Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CoAct (Co-designing Citizen Social Science for Collective Action)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-04-01 bis 2022-12-31
CoAct (Co-designing Citizen Social Science for Collective Action) has been addressing COMPLEX AND WICKED SOCIAL PROBLEMS, from the perspective of affected citizens. Combining the different backgrounds of the partners and their collaborators, CoAct has been SETTING THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL GROUNDS TO EXPLORE CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE (CSS), a citizen science that addresses to social issues and/or within the field of social sciences.
CoAct has focussed important efforts on four social issues already identified within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and under the form of Research and Innovation Actions (R&I Actions). In Barcelona (Spain), CoAct has been specifically targeting MENTAL HEALTH social support networks, referring to people's social environment and informal social interactions. People with mental health problems and their close environment are revindicating the importance of these networks. These networks are quite unknown and ask for scientific evidence to promote related political and collective actions. In Vienna (Austria), CoAct has been wanting to improve the measures within the framework of “Education and Training up to 18” and thus to promote YOUTH EMPLOYMENT. Early School Leavers and NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth are the target groups of these measures that aim to enhance social skills, basic education and help them in finding their educational pathway. In Buenos Aires (Argentina), CoAct has been tackling ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE in a highly polluted basin, where 1,200 families are being relocated due to health risks. These families directly affected do not generally participate neither in the definition of the problem, nor in what the social-environmental risks are, nor in the design of actions to mitigate these risks. CoAct has been developing a CSS framework in which Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a key role. For this reason, CoAct fourth Research and Innovation Action has invited and guided CSOs to develop their own research on GENDER EQUALITY.
CoAct project is IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY as it has been proposing a new approach to face these concerns by ENGAGING CITIZENS AS CO-RESEARCHERS (having an equal seat at the table with professional scientists) and by building a KNOWLEDGE COALITION (with organisations already working on the social issue identified). CoAct has in this way harnessed socially robust scientific knowledge which considers the perspective of the affected citizens in all steps of the research. The Knowledge Coalition has contributed to build collective actions, policies and measures with scientific evidence impossible to be obtained without the deep involvement of the affected citizens. With this two-levels of involvement, CoAct has delivered Policy Briefs to political, educational or health authorities in a local, regional, national or European level.
CoAct approach represents a new understanding of the underexplored field of CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE (CSS). The participatory research has been co-designed and directly driven by citizen groups sharing a social concern. The OVERALL OBJECTIVE of CoAct has been to deploy CSS research with the aim to demonstrate THE SCIENTIFIC RELEVANCE AND THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF CSS.
CoAct has focussed important efforts on four social issues already identified within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and under the form of Research and Innovation Actions (R&I Actions). In Barcelona (Spain), CoAct has been specifically targeting MENTAL HEALTH social support networks, referring to people's social environment and informal social interactions. People with mental health problems and their close environment are revindicating the importance of these networks. These networks are quite unknown and ask for scientific evidence to promote related political and collective actions. In Vienna (Austria), CoAct has been wanting to improve the measures within the framework of “Education and Training up to 18” and thus to promote YOUTH EMPLOYMENT. Early School Leavers and NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth are the target groups of these measures that aim to enhance social skills, basic education and help them in finding their educational pathway. In Buenos Aires (Argentina), CoAct has been tackling ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE in a highly polluted basin, where 1,200 families are being relocated due to health risks. These families directly affected do not generally participate neither in the definition of the problem, nor in what the social-environmental risks are, nor in the design of actions to mitigate these risks. CoAct has been developing a CSS framework in which Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a key role. For this reason, CoAct fourth Research and Innovation Action has invited and guided CSOs to develop their own research on GENDER EQUALITY.
CoAct project is IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY as it has been proposing a new approach to face these concerns by ENGAGING CITIZENS AS CO-RESEARCHERS (having an equal seat at the table with professional scientists) and by building a KNOWLEDGE COALITION (with organisations already working on the social issue identified). CoAct has in this way harnessed socially robust scientific knowledge which considers the perspective of the affected citizens in all steps of the research. The Knowledge Coalition has contributed to build collective actions, policies and measures with scientific evidence impossible to be obtained without the deep involvement of the affected citizens. With this two-levels of involvement, CoAct has delivered Policy Briefs to political, educational or health authorities in a local, regional, national or European level.
CoAct approach represents a new understanding of the underexplored field of CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE (CSS). The participatory research has been co-designed and directly driven by citizen groups sharing a social concern. The OVERALL OBJECTIVE of CoAct has been to deploy CSS research with the aim to demonstrate THE SCIENTIFIC RELEVANCE AND THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF CSS.
The WORK PERFORMED can be divided into the following aspects:
UNLOCKING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE
CoAct has been setting the foundations of a CSS considering different background and scientific disciplines and methods. This has been done in 6 different contexts (Barcelona, Vienna, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Eastern Europe, Europe) with very different approaches that has considered digital tools and the fundamental role of co-researchers (CoRes, more than 313 people deeply involved) acting as experts in-the-field. The CSS envisioned has indeed combined quantitative and qualitative methods and data. The direct implication of different societal actors to facilitate political actions has thus been built on a transdisciplinary perspective of CSS. Finally, scientific papers have also been published or about to be published to demonstrate the potential of CSS inside academic world.
INITIATING ACTIONS
The involvement of Knowledge Coalitions (with representatives of Public Administrations, Professionals and CSOs; 240 institutions in total) has been crucial to properly frame the R&I Actions. Their comittment has been intensified in the later steps of CoAct to enhance the social impact of CoAct. COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the progress of CoAct and has re-orientated face-to-face activities to include online meetings and more digitals tools. In the second half of CoAct, we have increased face-to-face activities while keeping some meetings in an online format. The hybridization of formats and interactions has been complemented and reinforced making sure we do not leave any CoRe behind. The online activities have favoured a wider geographical coverage in some cases. Face-to-face meetings in the R&I Actions #1, #2 and #3 have been however crucial to make knowledge actionable and deliver Policy Briefs which have raised higher attention to policy makers.
CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY
CoAct’s ambition has been to build an inclusive, diverse and active CSS community within and outside the academic world. Important steps have been taken in this direction. CoAct methodology and research have been presented in international conferences such as ECSA Conference or CS SDG conferences while organising webinars of identified key topics, some of them addressed to CSOs or policy makers. CoAct has shared learnings with other citizen science related EU projects. Some partners have been building citizen science local communities of practices and the CoAct CSS vision have received attention in municipal, regional and national levels to further consolidate citizen science practices and thus promoting sustainability of CoAct related research activities. Training activities have also been organised and settled as part of the CoAct’s legacy for younger researchers. A wide range of accessible materials have been left open in CoAct’s website such as the CoAct Toolkit and a number of videos, reports and innovative communication materials.
UNLOCKING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE
CoAct has been setting the foundations of a CSS considering different background and scientific disciplines and methods. This has been done in 6 different contexts (Barcelona, Vienna, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Eastern Europe, Europe) with very different approaches that has considered digital tools and the fundamental role of co-researchers (CoRes, more than 313 people deeply involved) acting as experts in-the-field. The CSS envisioned has indeed combined quantitative and qualitative methods and data. The direct implication of different societal actors to facilitate political actions has thus been built on a transdisciplinary perspective of CSS. Finally, scientific papers have also been published or about to be published to demonstrate the potential of CSS inside academic world.
INITIATING ACTIONS
The involvement of Knowledge Coalitions (with representatives of Public Administrations, Professionals and CSOs; 240 institutions in total) has been crucial to properly frame the R&I Actions. Their comittment has been intensified in the later steps of CoAct to enhance the social impact of CoAct. COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the progress of CoAct and has re-orientated face-to-face activities to include online meetings and more digitals tools. In the second half of CoAct, we have increased face-to-face activities while keeping some meetings in an online format. The hybridization of formats and interactions has been complemented and reinforced making sure we do not leave any CoRe behind. The online activities have favoured a wider geographical coverage in some cases. Face-to-face meetings in the R&I Actions #1, #2 and #3 have been however crucial to make knowledge actionable and deliver Policy Briefs which have raised higher attention to policy makers.
CITIZEN SOCIAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY
CoAct’s ambition has been to build an inclusive, diverse and active CSS community within and outside the academic world. Important steps have been taken in this direction. CoAct methodology and research have been presented in international conferences such as ECSA Conference or CS SDG conferences while organising webinars of identified key topics, some of them addressed to CSOs or policy makers. CoAct has shared learnings with other citizen science related EU projects. Some partners have been building citizen science local communities of practices and the CoAct CSS vision have received attention in municipal, regional and national levels to further consolidate citizen science practices and thus promoting sustainability of CoAct related research activities. Training activities have also been organised and settled as part of the CoAct’s legacy for younger researchers. A wide range of accessible materials have been left open in CoAct’s website such as the CoAct Toolkit and a number of videos, reports and innovative communication materials.
RESULTS of CoAct can be divided into the following long-lasting SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS:
• The generation of new ground-breaking and open scientific outcomes by means of Citizen Social Science.
• The involvement of citizens in a vulnerable situation in R&I activities though hybrid (online and face-to-face) formats, placing them at the centre of the R&I cycle and in a long period of time (several years).
• The production of scientific evidence-informed reactions and thereby the creation of new policies or the improvement of existing ones beyond the CoAct project duration.
• The building of a common and validated transdisciplinary CSS methodological framework for a variety of end users which will be further used after CoAct.
• The wide promotion of Open Science and scientific research integrity in methods and data.
• The creation and validation of a robust and inclusive CSS framework to consolidate citizen science.
• The increase of scientific literacy, skills, competences and public awareness regarding science and public participation in research.
• The dissemination of CoAct results and the building of a global and sustainable CSS community of practice which will continue working in this direction after the end of CoAct.
• The generation of new ground-breaking and open scientific outcomes by means of Citizen Social Science.
• The involvement of citizens in a vulnerable situation in R&I activities though hybrid (online and face-to-face) formats, placing them at the centre of the R&I cycle and in a long period of time (several years).
• The production of scientific evidence-informed reactions and thereby the creation of new policies or the improvement of existing ones beyond the CoAct project duration.
• The building of a common and validated transdisciplinary CSS methodological framework for a variety of end users which will be further used after CoAct.
• The wide promotion of Open Science and scientific research integrity in methods and data.
• The creation and validation of a robust and inclusive CSS framework to consolidate citizen science.
• The increase of scientific literacy, skills, competences and public awareness regarding science and public participation in research.
• The dissemination of CoAct results and the building of a global and sustainable CSS community of practice which will continue working in this direction after the end of CoAct.