A systemic approach to addressing HIV/AIDS in the informal economy in Zambia: methodological pluralism revisited

International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies

Volumn 1, Issue 4, 2007, Pages 375-397

  McKay, Veronica I ^a   Romm, Norma R A ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA   (South Africa)

Author keywords

complicity; HIV AIDS; responsibility; revisiting methodological pluralism; reworking of research methodologies; systemic orientation

Indexed keywords

EID: 84862876903     PISSN: 17510589     EISSN: 17510597     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1504/IJASS.2007.019302     Document Type: Article

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63. Throughout the research process Mr. Zulu – Program Officer for the ILO in Zambia – provided helpful advice: helping to define the sample for the research; arranging meetings with the (14) research assistants who were contracted by the ILO for this research; organizing/coordinating aspects of their work; and arranging, coordinating, and facilitating a national workshop. In addition, we would like to note that the 14 research assistants all showed dedication, caring, and commitment, alongside the intellectual skills that they brought to the research. They were able to establish rapport with the respondents/participants, and to provide exemplars of research done with the intention of nurturing climates of mutual learning. Their names are as follows: Zangiwe Banda; Martin Chanda; Felix Chitongwa; Musonda Chipala Evans; Chileshe Kapwepwe; Noella Kunda; Titamenji Lungu; Grace Mumbere; Monde Mutendango; Elizabeth Phiri; Lesigo Shalala; Noah Simpasa; Jacqueline Simonda; and Danny Sinyangwe.
64. The development of the KAPB instrument was informed initially by the Family Health International (FHI) HIV/AIDS/STD behavioural surveillance surveys for use with female sex workers and has since been adjusted for use in a variety of contexts. For example, it was adjusted by a University of South Africa (UNISA) European Union (EU) team in 2001 for use with truck drivers in the Southern African context (see McKay et al., 2001a). The instrument was adapted in 2003 for use among informal sector workers in South Africa (McKay et al., 2003) and later used as part of an expanded interventionist methodology in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.
65. As Ouane and McKay (2002, p.7) indicate, program improvements can be said to require the commitment of researchers/research participants, as well as the support of administrators and policy-makers at regional, national and international levels.
66. The research assistants contributed to the phrasing, as did a UNDP advisor; and the phrasing also emerged partly from the piloting process undertaken in Lusaka.
67. Although we did not overstate the issue of our own epistemological perspective in regard to the construction of reality via social dialogue (see Freire, 1985; McKay and Romm, 1992; Edwards, 1997; Gadotti, 1998; hooks, 2001), we did suggest (and try to ‘model’) in our interaction with the research assistants that they should themselves try to focus on developing the peer education process as one of mutual learning.