3c. Community Research

Community Research – Overview

Purpose

The AIGG undertook community research that led to recommendations about future AROS that included community perspective about how to create the new organisation and how people might like to see it work for them. The AIGG research in 2023:

Used Participatory Action Research methods to engage with racially minoritised communities, to hear from people about how they thought an organisation could best work for them. In doing so, it supported the ambitions for the co-design of Scotland’s new community led accountability anti-racism policy focused organisation.
The research began to build awareness of a new anti-racism organisation that was being developed to address systemic racism in Scotland.
The AIGG research focused mainly on systemic/organisational racism and the resultant racialised inequity in outcomes, not on people’s lived experiences of individual personal racism.
The outcomes from the research fed into the 2023 AIGG recommendations for the future AROS.

Approach

Phase 1:

Iterative co-design of the study questionnaire and capacity-building materials with community leaders, young people, and members of the AIGG. This included online unstructured interviews with community leaders to establish how best to engage with people in their communities, build trust and enhance participation in the study. Focus group meetings were also held with young people.

Phase 2

The co-designed survey was distributed across Scotland through partnerships with community organisations and community researchers. Listening tours facilitated group discussions to collaboratively gather perspectives. These sessions allowed community members to provide input verbally and through discussion with their peers.

Phase 3:

This phase entailed collaborative data analysis between the research team and AIGG members with lived expertise on racism. Reflexivity about the positionality of those involved was encouraged. Through collaborative sense-making of data, we aimed to validate lived experiences and counter dominant narratives that perpetuate racism.

Sample

531 people participated in the survey. Responses were from a wide range of areas in Scotland. Listening tours in 5 different cities were run. 78% of survey responses were from individuals, and 22% of respondents stated they were answering on behalf of organisations.

Community Research – Timeline

Community Research – Findings

1. Standardised Data Collection

Standardised data collection on racism and anti-racism should be embedded within institutions and organisations instead of being entrusted to a single entity. This information should be easily accessible to community members through the AROS.

Research participants reported that the AROS should map work on racism and anti-racism across the whole range of listed areas, from employment, school education, higher education, housing and immigration to business, health, children’s and older people’s wellbeing, community safety, community strengths, religion, disability and caring responsibilities, and inequities faced by those experiencing gender inequality and LGBT inequality. This suggests community members would like to see work on racism and anti-racism conducted across all these sectors, with the AROS acting as a central, accessible platform for sharing information.

2. An integrated approach

The impact of structural racism should be incorporated into impact assessments and emergency preparedness in the public sector. When asked about areas of focus respondents stated that AROS should map work on racism and antiracism across the whole range of listed areas. 47% of respondents requested consideration on employment, 44% school education, 41% higher education, 40% housing and 39 immigration. Additional areas highlighted for the AROS’ consideration included COVID and its impact, the cost-of-living crisis and its impact, poverty, the justice system, popular culture, language, media narratives, sports, the environment, public places and legal representation.

3. Valuing Lived Experience

There is a clear demand from community members for the AROS to value research, lived experiences and anti-racism efforts happening within communities, outside institutional walls. Most respondents wanted the AROS to highlight community research on racism and anti-racism, and for their work on racism and anti-racism to be included by the AROS.

Participants also stated that the AROS should bring communities together, and engage with community members through the creation of safe spaces for dialogue.

4. Acknowledging and valuing community expertise

The skills and expertise within communities should be acknowledged and valued. Respondents highlighted the utility of a live database of community groups in the anti-racism space. Participants also mentioned the importance of monitoring the allocation of public sector and philanthropic funding (e.g. grants) to community organisations led by racially minoritised people. During our research, we recognised the importance of uplifting community members with specific skills (e.g. academics of colour) in anti-racism policymaking spaces.

5. Focus on Accountability

In the study a lack of accountability, limitations of current data availability and limited capacity for addressing racialised issues emerged as key themes. The community research highlighted that barrier to addressing racism included the lack of follow-up after the initiation of an inquiry into racism, the amount of work required to provide “concrete” evidence of racism, and the lack of capacity (e.g. time, resources and funding) to address racism.

6. Building a better understanding

Community members wanted the AROS to focus on building racial literacy. A number of topics were mentioned, including bystander training, colourism, privilege and power, unlearning racism, internalised racism, internalised colourism, mechanisms of racialisation, the effects of racism including unintentional harm and perceptions of racially minoritised communities. There is also a need for work to consolidate existing research on racism and anti-racism in a clear way, and to facilitate further research (e.g. data disaggregation, collecting lived experiences of racism), signposting anti-racism activities, and setting and enforcing standards of anti-racism practice.

7. A repository

Community members expressed the need for a public accessible interactive repository of research and public policy concerning racism and anti-racism to maintain institutional memory and avoid wasting resources. Respondents expressed fatigue in relation to being extensively researched and a desire for existing findings on racism and anti-racism to be brought together for decisive action.

Respondents mentioned the collation and sharing of a variety of research, including research on lived experiences of racism, and policy-oriented research. Participants felt that the evidence arising from new reporting mechanisms to address racism could generate a body of live anti-racism casework.

8. Quality Standards on Anti-racism

Community members wanted the AROS to be involved in setting and enforcing standards of anti-racism practice. A number of mechanisms were proposed, including calling out racist behaviour, sharing best practices, setting targets, monitoring the achievement of targets, and helping to embed anti-racism practices in institutions.

9. Direct Involvement and equitable inclusion

Community members indicated a desire to be directly involved with the work of the AROS. Respondents suggested community members could be involved as educators, researchers, recruiters for research, and as community liaisons spreading awareness about the AROS. The need for transparency around payment for the work done by community members was emphasised.

Respondents also stated that the AROS should bring communities together and engage with community members through the creation of safe spaces for dialogue.

10. Clear and sustained communication

The AROS should maintain a sustainable programme of communication with communities about its purpose and work. Participants highlighted the importance of raising awareness specifically among those “at risk of racial discrimination”.

Although we used multiple avenues to publicise our capacity-building materials and survey, most participants had heard of our survey through on-the-ground community researchers. As such, the AROS should consider multiple channels of communication, including the use of community liaisons in places where people gather.

Dr Addy's – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library (ARRL)

3c. Community Research

Community Research – Overview

Purpose

Approach

Phase 1:

Phase 2

Phase 3:

Sample

Community Research – Timeline

Community Research – Findings

Community Research – Publications & Resources

Community Research – Links

Dr Addy’s – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library

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Created by Dr. Addy Adelaine