Walking the Talk: How Participatory Interview Methods Can Democratize Research

Abstract

In this article, the author explores the importance of participatory, respectful, and community-specific approaches to research relationships across differences in social location and experience. Drawing on transcripts from group interviews with 6 young Aboriginal mothers from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside who had experienced substance use during pregnancy and fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol effects, she discusses three practical strategies used in her doctoral research to address the empirical and methodological implications of this work: the provision of honoraria, collaborating with community leaders in participant recruitment, and the use of shared analysis in group interviews. Shared analysis in the group interviews was integral to supporting policy analysis that challenges the privatization of mothering and substance use. Group interviews can benefit both the participants and the research, support womens' agency, and democratize the research process while mitigating the potential for the misrepresentation and appropriation of women's experiences.