Unravelling our realities: Nepali students as researchers and activists

Abstract

This paper is based on a participatory research project with four Nepali high school students. This study provides analyses and perspectives of the “insiders”, unlike most research on higher education, which is produced through the government. These student testimonies not only expose some of the deep inequalities in educational quality and access based on race, class, caste and gender, but also shed light on the reasons why increasing numbers of students seek educational opportunities beyond Nepal's boundaries. The paper also sheds light on how these student researchers negotiate their role as “researcher” and “activist” as they produce new forms of knowledge and reach new levels of consciousness within the confines of their specific contexts. It further examines the politics of conducting participatory research, a methodology often defined as “a democratic practice of research” (as mentioned by Hall in 1992) and an “empowering educational intervention” (as mentioned by Cammarota in 2005), in a society structured by a hegemonic monarchy, a strong sense of “national chauvinism” (as mentioned by Sen in 2001) and a deep-rooted patriarchy, among other socio-economic inequities. In the context of Nepal, this paper raises questions of “democracy”, “sovereignty” and equality, while also providing some hopeful insights into the transformative power of critically engaged research.