Social Research and Data Collection on Poverty and Underdevelopment in the Congo

Abstract

Researching development and collecting empirical data on poverty and underdevelopment are major priorities for social sciences academics and researchers in the Congo. This paper presents different methods of studying urban poverty and underdevelopment in Kinshasa. It focuses on the context in which the qualitative approach and different social science methods are used to allow researchers to gather empirical data on urban poverty, household livelihoods and survival strategies. It goes on to explain how difficult it is to conduct ethnographic research in urban Congo and how researchers should organise their fieldwork. The author uses some examples drawn from his own research carried out in Kinshasa in 2001 and 2004 to help understand the importance of the challenge. The paper demonstrates the complexity of research conditions in Kinshasa and highlights the fact that the concept of carrying out research on urban poverty and underdevelopment in the Congo in general involves in-depth knowledge of the field, people and cultures and the ability to deal with unforeseen difficulties.