I have become aware in recent days that, when I am talking to someone for the purpose of gaining information, I am conducting a key information interview.
Some people really do talk like that.
I know; I recently spent the better part of two days in a room full of them, ‘them’ being doctors and researchers into agricultural health and safety.
One of two leaders of the rural women’s health group, my partner and I presented in the morning – whoops, we made a presentation.
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In the afternoon, we were tasked – whoops again. We were supposed to come up with three questions that could form the basis for research that someone could get money to study.
Therein lay the rub.
Our group was congratulated for its diligence. But actually, we weren’t all that diligent. Ours was the group with the only two farm women at the conference and we didn’t fit all that well.
There was a language barrier and a time barrier. We wanted to see something “quick and dirty” to help those who are in difficulty now.
The others were talking about long- term studies.
We lost on the short-term study idea, but we won in that we learned a whole list of new terms: building silos (in Ontario) and boxes (in Saskat-chewan); thinking outside the box; building linkages; being gender specific.
These were some of the terms tripping with ease off people’s tongues.
Do people really use those terms in real life, you say? Yes, they do. Also terms like gender lens and due diligence and outcomes and determinants and participatory research.
I’m not for a moment making fun of the research scientists. It’s their world and their language.
Rural health and safety are coming into their own.
There are many researchers out there wanting to study farmers and rural dwellers, our drinking water, our diseases and every other aspect of our lives from childhood to old age.
If we are all to be under the lens, as it were, we had better learn the language.
As an exercise, the next time you’re approached by someone wanting to do a survey of the crops you grow or the chemicals you use, be sure to ask them if there will be a gender analysis of their survey results. (Translation: will the answers be sorted out as to whether they were given by men or women?)
They’ll be pleased that you are at least attempting to communicate and, if the question ever arises whether or not you are bilingual, you can always say that you know a smattering of researchese.
