Unmasking Hidden Catalysts: Embedding Cultural Diversity in Social Science Research Practice

Author:  Desire Mpanje

Organisation:  University College Dublin

Unmasking Hidden Catalysts: Embedding Cultural Diversity in Social Science Research Practice is a proposed transformative initiative that aims to enrich research culture by foregrounding cultural diversity and epistemological pluralism in global social science. Drawing on the Authors’ ethnographic fieldwork insights from Colombia, Kenya, and Indonesia, the initiative intends to challenge standardised research protocols that often overlook context-specific knowledge systems and informal practices. Through a series of knowledge-sharing exercises (e.g. seminars, training workshops, and collaborative dialogues), it seeks to cultivate ethical reflexivity, cultural sensitivity, and inclusive methodologies among researchers working internationally. It is believed that this initiative will respond to the pressing need to decolonise research norms and practices by recognising the "hidden catalysts" of the often-unacknowledged local norms, values, and community dynamics that shape fieldwork and knowledge production. The expected impact includes a heightened awareness of diverse epistemologies, the integration of diversity-informed practices into research training and supervision, and improved preparedness for ethically grounded international research.