Reimagining
Research
5 weeks of hands on, practical learning
Are you ready to radically transform your research practice?
September 12 - October 11, 2024
Shaping the future of research
Reimagining Research is designed to stretch your imagination beyond colonial paradigms and constructions of research (often characterized by extraction, power imbalances, and the commodification of knowledge).
If you're curious about ethical or responsible research, or you're drawn to topics of care and trauma-informed practice, this course will take your learning to a whole new level.
It will challenge you to think expansively about your role as a researcher, the work you do, and the agency and responsibility you have to care for yourself and your participants. Our goal is to offer you tools, examples, and provocations that encite rich dialogue and reflection, and transform your practice.
“Sometimes a webinar can make you cry because of how transcendental it feels. Like a breath of fresh air. Like stepping into a room full of people who, like you, refuse to uncritically subscribe to the common delusion that this current way is the only way to do research and design, to build economy, to treat our planet.”
Is this for me?
This course is for people who are ready to challenge the status quo.
You do not need to be a “professional” or academic researcher to benefit from this program. In our view, research is simply the practice of responsible inquiry, knowledge gathering, and sharing.
This course is for you if:
- You care about your impact on people, the planet, and systems
- You believe that research can be collaborative, mutually beneficial, and joyful
- You want to develop a thoughtful, responsible, and care-full research practice
- You’re looking for a community of practice to learn and experiment with
- You’d like practical tools and strategies to transform your research practice
“It was like continuous sprinkle of thought provoking concepts that made me reflect on my practice in a way that I never expected. It wasn't just about "learning new things", because sure I did learn a lot, but that the learning immediately triggered me to reflect and impact + improve my practice!”
An unparalleled learning experience
- Care-Infused Experiences: Rooted in respect and relationships, our learning experiences are crafted with thoughtfulness and care
- Embodied Transformation: In alignment with Resmaa Menakem's wisdom, we start with our bodies, considering somatic processing a crucial element of transformative practice.
- Honest and Humble Facilitation: We are unafraid to speak the truth. We remain open to critique and error, and commit to accountability.
- Community-Centric Learning: Within our cohort, communal learning thrives, honoring both individual expertise and the wealth of collective wisdom.
“A key part of the learning is experiencing the way [the facilitators] hold space for diverse experiences, needs and learning styles, as well as lean into accountability with such integrity and care for the whole.”
What to expect
As a participant, you can expect to:
“The breakout group activities were a highlight of the course for me, providing an opportunity to engage in deeper discussions and learn from diverse viewpoints. These sessions were a practical application of the course’s theoretical components, allowing us to put our knowledge into practice.”
Learning schedule
To accomodate different time zones, participants will be able to select between one of two cohort schedules between September 12 and October 11, 2024.
Cohort 1: Every Thursday from 4:00pm - 6:00pm Pacific Time
Cohort 2: Every Friday from 9:00am - 11:00am Pacific Time
Participants will also have the opportunty to join optional drop-in sessions between Week 2 and 3, and between Week 4 and 5, to further integrate their learnings and ask clarifying questions.
Week 1
Deconstructing Research
- Reflecting on power and positionality within the research ecosystem
- Challenging dominant perspectives around the role of a researcher
- Exploring the impact of research as a practice and as an institution through real case studies
Week 2
Trauma Responsiveness & Liberatory Harm Reduction
- Contextualizing trauma from a global perspective and through an anti-oppressive and decolonial lens
- Recognizing harm and practicing accountability in research
Week 3
Practicing Care, Reciprocity, and Consent
- Understanding care and consent as a relational and reciprocal practice
- Developing strategies to prioritize care, dignity, and agency throughout the research process
- Cultivating trust with participants to encourage active participation and sustained engagement.
Week 4
Research Futures
- Experimenting with alternative approaches to learning and inquiry
- Employing speculative tools to expand the horizon of research outcomes beyond human relationships
Week 5
Designing a Transformative
Research Experience
- Participating in a hands-on, collaborative activity to design a research experience that incorporates learnings from the course
Ready to join us?
In a conscious effort to make this program as financially accessible as possible, we are offering 2 pricing tiers for you to choose from: Dandelion and Fern. Both options afford the same access and we kindly ask that you sign up for the tier that is within your financial capacity.
Dandelion
$600
Reserved for individuals with limited disposable income
Fern
$900
For those with adequate financial means, or access to professional development funds
We are currently accepting applications to cover full and partial fees to provide equitable access to those experiencing financial difficulty, or those situated in the Global South who may be unable to afford our pricing.
We encourage early application as this form may close due to high volume. You will be notified about the status of your application by July 30, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is financial assistance available?
We are happy to be offering tiered pricing to provide greater financial access to our community. Should you require further financial assistance due to hardship or pay inequity in the Global South, you are welcome to apply for funding support through our application.
I’d like to register my team for this program. What are my options?
For team pricing and private learning experiences, please contact us by email.
What are the course completion requirements?
In order to receive a certificate of completion, participants should successfully complete a reflective assessment at the end of the program.
How much time should I dedicate to this course?
Between 3 to 4 hours a week. You’ll want to plan for 2 hours/week for our weekly sessions and approximately 1 to 2 hours of reading and engaging with our online community, in addition to the weekly sessions.
Will learning sessions be recorded?
Weekly sessions will be recorded. You will receive this recording within 48 hours of each session, and will have access to all of the recordings until January 1, 2025. Participants are not permitted to share these recordings.
How have you considered access needs?
Each week, participants will gather virtually over Zoom for 2 hours. Live captioning, provided by Zoom, will be available in English. We do not have ASL support at this time. We are happy to provide and encourage visual descriptions throughout the gathering. If this is of benefit, please let us know. There will be a combination of breakout sessions and independent activities. We understand that access needs vary depending on each individual. In the registration form, participants will be asked to share any access needs or desires to optimize their learning experience.
How do you practice harm reduction?
You will be expected to engage with others in a respectful manner. This includes respecting pronouns, correctly pronouncing names (or asking if you are unsure), speaking from your own lived experience (using “I” statements), and not making discriminatory comments. If harm is caused and there is an opportunity to practice repair in the moment, this will be the preferred method; however, in the interest of the collective experience, we will not be centering those who have caused harm, and they may be asked to leave the group gathering. We will follow up with those who are harmed or caused harm, independently after the session.
Here’s what past attendees said...
“The courage expanded my mind and heart to critically explore my own understanding of research by creating an accessible, safe, brave, and loving space to dismantle what I thought about research and (re)imagine what research can look like (and how it can exist).”
~ Sulaiman R. Khan
“I feel that my understanding of research was always blurry—it felt like I never knew enough. This course challenged me to think about research in a less linear and rigidly process-centered manner and hold space for the relational aspects often not taught and overlooked.”
~ amélie lamont
“This learning experience is a good balance of engaging one’s mind and heart. We engaged our minds by interrogating research practices that are rooted in colonialism... At the same time, we engaged our hearts by connecting with head and heart-minded individuals, and turning to nature's processes and phenomena to inspire us ways on reimagining research.”
~ Genica Bucao
“This experience was highly illuminating and insightful. At times it was a bit uncomfortable when confronted with my own biases and ignorance, but the discomfort created space for me to evolve in my understanding and perception of research practices.”
~ Khyrah G. Simpson
“I think it’s a continual process - the course reignited the fire in my belly to continually question, reimagine and also to collaborate with others to approach research in alternative ways that don't reinforce or perpetuate the (unfortunate) status quo of research today.”
~ Jonny Almario
Pause and Effect is located on Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nations. As uninvited, displaced and racialized settlers on Turtle Island, we commit to confronting and unlearning practices that maintain the oppression, cultural genocide and harm towards Indigenous peoples, their knowledge systems, lands and waters. This land also carries remembrance of the millions of enslaved Africans who tended to it, and of the thriving Black neighborhoods and economies that have been destroyed under white supremacy.