V. RESEARCH APPROACH AND METHOD
5.2. F IELD WORK AND PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH
From an overview of UNDP participatory methods and understanding scale and needs specific to this project, I decided to concentrate on local level information gathering and planning and to focus primarily on "local people's views, how they perceive their conditions, their lives"54 and how to improve them.
The method used in this research is called "Participatory Action Research"
(PAR). It has been chosen because of its flexibility, necessary for the exploratory, prospective, character of this research in human ecology and planning. In such approach, "Its interactive and adaptive characteristics are a response, among other things, to the complexity and dynamic character of these fields, the range of concepts and values involved, the effects of the research and its uses on many interest groups and people, the unevenness and variety of available information, and the fact that research can be changed or even terminated for various reasons, such as the wishes of local persons, or changes in the political or financial context"55. In addition to other technical skills, the researcher works, in a co-operative way, among a variety of people and backgrounds, through interviews, group meeting or sharing time. The focus of the research is also intended to be developed in co-operation. This is what J., G., Nelson calls "an interactive and adaptive approach".
PAR fits particularly well for investigations promoting participatory research in community development and participatory evaluation. In a PAR, the researcher is committed to partnership with the community into a learning approach. Participants and/or community are included at every stage of the research until review of the draft report before final copy. Outcomes are intended to benefit the community. In that way, when I talked to Chief Akiwensie last January to define a project that would be helpful for the band and meet my research objective, guidelines were vague: The Chippewa wants to develop their tourist industry but don't really know how and in which direction. So should the questions analyse tourism within a larger socio-environmental view. Later on questions were submitted to Native
54 http://www.undp.org
55 Nelson J. G. (1991)
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advisors who gave approval on their pertinence with local issues toward the goal of the research.
The number of participants was set up according to the time available for the project. When defined at the University with my advisor, estimation was:
- Up to 20 participants by the Chippewas of Nawash (teenagers, women, seniors, as well as the representatives of main professional or cultural activities)
- Around five participants by the Park representatives
- Around five participants by the Tourist Operators representatives
In order to move this PAR method into action and gather field data, a number of techniques or tools have been defined and implemented. Those techniques must of course, be adapted to resources, skills and time available in the project. They can be divided into three categories: the ones that help to bring together participants, the ones that allow participants to share information and the ones that deal with processing and reviewing of information.
5.2.1. Techniques to gather participants
The variety of techniques used here is intended to get complementary points of view. The snowball was used to get information from Band "official"
informants. All the other techniques are set up in order to get alternative perspectives.
• Snowball. Goal: define existing networks and privileged informers56
1. Ask Chief Akiwenzie, my head contact, for suggestions of names related to National Park staff
2. Ask the Chief for a panel of three Native's advisors.
3. Ask each advisor for reference to people or key informants to contact for participation in the project.
56 Racine J.-B. (2002)
• Conferences on tourism. Goal: raise awareness among potential participants
- The intention is to make potential participants aware of holistic effects of tourism growth from a Swiss example57 in order to provoke personal reflection
- 3 attempts, 3 trips for 1 conference given58. Seven people attended the conference. All but one belonged to the same family.
• Announcements. Goal: inform about participatory research in tourism - Nawash Newsletter
- Nawash radio
- Mailing to suggested participants
• Information meeting. Goal: Gather participants and raise awareness - 36 invitations were sent and received three weeks in advance.
Attendance was 9 people (5 Natives but no representative of Band Council, 2 representatives of Park Canada and 2 regional tourism-related business owners).
- Presentation of the conference on tourism - Discussion of intended research and techniques
• Random encounters. Goal: meet participants outside the "official"
network provided by the snow-ball method
- 5 participants out of 16 joined the study this way
Altogether those techniques have allowed for identification of 23 participants for interviews: 16 Band members, 4 employees of Parks Canada and 3 others related to tourist operations in the area. In that way estimations for participation were almost met.
5.2.2. Techniques to raise information
The primary technique used here is the semi-structured interview. Even if taping would allow adding such details as "particular tone of voice, the way
57 "Tourisme et gestion de la ressource paysage: le cas de la commune de Nendaz"
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to interrupt or not interrupt an interlocutor"59, they were put aside after discussion with Chief and local advisors. Instead notes were taken in order not to make participants feel uncomfortable.
• Semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Goal: be open enough to let interviewee’s express their ideas and rigid enough to allow comparison and classification of ideas and perceptions.
- The same framework of interview (questions) is given to each participant with the opportunity of emphasis on a topic where participant has particular knowledge or interest
- Anonymity and confidentiality are ensured by written or spoken contracts to incite people to expose freely points of view and feelings The questions are upon:
What is there now (when talking about tourism) and how does it affect local nature, culture and economy?
Question intended to understand present scale and effects of native tourist activities.
Should further developments happen?
If yes, why? If no, why?
What type, where, when, how?
What challenges/benefits/costs do you foresee?
Question intended to define directions, scale and scope for future tourist developments.
How is co-operation, collaboration in tourism particularly, perceived within the context of Bruce Peninsula?
Question intended to learn about present interactions and scope for potential future collaborations.
• Live on the Reserve. Goal: feel the place, get second degree information
58 Cancelled one time because of bad weather condition and snow. Cancelled the other time because a funeral vigil was taking place in the conference room.
59 Racine J.-B. (2002)
- Talks and observations - Field notes and diary
• Conclusion meeting. Goal: discuss early results with participants
- 25 invitations sent and received one day in advance, 7 native people present but no representative from Band Council
- July is a bad timing: Parks Canada people take vacations and owner of tourist businesses are too busy
- Interesting results from minutes of the meeting are integrated to this thesis
Living on the reserve, in the core of the Cape Croker Indian Park, proved particularly useful to raise personal awareness about tourist potentials. It also helped to meet local people and share activities such as fishing or gathering wild foods. Field notes and diary allowed recording and reporting of the evolution of the research under various pressures, an important information once back in the office. Finally, the conclusion meeting was the last stage of participation, when the interviewees could discuss early results and share points of view with the researcher.
5.2.3. Techniques to interpret data collected
Two techniques are used here. The first one is about how to make the whole data intelligible in an easy way. It will be further discussed in Chapter 6.1.,
"Participatory Action result's description and organisation". The second one consist on getting review from knowledgeable parties: Gordon Nelson at the Heritage Resources Centre and the Chief for the Chippewas of Nawash.
• Qualitative data analyse. Goal: interpret field data
- Focus orientated on object's qualities (much information) … - Rather than subject's characteristics (too small sample)
- Put results in perspective with my own experience as a "Swiss tourist" on the Reserve. Use notes from my diary.
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• Review and comments. Goal: integrate comments of interested parties - Heritage Resources Centre by G. Nelson
- Chippewas of Nawash by Chief Akiwensie
The forgoing techniques were used in a complementary way, prior and throughout field research. Early comments on the method will highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Learning and recommendations are disclosed in the next part.