Focus-Group Workshops as a Reciprocal Method of Research and Support: The Case of Volunteers Assisting Ukrainian Displaced Migrants

Abstract

In this Method Note, we present our reciprocal method of research and support — the focus-group workshop (FGW). Our framework was developed during research conducted in 2022 with individuals assisting Ukrainian war refugees in Poland and was applied in five FGWs attended by 36 participants. The originality of the FGW lies in linking the ideas of an ad-hoc support group, an educational workshop and a focus group interview. We argue that this is a much needed development in migration studies, which can help to attract participation and facilitate the involvement of interviewees, increase the richness and depth of research data and satisfy ethical requirements for benefiting participants and generating social good. In this Note, after presenting the context of our research, we explain the specificity of our research, focusing on the needs and constraints of volunteers. We then discuss the role of reciprocity in social research. Next, we present our framework and toolkit and explain in detail how we implemented them and the challenges we experienced. In conclusion, we argue that our FGW method can bring a novel approach to migration studies as it allows for immediate reciprocity in the form of competencies sharing with workshop participants as well as networking and support. It also allows us to address the power hierarchies, particularly present in research with vulnerable groups. Last but not least, FGW can be used by researchers who are also activists, as it allows for the study of specific social issues and simultaneously supports researched communities.