Of Participation Roles in the Field

Abstract

This article examines the benefits that can be realized when a study contrives a poly vocal environment that allows the participants a larger stake in the conduct of research among them. The article, therefore, does not dwell on the main findings of the study conducted among Bang’ Jomariek women group of West Reru. The main objective of the research study was to explore the teaching and learning processes utilized by women artists in the art forms of basketry, pottery and indigenous architecture. This article, however, dwells on the observations the researcher makes of the experiences of the study participants which emanate from their being allowed more control of the study conduct. Thus, by focusing on a collective of indigenous women engaged in the education and production of the art forms of pots, baskets, and indigenous architecture, this article explores study participants’ roles in fieldwork. The study site was West Reru area of Western Kenya. Scholars Adler and Adler (1987) among many others have suggested behaviors and attitudes that make up ethical researcher conduct. In this article, the researcher draws on the post feminist and post colonial theoretical perspectives to explore the participants’ identity construction in an arguably poly vocal research context. Additionally, the study reviews the consequent epistemological concerns that emerge in such a study environment. These women, referred to their educational and production processes as chwuech. The researcher coined the phrase “chwuechgogical study methods” to describe the study methods and instruments.