Multi-level Research on Youth Participation in the Haitian Reconstruction

Abstract

Research in comparative and international education routinely encounters exceptional research conditions. In this article, the author explores the particular issues he faced in his research on multi-level youth programs of the Haitian reconstruction. Through a vertical analysis of internationally sponsored programs, this study required special attention to working in a cross-cultural, politically fragile environment. In this article, he highlights connections with several other multi-level studies in fragile states which are also featured in this issue of RCIE. However, his focus is upon those issues that are particular to conducting research in post-earthquake Haiti. These issues include the roles of researcher and participants, the impact of discourses of security, and negotiating cross-cultural issues such as language, power, and notions of participation. This article also positions his research by including an overview, a theoretical framework, the socio-political context, and a detailed description of methodology and methods.