Participatory research in institutional contexts: achieving ethical symmetry in research practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article examines the question of asymmetries in participatory research relationships in institutional contexts. The principle of ethical symmetry forms the theoretical framework for the investigation. It draws on experience from three (participatory) research projects in different settings, involving academics and people living in the settings as co-researchers. The central methodological tool is a research process model used to systematically dissect the research process and its progress over time. The three-step empirical analysis was structured as follows: First, building on Foucault’s concept of the dispositif, we discuss the invocations experienced by the academic and co-researchers. Secondly, we investigate how the actors handled the invocations, adopting a relational understanding of agency. Finally, we integrate the two perspectives to explore the possibilities of achieving ethical symmetry. The article concludes with reflections – drawing on the findings from the three case studies – on the impact of the principle of ethical symmetry on social work practice and research.