The fine art of getting lost: Ethics as a guide to transformative learning in participatory research

Publication date: 2022
Authors: Brydon-Miller, M. Friedman, V.J. Kroeger, S. Ortiz Aragón, A.
Publisher: Institute of Development Studies
Download resource

This is part of a series of chapter summaries of the Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. 

Scroll through the images below to read the comic. You can click to expand each image.

Page one has 7 frames. Frame 1: The title is, “The Fine Art of Getting Lost: Ethics as a Guide to Transformative Learning in Participatory Research, by Mary Brydon-Miller, Alfredo Ortiz Aragón, and Victor J. Friedman. A Cartoon Rendition of Chapter 19 with Steve Kroeger. Frame 2: “In this paper, we share what we have learned from experiences of getting lost in Participatory Action Research.” Image: The four authors are pictured. Frame 3: “Participatory action researchers venture off a beaten path to forge new ways to reach a destination.” Image of the author, Mary, pointing at a crossroads sign. Frame 4: There are words like “heading out”, “Expressway”, “Blocked”, “Beware of Bull in field”, “View from below”, “View from above”, “We can forge new ways forward.” Image: A pathway through various terrains. Mary is walking along the path where she encounters these areas. Frame 5: “Navigating uncharted territory and surmounting obstacles requires an ethical compass.” Image of Mary speaking. Frame 6: “A compass can point us in the right direction.” Image of a compass. Frame 7: “Identifying values guide our decisions and actions.” Image of Mary speaking.
Page 2 has 6 frames Frame 1: “But a compass alone is not enough” (Image of Victor speaking.) Frame 2: “Action researchers shift among myriad roles, sometimes from moment to moment.” (Image of Alfredo speaking.) Frame 3: “Each role calling for different values.” (Image of Mary speaking.) Frame 4: “Moving among these roles requires a constant process of critically examining the values of our action.” (Image of Victor speaking.) 6 Frame 5: Image of a Swiss Army knife with multiple tools open. Statement reading “We need a Swiss Army knife.” Frame 6: This is an image of a concept map of researcher roles in participatory research: Storyteller, organizer, educator, facilitator, data analyst, mediator, advocate, pot stirrer, networker, coffee maker, social media expert, witness, accompanist, strategist, provocateur, publicist, translator, friend.
Page 3 has 4 frames. Frame 1: There is an image of a Venn diagram with intersecting shapes, one labeled Reflection, the other Facilitation, with the words “We can understand these roles in terms of two basic activities. Frame 2: “These two activities can be grouped into four main realms.” (Image of Alfredo speaking.) Frame 3: “The realms can help us manage the complexity.” (Image of Mary speaking.) Frame 4: There is an image of four realms of participatory research: the Realm of Empathetic Relators, the Realm of Emergent Designers, the Realm of Dynamic Sense Makers, and the Realm of Advocacy. There is also an image of a compass with the word “Values” surrounding the compass points. The words read “We advocate an experimental approach to ethical reflection, not a predetermined set of coordinates. This is a way to navigate the uncertainty of action research”
Page 4 has 8 frames. Frame 1: “But how do these ethical values and realms play out in real life?” (Image of Mary speaking.) Frame 2: “We realized we needed to put reflection into practice by sharing two experiences” (Image of Mary, Victor, Alfredo, and Steve speaking together.) Frame 3: “Where we encountered obstacles in the road…” (Image of a bull with horns facing the reader). Frame 4: “with no obvious path forward…” (Image of a bull turning away.) Frame 5: “Victor helps us get lost while working with teacher colleagues in Israel.” (Image of Victor.) 8 Frame 6: “And Alfredo gets lost in Peru.” (Image of Alfredo.) Frame 7: “Each experience helps us understand the fine art of…” (Image of all four authors painting). Frame 8: Words “Getting Lost”.
Page 5 has 20 frames Frame 1: “Using the Ethical Compass to Find Our Way” (Title page) Frame 2: A picture of a compass Frame 3: “I was facilitating a Self-in-Field action research process.” (Image of Victor speaking) Frame 4: Hanna Presented Her Case (frame title). “My students said my exam was unfair.” (Image of Hanna speaking and looking angry) Frame 5: “They wrote me a nasty letter and sent it to the Dean too!” (Hanna speaking and looking alarmed) Frame 6: After a Few Minutes Ruth Offered a Suggestion (frame title). “Maybe you should have…” (Image of Ruth speaking) Frame 7: “Ruth is jumping to conclusions. That could block learning.” (Image of Victor thinking to himself) Frame 8: For a Moment I Was Lost… (frame title). “How do I share control and also guide the process” (Image of Victor thinking to himself) Frame 9: Checking My Ethical Compass. (Image of a Compass). Transparency, Choice, Learning (Transposed over the Compass) Frame 10: “We want to understand Hanna’s perspective. Offering advice at this stage can block learning.” (Image of Victor, from the glasses up, speaking) Frame 11: Later on…Hanna sees that the real problem was not the exam. (Frame title) (Image of Hanna looking at a piece of paper) Frame 12: “There was a group of students who did not like my teaching“ (Image of Hanna speaking). 20 Frame 13: “I have a hypothesis I want to share.” (Image of Victor thinking to himself). Frame 14: “It was hard to inquire into what bothered them because it meant admitting that you did not know how to teach them.” (Small, full body image of Victor speaking) Frame 15: Image of Hanna looking surprised/shocked. Frame 16: “I don’t think I had trouble inquiring.” (Hanna speaking) Frame 17: For a Moment I Was Lost Again. (Frame title) (Image of Victor from the knees up looking pensive). Frame 18: “Hanna rejected my hypothesis…What do I do now?” (Image of Victor’s thinking to himself) Frame 19: Checking My Ethical Compass (title at bottom of frame). (Image of a Compass) Free Choice, Resonance (Transposed over compass). Figure 20: “Don’t push it.” (Image of Victor’s thinking to himself with tilted head and raised finger)
Page 6 has 18 frames: Frame 1: Moments Later…(Frame title). “They told me my teaching style was not appropriate for them.” (Image of Hanna speaking). Frame 2: “”But it had always worked before, so I said, Just Wait!” (Image of Hanna speaking) Frame 3: Now She Was Resonating with My Hypothesis. (Frame title) (Image of four people - Victor, Hanna, Ruth, and another man- sitting around a table discussing) Frame 4: “I really did not know how to teach them.” (Image of Hanna sitting speaking while seated next to Victor at the table) Frame 5: By the End of the Session Hanna Understood the Situation in a New Way. (Frame title) (Image of Victor from the waist up). Frame 6: “I want to put my new understanding into practice.” (Image of Hanna speaking) 18 Frame 7: She Met with the Students (Frame title). “My mistake was not listening and inquiring.” (Image of Hanna talking with a group of students). FRame 8: “Wow! You have the courage to admit mistakes.” (Image of five students, one speaking). Frame 9: “Let’s work together!” (Image of four students all speaking). Frame 10: “But what if the students had seen the situation differently?” (Image of Victor speaking with raised hands in a questioning gesture) Frame 11: “No! You got it all wrong!” (Image of four students and three speaking) Frame 12: “I’m lost! What do I do now?” (Image of Hanna speaking and looking surprised). Frame 13: Checking Her Ethical Compass (title of frame). (Image of a Compass) Learning, Resonance (Transposed over compass). Frame 14: “It’s OK not to know. It’s an opportunity to inquire. “(Image of Hanna speaking with hands raised) Frame 15: “So you see the situation differently” (Image of Hanna talking with five students) Frame 16: “Please help me understand how you see it.” (Closer up image of Hanna talking with two students) Frame 17: Thinking Back…(Frame title) “In this story we saw at least three uses of realms.” (Image of Victor speaking and pointing). Frame 18: The Realm of Dynamic Sense Making, The Realm of Empathic Relators, The Realm of Emergent Design (Each of these three texts are inside a bubble: one on the left at the top of the frame, one at the bottom in the middle of the frame, and one on the right at the top of the frame; all three bubbles are connected.) Image of Victor speaking with finger raised under the bubble on the left, upside down image of Victor speaking with finger raised over the middle bubble, and image of Victor speaking with finger raised under the bubble on the right)
Page 7 has 16 frames Frame 1: Image of the map of Perú. (Title reading “Lost In Peru”) 16 Frame 2: “Juan Carlos and I wanted to help an organization strengthen their community engagement”. (Image of Alfredo speaking). Frame 3: “The organization invited us to help, we started with field visits and some workshops”. (Image of Alfredo speaking). Frame 4: “We discovered a lot and it was time to give back and decide next steps”. (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 6: “They need more praxis and process consulting” (Juan Carlos speaking). “Of course.” (Alfredo responds). (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo talking to each other). Frame 7: “We were both excited… But in the back of my mind, I was thinking…: ‘But this can’t be it’”, (Image of Alfredo Speaking). Frame 8: “We concluded that more praxis and more process consulting was needed, but it left me wondering”. (Image of Juan Carlos saying “I think we have it” and Alfredo with a question mark thought bubble. Frame 9: “Is this deep? Is this good enough? This can't be it”. (Image of Alfredo thinking). Frame 10: “We presented our findings”. (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo presenting many graphics). Frame 11: “You need more praxis and process consulting”. (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo presenting many graphics to members of the organization). Frame 12: “This is what we learned from our shared process. Thoughts”? (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo speaking). Frame 13: “Do you mean your process or our process? (Image of three members of the organization replying to Alfredo and Juan Carlos). Frame 14: “Wait a second”. (Juan Carlos). What is happening? (Alfredo). (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo thinking to themselves. Frame 15: “You are right, this can't be it”. (Image of three members of the organization replying to Alfredo and Juan Carlos). Frame 16: “Wait, what? We did so many things together”. (Juan Carlos) “Is this selective memory?” (Alfredo) (Image of Juan Carlos and Alfredo responding to members of the organization).
Page 8 has 17 frames Frame 1: “But this is the question, whose process is this?” (Image of Juan Carlos, next to Alfredo, speaking to members of the organization) Frame 2: “Like when you work with communities as well”. (Image of Juan Carlos speaking) Frame 3: "Why the attacks? Why the mistrust?” (Image of Alfredo and Juan Carlos speaking). “Do you even know us?” (Members of the organization responding). (Image of a lake with the words “Lake of disconnect” between Alfredo and Juan Carlos and members of the organization) Frame 4: (The words “years later”) Frame 5: “Working with other friends—we talked about this experience?” (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 6: “They helped me explore”. (Image of Alfredo thinking, next to Mary and Victor) Frame 7: “Why did this all happen? What was going on?” (Image of Mary and Victor asking Alfredo a question) Frame 8: “Say more” (Image of Mary and Victor asking Alfredo a question) Frame 9: “Let's talk more about the value of getting lost”. (Image of Victor speaking) Frame 10: “I never got to know them”. (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 11: “I thought our relational methodology would do the trick”. (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 12: “Was gender involved?” (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 13: My friends helped me be more honest, to gain distance, to be vulnerable. (Image of Alfredo speaking, next to Mary and Victor) 17 Frame 14: (Image of the words “I could reimagine the situation with an ethical compass”). Frame 15: (The words “If I could go back). “Let's discuss from the middle” (Alfredo and Juan Carlos speaking those words with the members of the organization). (Image of a lake with a bridge over it and the words “Lake of trust, empathy and relationship). Frame 16: “Ethical action depends on trust through empathetic relationship, as much as on evidence” (Image of Alfredo speaking) Frame 17: “Let's get lost and found together” (Alfredo and Juan Carlos speaking those words with the members of the organization)
Page 9 has 8 Frames Frame 1: “Getting lost is not easy or comfortable.” Image: Alfredo speaking. Frame 2: “At least at first.” Image: Mary speaking. Frame 3: “But an ethical compass.” Image: a compass. Frame 4: “And a Swiss army knife.” Image: a Swiss army knife. Frame 5: “Can help us.” Image: Victor speaking. Frame 6: “Engage uncertainty.” Image: Steve speaking. Frame 7: “Blaze trails, overcome obstacles and move forward.” Image: the four authors speaking in unison. Frame 8: “So, go get lost.” Image: the four authors and others are walking on the pathway through many environments.
Page 10 has 12 frames and is the last page of the comic. Frame 1: “A note from the artist… Getting Lost Again… Our idea was to visually summarize a book chapter about getting lost.” Image: the four authors viewing a common picture. Frame 2: “We thought about the work in terms of things we had done in the past.” Image: A human hand drawing on a document. Frame 3: “Victor, Alfredo, and Mary were to reduce their narratives into seven frames.” Image: Authors looks at seven frames up on a wall. 12 Frame 4: “My job as the artist was to interpret the text into a comic strip format. But as I worked…” Image: Picture of the artist with a crumpled-up piece of paper mildly swearing “What the…”. Frame 5: “I missed nuances. In one instance I was so far off that I had wrung the message out of the narrative. Image: Author wringing out a cloth, drips falling. Frame 6: “The next iterations were text heavy, overwhelming the visual elements.” Image: Words. Frame 7: “In a follow up meeting, we pushed past our initial thinking. For a moment…” Image: The four authors discussing. Frame 8: “We were lost! Being lost was the best thing that happened to our process.” Image: The four authors are entangled in vines. Frame 9: “We started thinking differently. We would each create our own storyboard.” Image: Small plant. Frame 10: “This emergence was thrilling to me. The process was becoming more participatory.” Image: Author speaking. Frame 11: “I sent everyone a template of frames, but they ignored that and invented their own.” Image: Frames. Frame 12: “This is when the magic began. The comic was now a shared process.” Image: cross hatching circles.

Format

Audio-visual, Report

Languages

English
Browse all methodologies
Training
Ethical considerations