Abstract
In Participatory Research: Working with Vulnerable Groups in Research and Practice, JoAldridge addresses the main issues andconcerns surrounding doing research involving vulnerable or marginalized groups. Aldridge approaches this topic from an empirical and empathetic perspective, giving consideration to both the participant and researcher. This is achieved throughout each chapter by first addressing a situation that may cause a group to be considered vulnerable, then addressing an inclusive method to doing research with that group.
Aldridge focuses on two main methodological approaches for researching vulnerable groups that highlight the importance of giving participants a prominent voice in the process. The first approach involves using photographs taken by the participants for analysis, to overcome the participants’ difficulties with communication. The second approach involves participants writing their own narratives of incidents leading to their becoming a member of a vulnerable group. The important aspect of these two approaches is that they put the participants in control of the research process and of what is collected for data.
Through Aldridge’s descriptions of why both methods are not only appropriate, but effective for conducting qualitative research, she highlights the importance of thinking beyond simple interviews or surveys as methods for data collection. Beyond providing useful means to collect data about populations that have been marginalized in research for years, Aldridge shows how these methods create an inclusive and safe environment for studying these groups. Although the book initially reads as a guide for how to conduct research with vulnerable groups without intentionally exploiting them, it develops into a narrative about giving voice through research to those members of society that have otherwise been forgotten or seen as too controversial to focus on asresearch participants. Through using methods and ideology surrounding participatory research outlined in Aldridge’s book, research on vulnerable and marginalized groups can advance empirically while being mindful of focusing on the voice of the participants.