Understanding Research
- Sindhu Prabakar
- Sep 3, 2024
- 4 min read
As I begin my thesis on the practices of commoning from around the world, I am instinctively drawn to South Asian systems that already exist. Let me give a small prologue about commoning or the commons:
As understood in the context of urban design, it refers to the collective practices, social relations, and governance mechanisms through which communities manage shared resources, spaces, and services within their environments. It challenges traditional notions of ownership and privatization by emphasizing collective stewardship, inclusivity, and the co-creation of urban spaces that serve the needs of all community members.
Although I am still wrapping my head around this, I struggle to derive a framework for my study. It is because I could not find data. I could not find any statistical data like demographics or utility systems in place, I could not find maps of the boundaries of research or simply the number of similar events that occur for me to call out an issue. This has been a persistent issue that researchers have struggled with.
The concept of modern research and publication is deeply rooted in Western ideology, emphasizing values such as quantifiable data, the number of case studies, population counts, and other numeric indicators. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), for example, rely heavily on empirical data to analyze urban areas and boundaries, providing detailed information based on measurable parameters. This has become the standard approach for research, both within and outside India, and it's an approach I, too, encountered. I was fortunate to have a very interesting conversation about this today.
A significant challenge arises when this empirical framework fails to capture the essence of what is being studied. For instance, in a project focused on rural markets, the inability to quantify the exact number of markets can create a design block. But the true shortcoming isn't the lack of numeric data; it's the failure to recognize that the value of these markets lies not in their number, but in their impact on daily life. How do these markets transform everyday experiences? What relationships and connections do they foster, and are these dynamics adaptable?
To truly understand the local context, we must move beyond the need for numeric data and adopt an approach that is organic and sensitive to the unique cultural and social landscapes.
What could these alternate lenses look like that would not require numeric values? These are a few off the top of my head specific to the Indian context.
One of the most compelling methods for evaluating the vitality of a community is to examine its artistic expressions. Observing the presence of socially supported art forms—such as dance, music, or storytelling—can reveal much about a community’s health and vibrancy. In many rural towns I’ve visited, art plays a crucial role in communication and cultural preservation. These communities often have rich traditions of oral storytelling, with histories passed down through generations from elders to younger members. Even in the presence of modern infrastructure like movie theaters, local dramas performed in temporary tents continue to thrive and are eagerly embraced by the community. Art has been a strong influence in understanding the way these societies function and could be a significant step in differential analysis.
Another interesting practice would be to do a rhythm analysis (In student friendly terms, we call this activity mapping). This is a term I came across in my undergraduate college that talks about how frequently something happens. It talks about the relationship between time and the event itself. For instance, when does the market open every day? Why does it open at this specific time? What impact does this create on the people visiting? What are the other activities that his habit instigates? These talk about the implications of the event in a space that is dependent on the reaction (qualitative) rather than the repetition (quantitative).
A popular system prevalent across India is that of having forms of self-governance. Some of these were called Panchayats. These local bodies involve a group of village elders residing over an issue and coming to an amicable middle ground between parties. Such systems today have been formalized and incorporated into the external governments' framework. The corruption and financial inequity apart, such self-governance systems have always played a strong part in creating healthy communities. A disintegrated and alien government comes to show the mismatch between the community and such bodies. Being able to identify and understand the way decision making works helps evaluate the priorities and necessities of a community in direct correlation to issues they face.
Research done in this manner can be well rooted in it's problem and subsequent solution rather than one that is simply numeric. Each community is different and research needs to cater to such understanding instead of taking a generic or standard approach to all. Let us wait and see if I can manage to have my thesis be an example for such a renewed system!
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