Paper details

Abstract

Research in humanitarian contexts is often led by teams of international and local scholars, in partnerships with crisis-afflicted communities. To unpack power dynamics and challenge structures that marginalize local voices, views from the ground must be valued and highlighted. Local actions are often rendered invisible, yet central to the successful implementation of research projects. Here, we present a case study of research collaboration during a randomized controlled trial assessing an educational intervention that was designed in Jordan, evaluated with UK and US funding, and implemented with Syrian refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We present insights gained through a research ethnography, presenting the perspectives of Jordanian fieldworkers, field officers, and project managers who recorded short audio diaries (n=161), wrote notes, and reflected on their experiences during semi-structured interviews (n=9). Analysis of these qualitative data shows how they navigated power dynamics, with both Syrian refugee families and project investigators. These data foreground the experiences of those who represent “local capacity” and “local partners.” This paper will advance discussions of what matters for sustaining strong and equitable research partnerships in humanitarian contexts. Specifically, we showcase a path to fight paternalism in research partnerships in ways that value shared communication, respect, and trust.