Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Impact of Shifting NGO Practices

博士生Faith R.Kares(西北大学)在Micaela di Leonardo博士的指导下，将在菲律宾大马尼拉进行研究，在那里，Gawad Kalinga(GK)等非政府组织(NGO)与贫困和工薪阶层居民合作，建造负担得起的住房。GK是一个理想的案例研究，可以用来研究两个深层次的相互交织的现象--政府授权和非政府组织承担某些社会服务的责任的方式，以及这些非政府组织如何利用民族主义言论试图获得散居海外的菲律宾人的支持。通过重点研究GK的做法的细节以及这些做法是如何嵌入特定的历史政治经济背景下的，这项研究将调查日益增长的跨国联系，揭示经济背景下非政府组织职能的性质。研究人员将使用参与者观察、口述历史和半结构化访谈来记录当地居民、GK工作人员和外国青年志愿者如何理解他们参与组织发展的努力。她将审查该组织如何衡量有效性和成功，并将特别关注居民和外国青年志愿者之间的互动。她还将进行话语/对话分析，并收集和分析材料证据。该项目将探讨非政府组织在发展话语和行动中日益重要的社会意义和特点，以及不同群体与这些机构进行战略性接触的方式。研究结果在政策考虑中也可能有用。

Doctoral candidate Faith R. Kares (Northwestern University), supervised by Dr. Micaela di Leonardo, will undertake research in Metro-Manila, Philippines, where Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), such as Gawad Kalinga (GK), partner with poor and working class residents to create affordable housing. GK is an ideal case study with which to examine two deeply intertwined phenomena - the way that governments delegate and NGOs assume responsibility for certain social services, and how these NGOs then use nationalist discourse in their attempts to obtain support from members of the Filipino diaspora. By focusing on the particulars of GK's practices and the ways that these practices are embedded within a particular historical political-economic context, the research will investigate growing transnational linkages, shedding light on the nature of NGO functions in economic contexts. The researcher will use participant observation, oral histories, and semi-structured interviews to document how local residents, GK staff, and foreign youth volunteers understand their involvement in the organizations development efforts. She will examine how the organization measures efficacy and success, and will pay special attention to interactions between residents and foreign youth volunteers. She will also conduct discourse/conversation analysis, and collect and analyze material evidence.The project will address the social significance and characteristics of the increasing role of NGOs in development discourse and action, and the ways that different groups of people strategically engage with these institutions. Research findings may also be useful in policy considerations.