I would investigate the issues about the self-concern that Camilla Cream faces. She becomes too concerned about the opinionsgiven by various individuals to which her skin stripes change thus depicting thoughts and opinions of another person destroys one’s personality. I investigated that Camilla tried pleasing everyone to which she became a victim of suggestion power. As a participatory researcher, I also found that A Bad Case of Stripes can be viewed as bullying as Camilla is continually teased from her classmates that further impacted her physical and mental health. Also, the case raises the question that whether it is essential for caring about other people’s thinking while what can be the potential consequences of such concerns.

The research assignmentillustrates that the limitation of this paradigm is time management, obtaining funds to travel, communications, and networking. The community’s participatory research challenges restrict the appropriate evaluation due to limited resources. Also, in the fast-moving world alternative evaluation tools like online surveys, the mobile survey should be used for eliminating time and money constraints.

3. What is the difference between Constructivist and Participatory research?
Answer
Constructivism is considered to be a philosophical view that demonstrates the construction of knowledge from human experiences. This philosophy outlined in the research assignment opposes to the discovery of self- evident knowledge while also includes perspectives that range from post positivism and relativism. It was depicted by many philosophers and researchers that knowledge cannot be segregated from the person who gained it while reality or real-time scenarios cannot be studied by identifying the variables thereby the possibility of generalisationwere also doubted. Various types of constructivism researchers determine different aspects.

Participatoryresearch is referred to as a scientific investigation in the educational and political domain. In this type of research, scholars work closely with the community for solving and understanding communal issues. This further empowers the community member while also democratizes research. The participatory research methodology includes discussions of human experiences, interviews, surveys, and evaluation of public documents. Herein research assignment, it can be said that constructivism is the procedure of gaining human experiences while participatory research is acquiring the information about already gained knowledge. Both processes are inclined towards obtaining information however constructivism involves gaining real-time experiences while participatory research involves the use of information for educational and political purposes. Constructivism Research is different types that include epistemological, social, psychological, genetic epistemology, and mathematical constructivism. On the contrary, the information for participatory research can be gained through interviews, surveys, evaluation of public documents, and others. It is also said that participatory research helps in building key relationships amongst the participants that include actors, local people, and others.

4. Using the Parker et al. (2006) reading, how has traditional research failed Indigenous communities?
Answer
Parker et al. (2006) researched the community-based health advertisement initiative by introducing traditional indigenous games in the educational institutions of Cherbourg and Stradbroke Island. Thus, training programs in traditional games were undertaken by evaluating community assets. The games were introduced in the community organizations in the regions Cherbourg and Stradbroke thereby games video and manual were given for facilitating and transferability.

The participatory research design used in this segment of research assignment embraced several difficulties. A handful of community members could attend the training; this further restricted the integration of community members in Evaluation Groups due to long-distance travel, limited time, and work commitments. Thus, traditional research cannot be used to measure social capital and network in Indigenous communities. Limited time and monetary resources for the considerate factor for a comprehensive evaluation of the introduction of games in the communities. Parker et al (2006) suggested that alternative methods should be researched while allocated funds should be increased for the conduct of traditional research in the indigenous communities. The author also suggested that alternative evaluation tools should be researched for a project that engages the community.

The author also depicted that convectional approaches in promoting health were designed to focus on the individual risk factors thereby ignoring the holistic approach. The health promotion initiative undertaken by Parker et al was successful in adopting a holistic and culture-specific project, however, lack of proper resources resulted in an inefficient evaluation of the research. The indigenous community members are located at a far distance due to which they had issues in attending the gaming training programs.

5. Reflect and describe a past research project with which you were involved. Which research paradigm do you think this research reflects? Use the paradigmatic elements to explain your understanding.
Answer I was involved as a volunteer in the psychologicalresearch project that was aimed at evaluating intellectual capacity according to age. However, the research was organised far from my university involving several individuals of different ages. I had to travel a long distance and devote time to participate in the project, lack of motivation, and long-distance travel restricted me to give appropriate answers for the survey. I was hurried to go back thus could not complete the project. My inefficacy would have resulted in an inappropriate evaluation of intellectual capabilities at my age. This research on the research assignment reflects a participatory research paradigm that comprises of methodological techniques for transferring the power of the project from scholar to participants that generally include local community members. Participatory research involves both inquiry and action. The project in which I participated involved several individuals in suburban areas evaluating their intellectual level.

The components of the research paradigm include ontology, epistemology, methodology, and methods. The paradigmatic elements of participatory research of the project I was involved in included positivism, interpretivism, and critical theory. Thus, it is stated herein research assignment that the positivism paradigm is dependent on the philosophical ideas exhibited August Comte who emphasized the importance of empatheticknowledge of human behavior. Interpretivism is referred to as the interpretation of study elements by integrating human interests. The critical tools refer to mathematical evaluation techniques that help in interpreting the data.

6. How does Parker et al. (2006) reading demonstrate an anti-oppressive approach? What are the impacts of using this anti-oppressive approach?
Answer Traditional games and co-curriculum are considered less important in the public health domain for indigenous communities. Thus, Parker et al, (2006) introduced games for communities by exercising power and resources. It is said that indigenous groups are exposed to higher morbidity and mortality than nonindigenous individuals in Australia. The success of health promotion interventions in these communities has limited success. The indigenous lack proper knowledge of health-related services and activities while they also have a narrow mindset for introducing changes in their traditional methods. The government has planned several strategies like research projects for preserving cultural heritage while enhancing the knowledge and public health in indigenous communities of Australia.

The anti-oppressive approach used herein research assignment is majorly concerned with the establishment of social justice in society. Thus, the anti-oppressive approach aims in challenging societal structure, power usagefor maintaininggroups that are in disadvantaged scenarios. Anti-oppressive approaches identify strategies for constructing power for addressing systematicinequalities that are operating in the individual, groups, or communities as a whole. For instance, introducing public health policies by the government in rural areas helps in improving health infrastructure for the unprivileged class of society. Anti-oppressive approaches reduce the societal gap, uplift the minorities, and contribute to the economic development of the country. In several developing countries, several strategies by the force of political have been undertaken for eliminating social evil like child marriage, abortion, and the death of girl children and others.

References
Parker, E., Meiklejohn, B., Patterson, C., Edwards, K., Preece, C., Shuter, P., & Gould, T. (2006). Our games our health: a cultural asset for promoting health in Indigenous communities.Research assignment Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 17(2), 103-108.

StorylineOnline, (21 May 2012). A Bad Case of Stripes read by Sean Astin. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKaQXmRvpvw&feature=youtu.be

Loose, E. (12 Jan 2017). The Big Orange Splot. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRL8d_6FEHw&feature=youtube