Immersion in social change with Dr. Megan Chawansky
Megan is a researcher, lecturer and activist based at Otterbein University. Her work focuses on the ways sport can be used to help change society in positive ways. She’s been involved in some incredible projects with really challenging sets of culture and interpersonal dynamics.
Megan talks about the personal importance she places on ‘being there’ in terms of seeing how different projects are attempting to help people and communities. Importantly she also highlights the limitations and potential problems that come from occupying such ‘insider’ roles as a cultural ‘outsider’.
Megan and I come from very different positions in terms of our research and critical analysis of sport. Despite that, we think about the ultimate role of sport in society in very similar ways.
Related links
Megan’s Otterbein University staff profile
An edited collection published by Megan and colleagues in 2018: Innovations in 'Sport for Development and Peace' Research
Book suggestion: Muddying the Waters by Richa Nagar
Other Thoughts and Ideas posts: Starting to think about immersive research