Research politics and funding
I've been reading Neuman (2003) to learn how to conduct research properly. One of the more interesting chapters (16) deals in part with writing proposals, getting funding and avoiding political hot water. In the study of deliberation or participatory methods, politics usually surrounds the endeavour!
In the past five years a lot of activity in terms of book launches, research projects and web-based consortiums have sprung up with a flurry in the USA, then gone quiet. I discovered that most of these were funded by the Hewlett Foundation which had a 20-year programme to support conflict resolution, including (since 1992) projects to encourage citizen participation. Some of these grant funds reached Australia. But this funding programme was finished up in 2004. From where in future will funding for foundational research come? Perhaps current European Union efforts to engage their cynical and disparate community will generate research opportunities, but it will be difficult to get involved from Australia. That leaves localised funding from interest groups relating to outcomes of deliberation such as environmental sustainability, resource usage and urban development issues. See politics above.
Neuman, W. L. (2003). Social research methods. Qualitative and quantitative approaches (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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