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Globalisation, and Education Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713423352 The right to research Arjun Appadurai a a , New York

Online Publication Date: 01 July 2006 To cite this Article: Appadurai, Arjun (2006) 'The right to research', Globalisation, Societies and Education, 4:2, 167 - 177 To link to this article: DOI: 10.1080/14767720600750696 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14767720600750696

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The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. © Taylor and Francis 2007 Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 DOI: 10.1080/14767720600750696 © 2006Taylor & Francis ISSN 1476-7724 (print)/ISSN1476-7732(online)/06/020167–11 [email protected] * for ordinarycitizenstorely onknowledgedrawnfromtraditional,customary or local tion havedestabilisedsecureknowledgenichesand have rapidlymadeitlesspossible them tomakesystematicforaysbeyondtheircurrent knowledgehorizons. are, inthissense,researchers,sinceallhumanbeings makedecisionsthatrequire inquiries intothosethingsweneedtoknow,butdo notknowyet.Allhumanbeings is aspecialisednameforgeneralisedcapacity,the capacitytomakedisciplined a right,albeitofspecialkind.Thisargumentrequires ustorecognisethatresearch to thefamilyofrights.Inthispaper,Iwillarguethat itisworthregardingresearchas fields. Itisrarelyseenasacapacitywithdemocratic potential,muchlessasbelonging class backgroundtospecialistsineducation,thesciences andrelatedprofessional Research isnormallyseenasahigh-end,technicalactivity,availablebytrainingand The argument Keywords: (PUKAR) asanexample. research andaction,usingtheMumbai-basedPartnersforUrbanKnowledgeActionResearch citizenship. Ithenexplorethedemocratisationofrighttoresearch,andnexusbetween right toresearch–gainstrategicknowledgeasthisisessentialtheirclaimsfordemocratic and post-secondaryeducation,statethatoneoftherightsthisgroupoughttoclaimis tion inpoorercountrieswhomaygetpastelementaryeducationtothebottomrungofsecondary it isvitalfortheexerciseofinformedcitizenship.Iacknowledge30%totalworldpopula- I maintainthatknowledgeisbothmorevaluableandephemeralduetoglobalisation, lised capacitytomakedisciplinedinquiresintothosethingsweneedknow,butdonotknowyet. more universalandelementaryability.Itsuggeststhatresearchisaspecialisednameforgenera- This paperarguesthatresearchberecognisedasarightofspecialkind–itregarded Taylor andFrancisLtdCGSE_A_175032.sgm10.1080/14767720600750696Globalisation,SocietiesEducation1476-7724(print)/1476-7732(online)OriginalArticle2006&42000000July The NewSchool,York Arjun Appadurai The righttoresearch Vol. 4,No.2,July2006,pp.167–177 Globalisation, SocietiesandEducation The NewSchool,66West 12thStreet,NewYork,NY10011,USA. Email: This isespeciallysoinaworldofrapidchange,where markets,media,andmigra- Research; HumanRights;Citizenship;Globalisation;Knowledge;PUKAR * Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 idea ofresearch. and improvablecapacity. This argumentestablishestheneedtode-parochialise the derive somebenefitfrom regarding researchasamuchmoreuniversal,elementary force ustotakesomedistance fromthenormal,professionalisedviewofresearch, and citizens. The now criticaltotheexerciseofcitizenshiporpursuit ofitforthosewhoarenotfull knowledge ofmigrationpaths,prisons, knowledgeoflaw,alltheseare basis. KnowledgeofAIDS,knowledgeriots, oflabormarketshifts, capacity tomakestrategicinquiries—andgain knowledge—onacontinuous ical. The proposing itasastartingpointforthispaperarepartly substantiveandpartlyrhetor- as citizens. which theyconsidermostvitaltotheirsurvivalashuman beingsandtotheirclaims tools throughwhichanycitizencansystematically increase thatstockofknowledge ing—and oughttoclaim—istherightresearch.BythisImean curity. Iwouldsuggestthatamongtherightsthisgroupiscapableofclaim- inadequate socialcapital,poorconnectivitypoliticalweaknessandeconomicinse- existence inthiscategoryisinsecure,formanyreasons,includingpartialeducation, in theworldtoday)iswithinframeworkofglobalknowledgesocieties.Buttheir post-secondary education.Thisgroup(whichconsistsofperhaps1.5billionpeople shot atgettingpastelementaryeducationtothebottomrungsofsecondaryand population inpoorercountries,the30%orsooftotalwhohavea knowledge. Suchmeta-knowledgeisthetruemarkofglobalelite. careers asaconsequenceoftheircapacitytobenefitfromhigh-endknowledgeabout educational preferences,placingbetsondifferentknowledgepaths,andchanging choosing amongcareeroptions,examiningtheiroptionscritically,establishing jobs, muchlesstochangecareers.Thetop20%(arguably)havetheprivilegeof sional orvocationalfieldswheretheymaygetjobs,butrarelythechancetochange pushed intodegreefactoriesofonetypeoranotherandrapidlychanneledprofes- means andwishtoexpandtheirhorizonsimprovelives,buttheyareoften marginal. Anothercategory,perhapsanother30%oftheworld’spopulation,have in theknowledgegame,becausetheyarestarving,dispossessedoreconomically nary peoplefindthemselvesinoneofthreecategories.Thelower50%arenoteven economic securityforindividuals.Inthisenvironment,thebulkofworld’sordi- long trainingandeducationasessentialtoolsforeconomicsurvivalnations knowledge-workers, andmanyindustrialsocietiesareconstructingpoliciesforlife- and moreephemeral.Thus,thinkerslikeRobertReichrecognisedtheimportanceof from trend,isvitalfortheexerciseofinformedcitizenship. guish knowledgefromrumor,factfiction,propagandanews,andanecdote edge (bothabstractandempirical)isthecoinofrealm,capacitytodistin- sources. Further,astheinstitutionsandvaluesofdemocracysweepworld,knowl- 168 This rights-baseddefinitionofresearchishardly conventional. Myreasonsfor My argumentisaddressedtothebottomportionofupperhalftypical Globalisation makesknowledge—ofwhatevertype—simultaneouslymorevaluable A. Appadurai substantive rhetorical

part isbasedontheviewthatfullcitizenshiptoday requiresthe

reason forviewingresearch inarights-basedperspectiveisto Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 that thereissomeelement ofmystery,paradoxandstrangenessaboutresearch, how paradox mightexplainwhy itissuchahot-houseactivity. thinking about.Sothereremains aparadoxdeepinsidetheideaofresearch,and this way isnotsuitedtothemost importantobjectthatyoudonotknowbutought tobe systematically gettingtoitislogicallyimpossible.Or itmaybethatyoursystematic know? Forexample,whatyoudonotknowmightbe soprofoundlyunsystematicthat yet-known. Howcanyouhaveasystematicmeans forgettingtowhatyoudonot mental mysteryisthatitpurportstobeasystematic meansfordiscoveringthenot- above whereitsstrangenesslies,andIhopetobuild ontheobservationthatitsfunda- continue tobeinterestedinthinkingaboutwhyresearch isastrangeactivity,and fields, thereismuchstilltobesaidaboutthepeculiarity oftheactivityitself.I ing onwhetheritisintheempiricalsciences—social ornatural—orinthehumanities why dotheylaternotwork,orseemtoproduce somesignificantresult?Depend- proposal is?Whydosomeresearchproposalsseemweak, oreveniftheyseemstrong, Why isitsohardtoteachpeoplehow‘do’research,orwhatagoodresearch western historicalhome,trytodoso?Whataretheconditionsofentrythatworld? research. Andhowdopeoplewhoareenteringtheworldofresearch,fromoutsideits doing whentheysayare‘doingresearch’orteachingotherstodo an ideahasevolvedinthewest,whatitsmeaningsare,peoplethinktheyare reflection onit.Iremaindeeplyinterestedinwhatresearchis,andhowas to ouracademiccommonsensethatitisnotasurprisetherelotofdirect thought thattherewasnodistance,orinsufficientdistancefromit.Researchissovital that researchwassomuchapartofthenaturalvocabularycontemporarycritical the ideaofresearch,onwhichtherewaslittlecriticalreflection.Myconclusion of teaching,havebeenthesubjectmuchdiscussion.Butthesetopicssurrounded history ofeducationasafieldorevensub-practiceswithinit,andcoursethe subjects, suchasthehistoryofscientificinquiry,university, research isnot,orhasnotbeensufficientlyreflectedon,thoughmanyadjacent tions whichIraisedinthatpaper.beganwitharealisationtheveryideaof research imagination.’Iamstillverymuchengagedwith,andcommittedtotheques- action-oriented research.Thislastportionisasortofethnographypractice. work Iamengagedin,inMumbai,withmycolleaguesanorganisationdevotedto global flows.Thethirdhastodowiththegrassrootsglobalisationandisdrawnfrom imagination (Appadurai,2000).Thesecondisasetofideasabouthumanrightsand thought orstartingpointonthepapergrassrootsglobalisationandresearch requires threesetsofobservations,questions,andarguments.Thefirstisanafter- for openingitupasagenuinelyinclusiveanduniversallyavailablecapacity.This now laythebasisforregardingitdifferently,seeingasparochialinkeyways,and politan, abstractactivity.Thusitisusuallyviewedasanantidotetoparochialism.I The ideaofresearchiscommonlyregardedastheepitomeacontext-free,cosmo- Deparochialising research I havealsobecomeinterested inhowoneteachesaboutresearch.Ifaccepts Let mebeginfirstwithareflectiononthepaper,‘Grassrootsglobalizationand The righttoresearch 169 Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 democratic inthesameway astheUSorIndia,butPeople’sRepublicof China way. TakethePeople’sRepublic ofChina,forexample.Wemayarguethat it isnot in democraticpolities,and onlyfewpolitiesdonotclaimtobedemocraticin some longer theoperativecondition. Nowmostpeopleclaimrightsofsomekind,especially experiences ofmigrantswho justturnedupsomewhereandhopedforthebest areno discourse ofhumanrightshasbecomeinstitutionalised. Consequently,theolder since about1950,butespeciallyinthelast20years, anequallyvigorousflowofthe often becomeundocumentedpartialorincomplete citizens.Butatthesametime, sharply acrisis,andthislikemanyothers,has alonghistory. and intheUSaswell.Socitizenshipaworldof migrants isbecomingevenmore untrue ofAustralia,wherethecrisismulticulturalism issignificantandmassive, zens. ThisisofcoursethepoliticalstoryinEuropetoday. Igatherthatitisnotentirely occupied inpartbypeoplewhoarenotfullcitizens, butarepartialormarginalciti- citizenship is,nowmorethanever,acomplexfield andmostnationalpolitiesare are progressive,otherscriminal,someseparatist,universalist.Also, eignty, popularandtransnational,surroundingtheclaimsofnationstate.Some players, thoughitisevidentlyneitherdyingnordead.Therearemanykindsofsover- after September11,2001:thenationstateiscertainlyonlyoneamongmanyother ularities inthetectonicsofpoliticalandsociallife.Inonesensenothinghaschanged moment inthehistoryandmobilityofcapitalcontinuestoproduceallsortsirreg- to namejustfour.Thecontinuingrealityisthatglobalisationasanewphaseor world—the tsunami,thefloodsinMumbai,NewOrleans,earthquakePakistan, Afghanistan andIraq,awholeseriesofmajornaturaldisastersinmanypartsthe years ago. Manythingshavehappenedsincethen,notleast9/11,itsaftermath in to say,thatisaveryfastmovingobject,andmyearlierpaperwaswrittenalmostfive researchers, asopposedtopedagogyawhole. will returntotherelationofpedagogyresearchitself—teachingpeoplebe the standardfieldsofhumanities,andsociallifesciences,isinpoorshape.I every variety.ButtheclassicaluniversitysystemwhichissuesBAsMAs,Ph.Dsinall in architecture,design,business,and,ofcoursecomputerprogramming Institute ofTechnology(IIT),whichispartanationalgroupschools,andalso ’s strengthsarenowinengineering,duetothestrongpresenceofIndian or 150yearsagowhenitfirstbegan.Andlikemanyotherpartsoftheworld, be consideredahealthysysteminthesensewhichitwas20yearsago,50ago the standards,butbynormaluniversitysysteminMumbaiwouldnot Mumbai, istodayaweakfieldbyconventionalstandards.Again,onemightquestion doing sowell.Forexample,sociology,whichusedtobeaverystrongfieldin where others(withintheuniversitysystem)whodo,arebystandardcriteria,not research?’ inacontextwherelotsofpeoplehavenofamiliaritywiththatworld,and attempt tofleshoutthequestion,‘Whatdoesitmeanengageinapedagogyabout cent toresearch,asin‘researchandteaching.’Later,myMumbaiexample,Iwill is onegoingtoteachitaspartofapedagogicactivitywhichcanbeseenalsoadja- 170 Whenever peoplemovetheyunsettletheirnewplaces, partlybecausemigrants Let meturntothesecondpartofpaper,whichisaboutglobalisation.Needless A. Appadurai Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 this isthesourceofalot large-scaleviolence,stateaswellother kinds sovereignty, atthelocusof thenationstate,andculturalsovereignty.Ibelieve that full force.Thismovement has produced,worldwide,adeeptensionbetweeneconomic in formsthatareverypoorly understood—derivativesandthelike—continues with means. Thedivorceoffinance capitalfromotherkindsofcapital,itsrapidmovement ple, producedthefamous‘Asiancrisis’ofafewyears ago,andarenotgonebyany produced bytheprocessofglobalisation. To understandthisprocess,weneedabriefsurvey ofthebroaderturbulence beyond elementaryandabstractfreedomstoinclude moresubtleandmaterialones. political shape.Inbothcases,thelanguageofhuman rightsisaskedtostretchitself come toroostinthesiteswherevaluesofhuman rightstakenational,legal,and endorsement oftheideahumanrightsitself.Others haveindependentoriginsbut of equity,citizenshipandjusticeareproducedby theincreasedacceptanceand prior momentinhumanhistory.Thereisaparadox here,sincesomeofthesecrises problems ofhumanrightsonalargerscaleandmorevolatilecanvasthanatany consequence, thereispressureonhumanrightslaws,courts,andadvocatestosolve also seemtobecrises,inthelifeofnationaleconomies,societiesandcultures.Asa that itoccursatthesametimeasaseriesofothersweepingchanges,somewhich as wellcitizensofdifferentkinds. marginal orinvisibleharms,suchasthoseaffectingchildren,refugees,guest-workers, at aninstitutionalandpersonallevel.Theseinitiativesofteninvolvepreviously consciousness, whichhasbeenaccompaniedbymanyspecificinitiativesanddramas eschew ordismisstheprincipleofhumanrightsassuch.Thisisarevolutionin their recordsinregardtohumanrights,veryfewstatesorpoliticalelitesopenly resistance amongvariousstatestoparticularinterpretationsofhumanrights,and instances oftheglobalisationasocialideology.Today,althoughthereisstrenuous of thevaluesandassumptionshumanrightsthinkingisarguablyonefastest formation oftheUnitedNationsinmiddletwentiethcentury.Thespread tions ofhumanrightswereformalisedasuniversalvaluesandpolicyaimsafterthe debates growoutofabroaderhistoricalcontextinwhichthevocabularyandinstitu- lems ofdignityandrecognitiontodiscussionsequityredistribution.These rights ofmanykinds.Aparalleldiscussioninpoliticaltheoryseekstoconnectprob- (conceived aspertainingtofreedom,justiceandequalityofsomesort)economic There isabroadandgrowingliteratureontherelationshipofhumanrights The crisisofrights the regnantglobalideologyofhumanrights. political significancewhatsoevertothisdifference.Thuscasebecomesacrisisfor has apositiononminorities,whichrecognisesthemasdifferentwithoutgrantingany the People’sRepublicofChina,statedoesnotclaimthatminoritiesaretrivial.It does notseeitselfasundemocratic.Thequestioniswhatkindofdemocracyit?In Some crisesareproducedbytherapid,irregularmovement ofcapitalas,forexam- The problemwiththisworldwideascendancyoftheideologyhumanrightsis The righttoresearch 171 Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 countries (asmeasuredin ‘international’studentsinvariouscountries,forexample). tional spherecomplicates thebroadertraditionalhistoryofstudenttrafficbetween to themoredesperateand thelessdiscriminating.Thistransformationof educa- barely qualifiedentrepreneurs, bothindigenousandforeign,peddledubious degrees orative agreementsinIndia andChina);amuchmoreseamybottomend, where bia, forexample,areamongatleast50majorAmerican universitieswithmajorcollab- hand (Harvard,Yaleand Colum- by theofficialstateanduniversitysystemonone field ofeducationalactivitieswhichinvolvemajoroverseas collaborationssanctioned protection andmarketexploitation.InbothIndia China,thereisaburgeoning struggle byrecogniseduniversitiesandtheirhome statestofindtherightblendof tries withlargepopulationswhosemembersaspire to‘global’certification,anda often completelynewplayers.Whatweseehereisa growing diplomamarketincoun- education marketarebarelycertifiedorlegitimatein theirhomecountries.Theyare Indian educationalventures.Someofthemostaggressive playersintheIndiandesign association withanoverseasinstitution. these newcredentialsareaboutsuccessinaglobalisedworld,andmanyinvolvesome ous newsortsofdegrees,diplomas,certificatesforsomevocationalpurpose.Many demand (largelylocatedinthe30%populationsegmentIdiscussedearlier)forvari- encouragescollaboration,acquisition,mergersandsoontocatchthegrowing version ofthenewtensionsbetweenstatesovereigntyandplaymarket.The educational entrepreneursfromtheoutside.Thefieldofeducationshowsitsown is beinglost,bothtoprivateoperatorsinsidewhohavenooutsidepartners,and ety. Thestatehasrecentlyrealisedthatasignificantpartofitscontrolovereducation talk aboutderegulation,privatisation,andtheopenmarket,isastate-saturatedsoci- except attheriskofbeinginnon-compliancewithlaw.,forallserious are calledforeigneducationalproviders,whichcannotbeignoredbytheseactors close regulatoryattention,andisbeginningtocreateelaborateproceduresforwhat with theIndianeducationalmarket.Butnowstateiswakingup,andpayingvery from theUK,Canada,andtosomeextentUS,areincreasinglyinvolved tion, ineverysphere,andaggressiveoverseasplayers,notablyfromAustralia,butalso than everbefore.Forexample,inIndiathereisaveryvigorousprivatisationofeduca- These conflictsarefrequentlyarticulatedashumanrightsstruggles. groups whoareperceivedtobeminor,numericallyorotherwise(Appadurai,2006). large amountofintranational,orwithin-state,conflict,especiallyaboutminorities certain amountofinternational,thatis,statetoconflict,butitalsoproducesa course, smallereconomiesfacethesamepredicament.Thistensionproduces,botha and mostpowerfuleconomy,butitishardlyincontrolofitsowndestiny, Chinese money,trade,goodsandsoon.Hereistheworld’slargest hock tomainlandChina.InbroadereconomictermstheUSisintimatelylinkedwith example. ItiscommonknowledgethattheUSconsumereconomyfinanciallyin eignty, whichisaveryimportantbasisoftheclassicalnationstate.TakeUSfor of violence.Fewnationstates,includingthewealthiest,canclaimrealeconomicsover- 172 The fieldofartanddesign,inIndia,iscurrentlybeing vigorouslyexploredbynon- The lagbetweenglobalisationandtheknowledgeofismoreacute A. Appadurai Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 are notofficiallyresearchers—architects, journalists—peoplewhoare in the ‘early careerresearchers’—people intheirearlythirties—butalsomanypeople who alent ofanon-profitorganisation intheUS.Itinvolvesbringingtogetherwhat wecall young, aboutfour-years-old, andisregisteredasacharitabletrust,whichthe equiv- acronym forPartners Urban KnowledgeActionandResearch.PUKAR isvery a smallorganisationcalledPUKAR,whichinHindi means‘tocall’,andisalsoan colleague CarolA.Breckenridgeandafewotherpeople IknewinIndia,wecreated private backing,andjustasmallamountofmyown researchmonies,myspouseand extend beyondtheuppermiddle-classesofcity. Withneitherofficialsupportnor together youthandglobalisationinaforumforcross-disciplinary debateorientedto (Appadurai, 2002)thatIshouldmakeanintervention inMumbai,designedtobring cially inconnectiontomyownresearchongrassroots activisminrelationtohousing universities havebeenverywellestablishedforalong time.SoIbegantothink—espe- seemed strangeforauniversitythatwaswellestablished inIndia,acountrywhere alised, cofferswereempty,andpeopleoften notgettingpaidontime.This colleges were,atbest,officialdegreefactorieswheregoodfacultywereoftendemor- cial universitysystemwasclosetobankrupt;themainolderMumbaiuniversitiesand easily beisolatedfromtheissueofcollectiveviolence.Ialsobegantoseethatoffi- include subjectsassuchhousing,crime,cinemaandotherwhichcouldnot violence—violence againstMuslimsintheearly1990s—whichquicklyexpandedto on whichIhaddoneverylittleresearchbefore.beganwithaninterestinethnic tion, IdecidedtodoresearchonMumbai,whichisthecityinhadgrownup, mode, whichisneverthelessnotjustanecdotal. but whichcanbepartofthelivesordinarypeople?HereImovetoamorepersonal What aboutresearchwhichisnotconfinedtotheuniversityorprofessionalelites, Democratising therighttoresearch:anexamplefromIndia lucky upperhalfoftheirsocietieswhichhavemadeittothepost-secondarylevel). the bulkofcitizenryispushedintocredentialingmachines(iftheyarein intensive settings(usuallyconnectedtothenaturalsciencesandtechnology),while second istoconfineresearchincreasinglyhigh-endinquiriesinahandfulofcapital of theindividualtomakeindependentinquiriesabouttheirownlivesandworlds.The two effects.Thefirstistodeepenthegapbetweenvocationaltrainingandcapacity and training,onthedistinctionbetweentrainingresearch.Thus,theyhave they relyontwomajordistinctions.Theythrivethedistinctionbetweenteaching tional degreesandinstitutionsarerarelyconcernedwithresearch.Moreimportantly, useful knowledgeisnotevenlydistributed. engage innewformsofmarketregulation,becausethecapacitytoproduceglobally and professionaleducatorstoopentheirmarkets,offernewkindsofcertification, purposes ofthispaper,isthatitrevealstheprocessglobalisationforcesstates About 10yearsago,sometimebeforeIbegantothinkaboutgrassrootsglobalisa- This gapiswhere‘therighttoresearch’canbecomeimportant.Theseneweduca- The pointaboutthismessyspaceofglobaleducationalentrepreneurship,forthe The righttoresearch 173 Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 in somecases,andenvision morepublicformsofdebateandcommunication. The encouraged themtotakephotographs ofthosethingstheyknewabout,andthen films them towriteessaysabout theirbuildings,streets,andfamilies.He then their ownknowledgeand lives.Heestablishedasetoftechniqueswhereby hegot were notfromtheupperclasses, abouturbansociologyinamannerwhichdrew on teaching non-Englishspeakers,orpeoplewhohad come toEnglishprettylate,who came toPUKAR.Rahulhaddevelopedaquitebrilliant anduniquetechniquefor Srivastava, whowasteachingasalecturerinWilson CollegeinMumbaibeforehe tion isintervention’.PUKARowesthisideatoone ofouryoungerassociates,Rahul The organisingslogan(andsignature)ofPUKAR is theprinciplethat‘documenta- Documentation asintervention assures thatweareinfullcompliancewiththelaw allouractivities. environment. OurBoardofTrusteeshelpsmake policies, runsourbudgets,and India andabroad—andagroupofadvisorswhohelptokeepusalertaboutthelarger people whoactuallydofundedresearch,collaboratewithotherinstitutionsin Mumbai, wehaveadirector,smallstaff,andgroupofwhatcallassociates— the future. Gujarati amongothers,canenteracommondialogueaboutthecity,themselves,and their counterpartswhoaremorecomfortableinsuchlanguagesasMarathi,Hindi, find aspaceinwhichEnglishspeakers—youngerspeakersofcollegeage,and table contributionsandafewmajorgrants.ThedistinctiveambitionofPUKARisto system oreventoanybigNGOcivilsocietyentity.Itisfundedfromsmallchari- ile becauseitisnotconnectedtoanylargerorganisation,thestate,university and 15JuniorFellowsinthetechniquesofdocumentationdiscussedbelow. currently employsabouttwodozenSeniorFellows,eachofwhomtrainsbetween10 Tata Trust,oneofIndia’smostdistinguishedphilanthropies.TheSRTTProject initiative calledtheYouthFellowshipProject,namedforitsfunders,TheSirRatan the world.TodaythisparticularaimisactiveprinciplebehindamajorPUKAR academics, butwhosharedaninterestinthecity’sfuture,andlocatingcity global processes,andthustodevelopacadreofyoungerpeople,whowerenotonly constituency buttorecognisethatMumbai,likemanyothercities,isembeddedin the economy,infrastructure,andplanning.Thesecondaimwastohavealocal would callthearts,humanities,film,media,shouldnotbeseparatefromresearchon certainly forMumbai.Onegoalwastoinsistthatresearchandactioninwhatwe work andtodosowithaneyeanumberofambitiousgoalsforanyplace,but specifically creativeaction,artisticpoliticalinsomecommonframe- film, etc—notjustfromtheuniversity.Theideawastoplaceknowledgeandaction, have nostakeinitotherthantomentorothers,whocomefromjournalism,business, sociologists andothers.PUKARalsohasanoldergenerationofadvisors,peoplewho knowledge businessbutarenotinthedegreebusiness,andsomewhoteachers, 174 My honoraryrelationshiptoPUKARisasPresidentoftheBoardTrustees.In PUKAR (onwhichmoreinformationisavailableatwww.pukar.org.in),stillfrag- A. Appadurai Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 struggle togetjob-related credentials,thegrowthineducationalmergers,ventures edge ofglobalisation.This gapisreflectedintherushforvocationalcredentials, the characterised byagrowing gapbetweentheglobalisationofknowledgeand knowl- knowledge, globalisation, citizenshipandresearch.Theworldinwhichwe liveis The briefwaytofirmupthe argumentofthispaperistoreconnectthestepsthat link Why therighttoresearch? are beingdonebythePUKARteam. and partnershipsintheMumbaicontextwillbetold inotherreportsandstudiesthat which theycannoteasilycontestorreplace.Thedetailed storyoftheseexperiments forced tobuythiscapacityathighcostoraccept external studiesandassessments frequently needthecapacityforresearchanddocumentation, buttoooftentheyare mortality, sanitationandsafety.Citizens’groupsconcerned withtheseothertopics organisations concernedwithevenmoreurgentmaterial issues,suchashousing, research isatrulydistinctivewayinwhichwecanaddvaluetotheworkofother are graduallydiscoveringthatourcommitmenttoexpandingthereachofidea shaping theircityandworld. powerful effectontheircapacitytospeakupasactivecitizensmattersthatare the capacitytodocument,inquire,analyzeandcommunicateresultshasa deepening ofskillstheydesperatelyneed;theotherisrecognitionthatdeveloping ments indocumentationhaveopenedadoublepathformanyyoungpeople;oneis objects ofstudy,andascontextssusceptibletochange.And,finally,theseexperi- to increasingthemotivationofyoungpeopleapproachtheircityandlivesas our projects,wehavealsohaddeeperconfirmationofthepotentialthisapproach writing andothermediatovariousurbanaudiences.Aswehavescaleduprefined doing certainformsofsystematicanalysis,anddisseminatingtheirresultsinspeech, documentation asapathwayintogatheringinformation,enteringofficialarchives, young people,oftenwithhumbleeducationalbackgrounds,thebestwaystouse ‘documentation asintervention.’Wehavealsobeguntoclarifywaysofteaching bring trainingtolargergroupsofteachersandstudents,throughtheprinciple citizens, especiallycollege-ageyouth.Inthisprocess,wehavescaledupoureffortsto of theimportancebringingcapacitytoresearchwithinreachordinary between thevalueofdocumentationasintervention,grassrootsglobalisationand and itssupportershavebeguntoevolveabetterunderstandingoftherelationship tava, whoservedasDirectorofPUKARforthreeyears(from2002–2005). college ageyouth,tookthenameofTheNeighbourhoodProjectunderRahulSrivas- subsequently beenadoptedbymanyothergroupsandorganisationsconcernedwith more powerful,urbane,Anglophonecitizen.Thistechniquewhichhas crucial toit.Yettheyfeltasthoughwereoutsidethecity,someother, people whofeltuncertainabouthowtheybelongedinthecity,whileareactually idea wastoproduceadocumentabouttheirworldinthecity,becausetheywereall Finally, asaknowledge-basedorganisationincomplexurbanenvironment,we In thelastfewyears,PUKARcommunity,itsmembers,leaders,partners The righttoresearch 175 Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 without systematictoolsfor gainingrelevantnewknowledge,aspirationdegenerates intimately connected.Without aspiration,thereisnopressuretoknowmore. And suggest thatthecapacity toaspireandtherightresearcharenecessarily and tion thatcanbechanged bypolicyandpolitics.Inthecurrentcontext,Ican only capacity isbothasymptom andameasureofpoverty,itisformmaldistribu- plan, hope,desire,andachievesociallyvaluablegoals. Theunevendistributionofthis called ‘thecapacitytoaspire’(Appadurai,2004),the socialandculturalcapacityto ity fordemocraticcitizenship. inquire, toanalyzeandcommunicate.Research,in thissense,isanessentialcapac- change, newtechnologiesandvolatilejobmarkets can developthetriplecapacityto research. Itisonewayinwhichyoungpeoplewho areenteringaworldofrapid documentation asintervention everyday lifeinthecontemporaryworld. help themtoextractwhatismostsignificantaboutit.Thisresearchasapartof tion isenoughforasounddecision,wheresuchinformationstored,andwhomight who needtounderstandwherethebestinformationisavailable,howmuchinforma- possible materialsfortheirprojectmaybeavailable.Alltheseareexamplesofcitizens the typeofloantheyneed,anarchitectordesignertryingtolearnwherebest for himorher,afamilytryingtofindoutwhethercertainbankisthebestone their condition,astudentseekingtoknowwhethercertainschoolorcollegeisbest checking toseewhetherhisorhermedicationisthecheapestbestoneavailablefor manager seekingtomakebetteruseoftheinternetfacilitatebookings,apatient A Mumbaijournalisttryingtofindoutaboutanearthquakeinanearbytown,hotel the horizonsofone’scurrentknowledge,inrelationtosometask,goaloraspiration. It isalsosomethingsimpleranddeeper.thecapacitytosystematicallyincrease edge (asitisnormallydefinedinacademiaandotherknowledge-basedinstitutions). Research, inthissense,isnotonlytheproductionoforiginalideasandnewknowl- widely availabletoyoungpeoplewithawiderangeofinterestsandaspirations. opportunities forgainingsuchknowledgeareshrinking. important foreverybody(fromtouristguidestopharmaceuticalresearchers),the improve theircircumstances.Inaword,whileknowledgeoftheworldisincreasingly expressing opinion,allmakeithardforpeoplewithstrictlylocalknowledgeto ing andinvestingmoney,newtechnologiesfororganisinginformation and factors:callcenters,specialisedproductiontechniques,newmethodsofborrow- tions thattranscendtheirownlocalexperiencesandarepermeatedbyglobalforces for modestjobs,businessesorcareersofanykind,youngpeoplearefacedwithques- completely separatedasahigh-endlaboratory-styleactivity.Atthesametime,even fields whereteachingandtrainingarevirtuallyindistinguishable,researchis the socialsciencesandhumanities,lesssoinprofessionaltechnological settings forteaching,researchandhighereducation.Thisgapismostnoticeablein and collaborationsworld-wide,theparalleldeclineintraditionaluniversity 176 The capacitytodoresearch,inthisbroadsense,isalso tiedtowhatIhaverecently PUKAR’s commitmenttocollegeageyouthinMumbai, andtothedoctrineof This iswhyitimportanttodeparochialisetheideaofresearchandmakemore A. Appadurai

seeks toopenthedoorthiswiderconception of Downloaded By: [University of Western Ontario] At: 18:37 2 September 2007 References Appadurai, A.(2004)Thecapacity toaspire,in:V.Rao&M.Walton(Eds) Appadurai, A.(2002)Deepdemocracy: urbangovernmentalityandthehorizonofpolitics, Appadurai, A.(2000)Grassrootsglobalizationandtheresearch imagination, Arjun AppaduraiisJohnDeweyProfessorintheSocial SciencesatTheNewSchool, Notes oncontributor both withinandbeyondthecontextofPUKAR. each ofwhomhasofferedmeimportantinsightsonthisprojectoverseveralyears, tion, ImustmentionCarolBreckenridge,AnitaPatil-DeshmukhandSheelaPatel, PUKAR, nowanindependentscholarwhostillworkscloselywithPUKAR.Inaddi- at PUKARfortheirinspiration,especiallyRahulSrivastava,formerDirectorof my remarksattheConferencetothisrevisedwrittenpaper.Ialsothankcolleagues uate studentinAnthropologyatTheNewSchool,helpedtomovethetranscriptof forbearance withmydelaysinproducingthiswrittenversion.LeilahVevaina,agrad- comments andengagedcriticism.IamdoublygratefultoJaneJohannahfortheir remarks atthePratoconference.Theentiregroupofferedsearching education inaglobalworld,andtobeinspiredofferthisrevisedversionofmy discover aremarkablenetworkofscholarsdevotedtoissuespedagogyandhigher I washonoredbythisopportunitytodiscusstheissuesraisedpaper, ence tookasitspointofdepartureapaperIhadpublished(seebibliographybelow). for invitingmetoaconferenceinPrato(Italy)onOctober24–26,2005.TheConfer- I amdeeplygratefultoJaneKenwayandJohannahFahey,bothofMonashUniversity Acknowledgements field forordinarycitizenseverydayoftheweek. rapid change,newtechnologiesandflowsofinformationchangetheplaying the questionorhoweverquotidianitsinspiration.Thisisdoublytrueinworldwhere hardly beinformedunlessonehassomeabilitytoconductresearch,howeverhumble namely, thattakingpartindemocraticsocietyrequiresonetobeinformed.Onecan human right,isnotametaphor.Itanargumentforhowwemightreviveoldidea, into fantasyordespair.Thus,assertingtherelevanceofrighttoresearch,asa Appadurai, A.(2006) , 1–19. University Press). action on thegeographyofanger University Press,2001).Hismostrecentbookis tion New YorkCity.Heisauthorof

(Stanford,StanfordUniversity Press). (University ofMinnesotaPress,1996)andeditor of 14(1),21–47. Fearofsmallnumbers:anessay onthegeographyofanger (DukeUniversityPress,2006). atlarge:culturaldimensionsofglobaliza- Fear ofsmallnumbers:anessay The righttoresearch (Durham,NC,Duke PublicCulture,

Cultural andpublic

(Duke 12(1),

Public 177