04. situated design practices

reflection

The seminar provided a rich and diverse set of references to feed the project in various aspects, from community engagement to collective activity development dynamics, the high complexity of interacting with marginalized, stigmatized, non recognized communities, etc.

Each case study itself is very different from one another, nevertheless, a common factor was clear between them in the level of commitment each individual has towards the work they are doing and to the community they are engaged with, which translates in the time they dedicate to it. This time is spent however in different ways in each case depending on the community’s situation and the selected approach.

The relevance in this common factor in relation to the research project of this master, is that it doesn't give a specific technique or methodology on how to interact with a community, rather it denotes that in order to project something that actually responds/represents the community, is by committing to getting to know it. To understand it. To understand the community’s dynamics, processes and reality by participating in their activities rather than studying them from the outside. The method used to participate in these activities will depend on each particular situation. In fact, it should be tailored to each particular situation. It is possible that in the generalization of any given methodology to approach a community, a great portion of the knowledge they can provide is lost for many reasons, one being that the selected methodology may not take into consideration the way they express themselves but the way the researcher wants to document the information. Ando so, the methodology/medium/technique should be shaped to the community’s characteristics, and to achieve it active listening and participation is required.

Depending on the research goal, the importance of setting the ground for chaos. Creating a “safer space” in which a community can fully express/perform/do/etc. and let these actions shape organically in whatever way they evolve in order to “portrait” the reality of their situation through their own agency/medium/techniques. To allow the community to freely participate and express. Not a scripted reaction but an organic outcome.

This saf(r) space would be a fertile ground for knowledge exchange and generation.