A new book, Methodological Reflections on Researching Communication and Social Change, edited by Örecomm colleagues Norbert Wildermuth and Teke Ngomba features new chapters by ComDev researchers, alumni of the program and many collaborators from Malmö and Roskilde University! The book expands the growing Palgrave Studies in Communication for Social Change series.
Official synopsis:
This book identifies the strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches to research in communication and social change. It examines the methodological opportunities and challenges occasioned by rapid technological affordances and society-wide transformations. This study provides grounded insights on these issues from a broad range of proficient academics and experienced practitioners.
Overall, the different contributions address four key themes: a critical evaluation of different ethnographic approaches in researching communication for/and social change; a critical appraisal of visual methodologies and theatre for development research; a methodological appraisal of different participatory approaches to researching social change; and a critical examination of underlying assumptions of knowledge production within the dominant strands of methodological approaches to researching social change.
For ComDev researcher Anders Hög-Hansen the book has important significance as it remembers the work of his Malmö University colleague, the late Lajos Varhegyi:
It all began in December 2009, Lajos came along documenting a seminar in Dar Es Salaam and that led to a film collaboration between University of Dar Es Salaam (Fine & Performing Arts) students, Malmö University film students as well as ComDev students. After many years, adding Sören Sönderstrup excellent thesis work to it, a book chapter on young Tanzanian and Swedish filmmakers’ short films on life in the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam is now published. Lajos is not with us anymore, the article is dedicated to him, the pioneer of the film project.
The book also includes chapters by ComDev researcher Oscar Hemer and former ComDev teachers Julia Velkova and Zeenath Hasan as well as MA program alumna Karen Marie Thulstrup.
