Tips when working with marginalised groups
When working with marginalized groups, it helps to immerse yourself in their environment and focus on building trust.
A personal approach can create a sense of equality, valuing everyone’s expertise and offering appropriate rewards for their time and knowledge. Cultural sensitivity is important, as factors like sex, gender, migration status, and cultural background can affect how interactions take place. Building trust and being aware of your own cultural assumptions can enhance collaboration.
Below it is a list of basic tips drawn from the experiences within the pilots of CommuniCity:
Involve the community from start to finish
Involve the community for whom the solution is developed from the very beginning and at each phase, including the implementation and evaluation phases.
Collaborate with intermediaries
Work with intermediaries, such as community-based organisations and keyfigures. They can help to gain a better understanding of the target group and build trust.
Limit the size of group sessions
Limit the size of group sessions with users and work at fostering an atmosphere where all are welcomed to speak and listened to (if needed, organise multiple sessions to decrease the size of the group participating).
Use language that the community can relate to
Use language/words and visual language that the community can relate to and feels comfortable with.
Aim to stimulate a sense of ownership
Aim to stimulate a sense of ownership amongst participating community members by acknowledging their contribution and incorporating their input.
Make expectations explicit
Make expectations explicit. Make explicit that participants are taking part in a pilot and the developed solution may not be implemented, even if the pilot itself is successful.
Ensure it is an exchange where all participants benefit
Ask participating community members how they would like to benefit from their participation and ensure it is an exchange where all participants benefit.