The messiness of co-produced research with gatekeepers of resettled refugee communities

ABSTRACT

Co-production of knowledge is identified by researchers and policy-makers as central to the advancement of scientific endeavors to address societal challenges, and as a process of empowerment which improves linkages between theory, knowledge, and action. We reflect on a nascent project we are developing that takes seriously the idea of co-producing knowledge and questions what the “co-” really means in the research development process, particularly with regard to research goals, sites, methods, and funding? Our interdisciplinary project investigates socio-ecological resilience and recovery in urban farms led by refugees, and integrates co-production from the inception of the project through a research collaboration with researchers, practitioners, and refugees involved in the International Rescue Committee’s New Roots Program. Through an exploration of the messiness that becomes manifest as the co-production process unfolds, especially the on-the-ground power dynamics that come with forming relationships with resettlement agency gatekeepers, this paper questions the often-idealized notion that co-production, and emergent methodologies, yields win-win situations. Rather, we posit that co-production incurs tentative alliances and significant trade-offs. So, while we embrace the theory behind co-production, we conclude that the key role of gatekeepers means that theory and reality collide as power hierarchies emerge and the process unfolds.

KEYWORDS:

• Co-production of knowledge
• gatekeepers
• refugees
• urban agriculture
• resettlement
• photovoice

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the various “gatekeepers” for their roles in facilitating our research. This article is in no way meant to dismiss their contributions to our research project; rather, it recognizes their critical and necessary role in them. We also thank the reviewers and editor for their constructive comments which contributed to improving this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Cerian Gibbes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. Her research focuses on the socio-ecological impacts of land use in spaces where agriculture and conservation coincide, with more recent work exploring multi-scale approaches to sustainable development. She currently serves as the Director of the Global Intercultural Research Center (GLINT), an interdisciplinary research unit that facilitates innovative global intercultural scholarship among faculty members.

Emily Skop is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She has built a significant research record that explores global migration and its consequences. Her current work explores refugee resettlement and placemaking, and broadly examines the multiple ways in which scale is utilized as a concept to create legacies of advantage and disadvantage.