Challenges of power imbalances were evident in issues such as differing world views between adults and children, researchers seen as experts by children, race of researchers, children’s wishes to please adults and the dynamics of power relations within the research team.
6.2.1. Differing worldviews
The imbalance of power was evident through the challenges in differing world views with regard to adult/child relationships regarding discipline, learning and teaching in the different contexts and different school ‘cultures.’ In one school context there seemed to be very little respect for adults by learners. A few educators of this school were seen with sjamboks and threatened to use them on the learners. The learners, in the focus groups refused to cooperate with the researchers unless they too had a sjambok.
Interviewer: Did you encounter any problems with power relationships between the children and the facilitators?
Researcher E: At the one school yes. I think that’s what threw the facilitators.
They were expecting a relationship based on respect and authority. Some of the children would say, we will not come listen to you unless you’ve got a shambock.
That really startled all of us I think.
Another school context was permeated by a norm of disciplined, respectful learner body who listened to educators and other adults.
Researcher E: But there was also that feeling of - particularly when one dealt with the quieter well behaved children in some of the rural areas – that it’s very difficult to break through that power the way the adults view the children.
6.2.2. Researchers as experts
Researchers are often viewed by the participants as the expert (Harding, 1991) imposing their ideas consciously or unconsciously as seen in the following excerpt.
Researcher A: I think initially there was power dynamics with me. Firstly when I introduced myself coming from my school. My school is seen as elitist. I also told them my background, that I am the Deputy Principal of the school. I think that put me above them. Thirdly, I think being of a different race also caused a certain amount of dynamics but as soon as they got familiar with me, it balanced out. But then I interacted so fluently with them in sign language that we eventually integrated.
6.2.3. Racial power
Prior to 1994, the Group Areas Act isolated people living in South Africa according to race. When the act was abolished people were free to live where they pleased. However, the migration is always from historical black areas to white but not the other way around.
Due to the past laws of apartheid and discrimination, in the historical black areas (such as Richmond), white people are viewed as powerful people in the post apartheid South Africa. In the NRF project the following excerpt indicates how race of the researcher affects the forging of good relationships.
Researcher E: With the rural children they‘re not used to White people. It was going to be too difficult.
Interviewer: Was that a problem? Were the children intimidated with people of different colour or of a different status?
Researcher E: I’ve certainly found that in my research before. Who’s this Molongo who comes along? She’s got a car and seems to be in charge. She seems to be the one everyone listens to and so on. And in some ways that perpetuates the idea that it is the White people who hold the power, the knowledge and so on. You know we don’t want to be doing that in terms of what is ethical in society and for transformation.
6.2.4. Children’s desire to please adults
A further aspect to consider regarding children’s response in research is whether children respond to adults because that’s what they know is expected of them.
Researcher F: Our focus was on accessing children’s voices. Giving voice to children, to what extent is the child responding to you because you are an adult and children are supposed to answer to adults
Researcher F: …..there are power relations embedded within relationships with adults and children. To what extent is the child responding to you because you are an adult and children are supposed to answer to adults
6.2.5. Dynamics of power within the research team
Van der Riet et al (2005) note that the lack of probing during facilitation could have been because the inexperienced students as facilitators are unlikely to challenge more experienced staff who were responsible for designing the focus group schedules.
Researcher E: It was almost as if part of what happened is that the facilitators understood completely that we (designers of the focus group schedule) wanted to know the opinion of every child that had been selected but it meant that at times that cost some of the probing.
On the other hand, a senior lecturer imposed her ‘expert knowledge’ at a focus group session to promote probing.
Researcher C: …. with the learner group…at times I kind of intervened you know I remember , one of the activities is they have to put uh these little beans.. It was a hierarchy activity. She had to ask them why did you put more beans on this
issue. I could see what was going on and she hadn’t done that. She hadn’t done it well enough because she missed a couple of kids out. And I went to kind of intervene you know and tell her.