Applying “merging of knowledge” to disclose the hidden dimensions of poverty in mainland Tanzania

The objective of this study was to apply a qualitative participatory approach termed “Merging of Knowledge” to determine the hidden dimensions of poverty. The qualitative approach took on board people with a practical experience of poverty to participate in all stages of the study as co-researchers on an equal footing with academics and practitioners. This qualitative, participatory study was employed across five regions of the Tanzania mainland and employed purposive sampling techniques to recruit 283 respondents across different regions, districts, gender, and age. The knowledge generated from the three peer groups (people in poverty, practitioners, and academics) was merged through analysis, discussion, and reflection within the team at different stages. This study was able to disrupt a patterned cultural relationship that disassociates people in poverty from defining the nature of poverty and participating in decisions about what to do about it. Through this study, thirteen dimensions of poverty were identified: three commonly known dimensions and ten hidden dimensions of poverty. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the Merging of Knowledge approach should be used for future research on issues where strong hierarchies of knowledge exist, and where the involvement of all participants on an equal footing at all stages of research from data collection to analysis and dissemination is not well articulated and practiced.