Of Participation Roles in the Field

Abstract

This article examines the benefits that can be realized when a study contrives a poly vocal environment that allows
the participants a larger stake in the conduct of research among them. The article, therefore, does not dwell on the
main findings of the study conducted among Bang’ Jomariek women group of West Reru. The main objective of the
research study was to explore the teaching and learning processes utilized by women artists in the art forms of
basketry, pottery and indigenous architecture. This article, however, dwells on the observations the researcher makes
of the experiences of the study participants which emanate from their being allowed more control of the study
conduct. Thus, by focusing on a collective of indigenous women engaged in the education and production of the art
forms of pots, baskets, and indigenous architecture, this article explores study participants’ roles in fieldwork. The
study site was West Reru area of Western Kenya. Scholars Adler and Adler (1987) among many others have
suggested behaviors and attitudes that make up ethical researcher conduct. In this article, the researcher draws on the
post feminist and post colonial theoretical perspectives to explore the participants’ identity construction in an
arguably poly vocal research context. Additionally, the study reviews the consequent epistemological concerns that
emerge in such a study environment. These women, referred to their educational and production processes as
chwuech. The researcher coined the phrase “chwuechgogical study methods” to describe the study methods and
instruments.