A post by Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng
Spectral dialogues: hauntology and the empathic heart of participatory research
Within participatory research, the interaction between perception and empathy assumes a pivotal role in shaping the researcher’s engagement with the community. Serving as a foundational prerequisite, perception functions as the conduit through which empathy is channelled, exerting a profound influence on the researcher’s cognitive understanding of the other’s state and, consequently, informing their situational comprehension. The dynamic interrelation between perception and empathy emerges as a critical facet, delineating not only the researcher’s interpretive framework for the community but also governing the affective responses elicited throughout the research process. A comprehension of this symbiotic relationship is imperative for participatory researchers, as it constitutes the foundational underpinning facilitating the establishment of meaningful connections with the researched community, thereby fostering a collaborative and empathetically informed approach to knowledge construction.
Genzer, Ben Adiva, and Perry (hereinafter referred to as the Authors) contend that empathy is a multifaceted concept with diverse definitions in the literature. They break it down into three components: cognitive empathy (understanding others’ emotions), affective empathy (sharing emotions with a self-other distinction), and motivational empathy (facilitating empathic processes for prosocial behaviour). Recent evidence suggests these components often operate together in real social interactions. Motivation is crucial for empathic acts, as empathy can be costly and is often avoided without proper motivation. Clinical conditions may distinguish between the ability and propensity to empathise.
In exploring the multifaceted concept of empathy, it is imperative to consider hauntology—a perspective that looks into the lingering echoes of historical injustices and their spectral presence in contemporary interactions. Hauntology, rooted in the philosophical works of Derrida (2012) and Fisher (2012, 2017), examines the persistent influence of past traumas on present realities. Applying this lens to empathy introduces a nuanced dimension, acknowledging that the historical spectres of societal inequalities may subtly shape individuals’ cognitive, affective, and motivational empathic responses within diverse communities.
In this context, hauntological perspectives can significantly enrich participatory researchers’ understanding and engagement with the three components of empathy. Taking a cognitive empathy standpoint, researchers are prompted by hauntology to recognise historical narratives influencing individuals’ emotional landscapes. Affective empathy, within a hauntological context, emphasises the intertwining of collective memories and emotions, shedding light on shared experiences that transcend temporal boundaries. Furthermore, motivational empathy gains depth as hauntology highlights the sociohistorical motivations embedded in empathic processes, offering a more profound comprehension of the intercommunication between motivation and prosocial behaviour. Hauntological perspectives thus afford participatory researchers a framework for navigating the dynamics of empathy within the blend of historical and modern scenarios.
In participatory research, empathy becomes an interconnection influenced by hauntological perspectives, looking at the enduring echoes of past traumas. Participatory researchers, keen on understanding the complexities of human experiences, can draw insights from the Authors’ assertion that sharing or reacting to another’s state involves an unconscious, stimuli-driven process. The exploration often involves passive viewing tasks, aligning with the participatory approach’s emphasis on observing and understanding within the community context. Social information and context are pivotal considerations for participatory researchers, shaping reactions to the community’s state. Even subtle cues, such as emotionally charged community narratives, can impact empathic responses. Hauntological perspectives provide participatory researchers with a magnifying lens to examine three pivotal factors—cue, target, and perceiver.
The intensity of cues becomes a crucial modulator of shared emotion, mirroring the participatory researcher’s engagement with community narratives. The authenticity and realism of cues, akin to the participatory approach’s emphasis on genuine community experiences, further shape empathic responses. As participatory researchers build relationships with the community, the hauntological lens prompts a reflection on psychological closeness and similarity, fostering enhanced empathic connections. Conversely, perceiving the community as different introduces a hauntological inverse effect, potentially reducing the participatory researcher’s tendency to share their experiences.
In participatory research, social information about the target community, such as social status and moral evaluations, adds layers to the hauntological exploration of empathy. The participatory researcher must navigate perceptions of weakness or strength within the community, recognising that social dynamics influence empathic responses. The intricacies of empathy are haunted by jealousy, moral judgments, and reputational considerations, shaping how participatory researchers connect with the community’s emotions. The hauntological perspective unravels these delicate interrelations, offering participatory researchers an understanding of the contextual factors influencing empathic engagement.
Furthermore, the participatory researcher as the perceiver embodies unique traits, past experiences, and relationships with the community, all of which influence empathic tendencies. The hauntological exploration considers the participatory researcher’s emotional and physiological state, recognising factors like sleep deprivation that may alter empathic responses. Sleep-deprived participatory researchers might experience a more self-centred and socially withdrawn state, impacting communication and understanding within the community. The hauntological lens also underscores the role of prior exposure and expertise, acknowledging how repeated exposure to community challenges may affect the participatory researcher’s empathic response. In essence, the hauntological perspective provides a comprehensive framework for participatory researchers to understand and navigate the subtleties of empathy within the purview of their research pursuits.
The Authors also highlight that empathy, a valuable asset in real-world interactions, exhibits inherent biases shaped by personal beliefs and preferences, a phenomenon well-illustrated by the egocentric and intergroup empathy biases—the egocentric bias involves individuals anchoring judgments in their own emotional states, while the intergroup empathy bias manifests as a tendency to show greater empathy to those perceived as part of one’s in-group. For participatory researchers engaged in community-based studies, these biases take on added significance. Understanding the sophisticated interconnections of empathy within diverse social contexts becomes paramount. The hauntological lens prompts participatory researchers to recognise and grapple with these biases, as empathy significantly influences decision-making processes within collaborative research initiatives. Moreover, the social class, interpretation of social events, and emphasis on external factors further contribute to variations in empathic accuracy.
Acknowledging these complexities offers crucial insights for participatory researchers seeking to foster genuine connections and navigate power dynamics within the intricate tapestry of community engagement. Thus, hauntological perspectives serve as a guide for participatory researchers, urging them to navigate the multifaceted landscape of empathy in their collaborative endeavours.
In sync: bridging empathy and participatory research methods
In their “2.3 The Importance of Accumulating Knowledge and Feedback” chapter, the Authors underline that the initial phases of building connections involve receiving feedback on our comprehension of an individual. This feedback is pivotal for adjusting our interpretations of the unique cues and niceties of others, essential for effective communication. The relevance of accumulating knowledge and feedback is evident in participatory research, echoing findings from clinical settings where increased exposure to the target community enhanced empathic accuracy. Feedback on the target community’s actual emotions played a significant role in expediting this process. This insight is mirrored in studies involving psychology and nursing students engaging in clinical observations (Lobchuk et al., 2016). Recent research underscores the importance of providing feedback in participatory research, showcasing its superiority over alternative methods. Participants who received feedback on emotions demonstrated greater accuracy in understanding these emotions over time compared to groups without feedback or those using perspective-taking techniques (Israelashvili & Perry, 2021). This underscores the vital role of sharing emotions and accumulating knowledge, offering a hauntological lens to the delicate process of comprehending others’ emotional states. The findings contribute to the evolving understanding of the challenges in adopting others’ perspectives and emphasise the value of gaining perspective by actively seeking more information about the other’s emotional state.
In the fabric of human existence, empathy stands as a vital thread, weaving through the entangled pattern of daily interactions and emotional expressions within diverse relationships. While empathy serves as a cornerstone for nurturing prosocial behaviour, its dynamics are entwined with inherent biases, fostering a tendency to empathise more profoundly with those who are close or bear similarities to ourselves. The trajectory of empathy research unfolds, poised at the intersection of controlled experimental paradigms and the exploration of empathic phenomena within the fluidity of real-world contexts.
As I commence this exploration into the future of empathy research, the Authors’ perspective resonates with participatory research methods, echoing a hauntological approach. The shift from meticulously controlled studies to more naturalistic inquiries mirrors the participatory ethos of involving individuals in the co-creation of knowledge within their lived experiences. Technologies such as virtual reality and advanced statistical modeling align with the participatory paradigm, enabling a more immersive understanding of empathic processes.
The collaborative spirit embedded in the Authors’ vision, emphasising meta-analyses and collective endeavours in neuroimaging research, parallels the participatory spirits of engaging diverse voices and perspectives. This collaborative synergy not only fosters a more holistic comprehension of empathy’s neural underpinnings but also mirrors the inclusive nature of participatory research, acknowledging the richness brought by various contributors.
Furthermore, the hauntological lens prompts us to consider the progressing character of empathic processes as a continuum, reflecting the participatory research principle of recognising the continual, evolving aspect of knowledge formation. In this hauntological exploration, the Authors guide us toward a deeper understanding of empathy’s refined mechanisms, underscoring the importance of interventions that transcend conventional boundaries. In their interpretation, the Authors note:
The future of empathy research holds the promise of deepening our understanding of what it means to be human, and of promoting greater empathy and compassion in our interactions with others. (p. 25)
Ultimately, as we move through the territory of empathy research, encompassing controlled experiments, naturalistic observations, and collaborative initiatives, we detect instances illustrating participatory research in action. This shared exploration goes into the deep facets of mutual engagement, interconnectedness (Klitkou et al., 2022), and comprehension, promising not only a deepened understanding of what it means to be human but also fostering increased empathy and compassion in our interactions with others.
Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng, a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge’s Education Faculty, navigates and connects the domains of social work and education, exploring cross-disciplinary issues. A proponent of hauntological perspectives, he also pens a hotchpotch of articles discussing their application across various spheres. Visit this link to explore his webfolio.
References
Derrida, J. (2012). Specters of Marx: The state of the debt, the work of mourning and the new international. Routledge.
Fisher, M. (2012). What Is Hauntology? Film Quarterly, 66(1), 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1525/fq.2012.66.1.16
Fisher, M. (2017). The weird and the eerie. Watkins Media Limited.
Genzer, S., Ben Adiva, Y., & Perry, A. (2024). Empathy: From Perception to Understanding and Feeling Others’ Emotions (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009281072
Israelashvili, J., & Perry, A. (2021). Nuancing Perspective: Feedback Shapes the Understanding of Another’s Emotions. Social Psychology, 52(4), 238–249. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000452
Klitkou, A., Bolwig, S., Huber, A., Ingeborgrud, L., Pluciński, P., Rohracher, H., Schartinger, D., Thiene, M., & Żuk, P. (2022). The interconnected dynamics of social practices and their implications for transformative change: A review. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 31, 603–614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.03.027
Lobchuk, M., Halas, G., West, C., Harder, N., Tursunova, Z., & Ramraj, C. (2016). Development of a novel empathy-related video-feedback intervention to improve empathic accuracy of nursing students: A pilot study. Nurse Education Today, 46, 86–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.08.034
No comments:
Post a Comment