Understanding the Sociocultural Context Through Partnership with Communities

Ruth White, PhD, MPH, MSWDirector/Assistant Professor

Social WorkSeattle University

901 12th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122-1090

Presented at Engineers Without Borders (EWB) West Coast Regional Workshop, October 8-9, 2005, Seattle, WA

Before you go Read

Prior projects History/culture Language : hello, thank you etc

Communicate Community member Immigrant community Other NGOs, CBOs Local engineers

Buy/Make gifts represent your own culture/history

Be prepared Ask others who have been and those

who live there What to wear What NOT to wear Special diet/medications etc

Partnership Egalitarian relationship Common goals Knowledge is power and both parties

have knowledge the other needs You do not know ‘more’, you know

‘different’ Build relationships with stakeholders

Why Learn Context? How and why it is

the way it is How and why of

what will be Incorporate culture

in solutions Understand

historical context to learn lessons from the past

Multi-layered Context Global – funding, politics National – priorities Regional – ethnic relationships Local – political structures; other

NGO’s, CBO’s

Getting the info you need to do the task THEY want Whose project is it? Yours or theirs? Why are you there? People know what they need; you

don’t live there. They do. Cultural guide Group participation Use information for project design,

implementation and evaluation

Who to ask Public meetings organized by

‘sponsoring’ group; community buy-in Key stakeholders

Questions to ask What other organizations work in the area? What was the result of the ‘last’ project like

yours? What do they hope will happen as a result

of the project? What skills are available in the community

that can contribute directly or indirectly to the project?

Norms, beliefs, values, attitudes, expectations

They know what you don’t

Cultural Currency You are not at home Try new things Ask questions Be open to change Collaborate with local engineers (or

paraprofessionals) Build capacity

Learn (and use) the local language

As you work Respect cultural norms of

communication and working Include as many sectors of

community as you can in the work (building capacity & community ownership)

Participate in the process Participate in the community

Building Capacity

Before you leave Meet with stakeholders

Brief reporting/debrief Answer questions Transition out

Community meeting/celebration Plan next steps Plan to stay in touch

After you leave Lessons learned Write report: concise & accessible Send report to various stakeholders Send thank-you letters (on

letterhead) to stakeholders (include pictures of project being implemented)

Acknowledgements

Lydia McAllister, PhD, RNKatherine Camacho Carr, PhD, CNM, RN

Namwezi Health CenterNjeru Town Council

Mary MukajangaRuth Nanziri

Contact Info:

ruthw@seattleu.edu