4 What do we want to do next in this research?
What would the second participatory stage look like?

The first stage of this research indicates that, building on the theoretical base and experiential reports of women's experience, we can now plan, implement, document and evaluate the process of introducing and maintaining woman-positive activities in a variety of programs.

The activities will be consciously chosen as woman-positive and they will be under- taken as an action/participatory research project. This means that we will have an opportunity to learn about the experience of women and programs in a way that will allow us to analyze the results and strategize for future activities that benefit both the programs and women literacy students and workers.

The approach suggested for the second stage focuses on how the women who participate in literacy programs-women literacy students and women literacy workers-can affect change within their programs. The methodology suggested allows them to plan, implement, document and evaluate a woman- positive activity that fits within their program mandate and structure.

These activities will require varying degrees of commitment from the administration or management of the program, from the staff and from the students. However, they will all ensure that the experience of women becomes visible within the program or organization.

Not all the programs may be able to actually implement or complete planned activities. Because this is a research project, these activities will not be seen as "failures." There will be much we will be able to learn from the actual process. This is one of the pragmatic reasons for choosing an action/ participatory research methodology.

An action/participatory research methodology also means that the programs, through initial contacts and the training workshops, will be closely involved in the planning process for the research as well as the planning, implementation, documentation and evaluation of the activities and the second stage project as a whole.

Because of the action/participatory research model, those who already participate in the programs will carry through the activities. These participants will be expecting to see change and resistance to change because of the activities. The documentation of the process of change and the resistance to change, and the analysis of the documentation will form the final product of the research.

4.2 The commitment of CCLOW for the second stage

The sponsorship by CCLOW will include:

  • project development and administration,
  • active outreach for participants,
  • formation of a national advisory committee, and
  • hiring the research coordinator.

The research co-ordinator will provide two women contact literacy participants from each program with:

  • assistance in developing administrative, staff and student support,
  • background materials that provide a theoretical framework for the work,
  • three participatory workshops for program participants to provide training in research methods, a process for choosing activities and a process for planning an activity,
  • training and a process for documentation of the activity within the programs,
  • training and a process for evaluation of the activity and the project as a whole,
  • two teleconferences for information and support to the contact women,
  • coordination of information, communication and documentation, and
  • production of the final product of the project as decided upon by participants.

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