{"id":11697,"date":"2021-10-22T14:34:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T12:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seven-senses.nu\/?p=11697"},"modified":"2021-10-22T14:34:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T12:34:35","slug":"how-to-talk-with-strangers-10-tips-to-help-you-have-informal-conversations-for-your-participatory-action-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seven-senses.nu\/nl\/how-to-talk-with-strangers-10-tips-to-help-you-have-informal-conversations-for-your-participatory-action-research\/","title":{"rendered":"How to talk with strangers – 10 tips to help you have informal conversations for your Participatory Action Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you remember the last time you talked with a complete stranger? I mean, not like asking where to find the toilet, but an actual conversation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technological developments have moved us away from contact with strangers. Since we all have our phones with us, we never have to ask people the time or where the nearest busstop is. And when waiting for the bus, we find our phones more interesting than the people waiting next to us. Corona has not helped either as it forced us to keep distance or even stay home, giving us a hard time to talk with strangers as well. And the less we do it, the more unnatural and uncomfortable it feels to do it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Participatory Action Researcher you have a lot of conversations with strangers. Seriously, a LOT. I recently realized how often I get the question of how to talk with strangers when initiating a Participatory Action Research. How to make that first move. So I decided, why not write a blog about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I like about conversations with strangers, is that when you apply basic PAR principles such as listening non-judgmentally and from genuine curiosity, without getting in debate or giving solutions, you get the finest stories. Stories about real life as people perceive it from their deepest selves. The actual raw stories that teach you more about life than any book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do we start such conversation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we initiate a Participatory Action Research, we first make a Participatory Action Research design to see what the goal of our PAR is, who to involve, what PAR-methods to apply et cetera. From there we can make a plan of things to do. Most of the time this involves having informal conversations with people about the PAR-subject. But there comes the big question: how do we approach those people? How do we start such conversation? The answer I think is simple -just do it!- but not easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n