Participatory Action Research

Participatory Geographies Training Day - Poster

by svenja meyerricks

Promotional Material for the Participatory Geographies Training Day on 2nd July 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
more Promotional Material for the Participatory Geographies Training Day on 2nd July 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hosted by the Participatory Geographies Research Group

Action Research with Children: Lessons from Tackling Disasters and Climate Change

by Thomas Tanner

Co-authored with Fran Seballos

Recent research and practice from the fields of climate change adaptation and disaster management has created a shift... more Recent research and practice from the fields of climate change adaptation and disaster management has created a shift from emphasis of children’s vulnerability and need for protection towards their potential as agents of change before, during and after disaster events.

This article examines lessons from action research into children’s agency in disaster-prone communities of El Salvador and the Philippines. We describe some of the participatory risk management methods that were adapted for use with children,
the centrality of ethics to our approach and the importance of working with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) partner that provides ongoing support in the study communities. The research design was led by external agents in order to cross-compare findings across locations and countries. However, we
argue that by engaging children in a process of knowledge generation and analysis, the research broke down some of the assumed hierarchies between researcher and researched common to orthodox approaches.

The Youth Activist Forum: Forging a rare, disability-positive space that empowers youth

by Christine Kelly

Co-authored with Erica Carson. Forthcoming in the Journal of Youth Studies.

As with many movements operating in neoliberal regimes, Canadian disability movements struggle to maintain momentum... more As with many movements operating in neoliberal regimes, Canadian disability movements struggle to maintain momentum and engage youth leadership. Drawing on feminist disability studies, this article presents the findings of a participatory research project on the Youth Activist Forum, an event which brought together 38 youth with and without disabilities to meet new and established leaders with disabilities. We argue the process of planning, hosting, and attending the Youth Activist Forum forges a complex rare space that facilitates empowerment for youth. We frame the space as ‘rare’ because: the activities and leaders are overlooked by the scholars documenting Canadian disability movements; it is a new experience for many youth participants, planners and speakers that builds community; it reveals a lack of shared frameworks through uncomfortable moments; and in some ways, it diverges from priorities on the Ontario funding and non-profit landscape. We argue that while rare and difficult to create, this space is necessary as it facilitates empowerment, recognizes existing youth leadership and helps us imagine the future of disability movements. We conclude by discussing the value of our findings for youth studies researchers, particularly those drawing on disability studies literature and seeking to engage youth on disability issues.

Linking Community, Radio, and Action Research on Climate Change: Reflections on a Systemic Approach

by Blane Harvey

Harvey, B., D. Burns, et al. (2012). "Linking Community, Radio, and Action Research on Climate Change: Reflections on a Systemic Approach." IDS Bulletin 43(3): 101-117.

This article reflects upon the opportunities and challenges of using Participatory Action Research (PAR) with... more This article reflects upon the opportunities and challenges of using Participatory Action Research (PAR) with community radio broadcasters in southern Ghana to investigate the impacts of climate change. Through a detailed outline of the methodological approach employed in this initiative as well as the findings that it produced, we consider how action research might serve to reveal the power relations, systemic drivers of vulnerability, and opportunities for sustainable action for social change related to climate impacts. As co-facilitators of this process based in a Northern research institution, we reflect upon the challenges, limitations and benefits of the approach used in order to identify potential areas for improvement and to understand how the dynamics of this partnership shaped collaboration. We also discuss how employing a systemic approach to action research helped to provide insights into the interactions between the physical and environmental impacts of climate change and related systems such as land tenure and agricultural production. A systemic approach to PAR, we argue, lends itself especially well to analysis of climate change adaptation and resilience, both of which are embedded within complex systems of institutions, assets, individuals and structures, and therefore not appropriate for narrow or one-dimensional analyses. Finally, we consider the specific contributions and challenges that engaging community radio as a research partner may offer to investigations on climate change.

Clients, colleagues or experts? Defining identities in an Action Research project

by Angela Coco

Aristotle, validity, and action research

by Olav Eikeland

pp.29-44 in Boog, Ben; Preece, Julia; Slagter, Meindert; and Zeelen, Jacques (eds.): Towards Quality Improvement of Action Research, Rotterdam / Taipei, Sense Publishers

Aristotle, validity, and action research

by Olav Eikeland

pp.29-44 in Boog, Ben; Preece, Julia; Slagter, Meindert; and Zeelen, Jacques (eds.): Towards Quality Improvement of Action Research, Rotterdam / Taipei, Sense Publishers

Afterthoughts on ethics and action research

by Olav Eikeland

pp.29-53 in Lehtonen,J. & Kalliola, S. (ed.) (2008), Dialogue in Working Life Research and Development in Finland, Frankfurt a.M., Peter Lang Publishers

This book opens a view into the dialogical methods used in national policy programmes and in local action research... more This book opens a view into the dialogical methods used in national policy programmes and in local action research projects in Finland. On the basis of versatile academic and facilitator experience the authors shed light on the theoretical-philosophical backgrounds of the methods and analyze the prerequisites and the challenges of dialogue in case studies in different work environments - from day care to new technology. Dialogue is seen both as episodic situations and as continuous processes that may promote the quality of working life and the effectiveness of organizations. The creation of permanent development structures by using dialogue as a driver of learning, action and change is proposed to be one of the most challenging aims of the research-assisted development activities.

Contents: Satu Kalliola: Foreword - Jarmo Lehtonen: Introduction - Olav Eikeland: Afterthoughts on ethics and action research - Pekka Kuusela: Dialogue and change in organizations - Jukka Sädevirta: The emergence and development of institutional dialogue - Maarit Lahtonen/Nuppu Rouhiainen: The role of dialogue in a national workplace development programme - Satu Kalliola/Risto Nakari: Dialogues with an impact on development - Robert Arnkil: Remembering the future: future dialogue and the future of dialogising - Arja Ala-Laurinaho: Dialogue in a knowledge production process - practitioners and experts designing a technological environment - Sirpa Syvänen: Development structures and dialogic processes in research-assisted development of services for the elderly - Taina Tuomi: Dialogue through group learning - Helena Rajakaltio: Finnish School - The PISA star and dialogical paradox - Jarmo Lehtonen/Teijo Räsänen: Dialogue as a method of learning and constructing development structures - Jarmo Lehtonen/Risto Nakari: From episodes to dialogue driven change and action.

Research, practice, and the space between: Care of the self within neoliberalised institutions

by Dallas Rogers

Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, 2012 (draft only)

This article challenges the neoliberal discourse of “instrumental rationality” that is encroaching on theories of... more This article challenges the neoliberal discourse of “instrumental rationality” that is encroaching on theories of qualitative research, critical reflection, and subjectivity. I return to Foucault’s historical ontology of the self and the ancient Athenian precept care of the self to show that critical reflection and rationality have never been mutually exclusive. I put the care of the self metaphor to empirical use by examining the practical and ethical issues that emerged when I transitioned from a state-sponsored frontline employee working with public housing tenants, to a university researcher investigating public housing tenant participation in a state-sponsored urban redevelopment project. The focus is on my experiences as a practitioner-researcher working within two neoliberalized institutions, while also constructing a performative research ethic to mount a challenge against the politics of neoliberal “evidence” in the space between.

Book Review: M.Kristiansen, J.Bloch-Poulsen (2005), Midwifery and Dialogue in Organizations – Emergent Mutual Involvement in Action Research

by Olav Eikeland

Rainer Hampp Verlag, München & Mering 2005, 297 pp., € 29.80
ISBN 3879889937

Turning to practice - what does it mean and why is it important

by Olav Eikeland

Gatekeepers in Conflict Research Settings: Ethics, Access & Safety

by Patrick James Christian

Research Methods in Emerging Culture Zones of Violent Conflict

Nova Southeastern University
Graduate School of Humanities & Social Sciences
Department of Conflict Analysis & Resolution

The role of the gatekeeper in qualitative research set in places of violent conflict is sufficiently different in its... more The role of the gatekeeper in qualitative research set in places of violent conflict is sufficiently different in its complexities to warrant study and review by conflict interventionists.  In traditional research, a gatekeeper is simply an individual with whom the researcher must negotiate access to participant subjects. Such a role implies a related condition such as ownership, stewardship or other executive authority in line with the existing cultural norms of the research setting (Sanders, 2006).  Depending on the place, nature and participant body of research subjects, the role of gatekeeper can be one of simple formality to one of extraordinary complexity where sought after access is deeply embedded into the research project such as when gate-keepers are also participants and subjects. This paper focuses on research settings involving the latter and discusses the various ethical considerations that need to be taken into account when working with gatekeepers during qualitative research in zones of emerging culture conflict. The purpose for focusing on this particular area of emerging research is because of an increase in the number and type of research projects by state and international-multinational governments as well as profit/non-profit private sector NGOs. This change is a direct reflection of growing de-politicalization of intra-state conflicts by the most influential members of the international community. In emerging culture conflict research, the normative participant group consists of participants to violent conflict that involves extended loss of life and property. Their participation can be as victim, perpetrator, witness or all three simultaneously. The settings these participants are found in are usually ungoverned or under-governed spaces and involve what Hobbs (2006) calls “dangerous fieldwork”...

Building Indigenous Agency Through Web-Based Exhibition: Dane-Wajich – Dane-zaa Stories and Songs: Dreamers and the Land

by Amber Ridington

Co-authored with Kate Hennessy. Published in In J. Trant and D. Bearman (eds.) Museums and the Web 2008: Proceedings (CD-ROM), Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Published March 31, 2008. Online at: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2008/papers/ridington/ridington.html

In the fall of 2007 the Doig River First Nation, an Aboriginal group from northeastern British Columbia, launched its... more In the fall of 2007 the Doig River First Nation, an Aboriginal group from northeastern British Columbia, launched its Virtual Museum of Canada-funded Web exhibit Dane-Wajich – Dane-zaa Stories and Songs: Dreamers and the Land. This exhibit was produced by the First Nation in collaboration with ethnographers, linguists, and multimedia professionals. It integrates subtitled Dane-zaa and English video narratives, interpretive e-text, photographs of the production process, recordings of songs, and contemporary and archival images of traditional lands in order to showcase Dane-zaa culture and address present concerns faced by the community as they negotiate legacies of colonialism. The exhibit’s community-directed production process has contributed to the revitalization of Dane-zaa culture and language as it brought elders and youth together to document stories, songs, and their relationship to the land. The project has also provided the First Nation with control over their representation, and has become a valuable learning resource for local and global audiences. Presented by the exhibit co-curators and project coordinators, the demonstration and paper will showcase the exhibition and discuss questions, raised in the exhibit production process, which relate to the politics of cultural representation in the context of museums and the Web: How can curators and communities balance the benefits of sharing Indigenous culture with protecting Indigenous culture? Can consensus be reached over what is appropriate to show a worldwide audience versus a local audience? How is local intellectual property rights discourse constituted? And how do these emerging rights contribute to the development of protocols for meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities?

Keywords: Dane-zaa, oral traditions, participatory production, collaboration, representation.

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Prefiguring higher education as action inquiry

by Tony Wall

2010
ALARA World Congress, Melbourne, Australia

Eupneic inquiry and 'quality' in first person action research

by Tony Wall

2010
ALARA World Congress, Melbourne, Australia

Climate Airwaves: Community Radio, Action Research and Advocacy for Climate Justice in Ghana

by Blane Harvey

International Journal of Communication, Vol 5 (2011)

Community radio is well recognized as a powerful vehicle for advocacy and social change in Africa, but its use in the... more Community radio is well recognized as a powerful vehicle for advocacy and social change in Africa, but its use in the field of climate change has remained very limited, and then largely for top-down transmission of information to communities. This article discusses lessons learned to date from Climate Airwaves, an initiative aimed at developing new approaches for supporting community radio broadcasters to investigate, communicate, and engage in broader debates on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities in Ghana. It also discusses in depth the central role that action research aimed at effecting social change plays in this particular initiative, and in climate justice initiatives more broadly. Lessons learned to date have highlighted the challenges of addressing complexity and uncertainty appropriately, the importance of framing climate change in the context of rights and responsibilities, the role of sustainable partnership models, and how this work can contribute to broadcasters’ and communities’ longer-term visions of change.

Pristine wilderness, participatory archaeology, and the custodianship of heritage in Mursiland

by Marcus Brittain

2012 (co-authored with T. Clack)

In Mol, L. & T. Sternberg (eds.), Changing Deserts: Integrating People and Their Environment, 192-212. Strond: The White Horse Press

This chapter explores the the notion of a pristine wilderness in conservation policy making and the value of... more This chapter explores the the notion of a pristine wilderness in conservation policy making and the value of archaeology for an understanding of cultural heritage in these processes.

New challenges for design participation in the era of ubiquitous computing

by Margot Brereton

Wilson, H & Fraser, B. 2003. An action research case study of active learning through dialogue, action and structure in self study distance education packages. Paper presented at Action Learning, Action Research & Process Management, 6th International World Congress (ALARPM), Participatory Action Research, 10th World Congress (PAR), 21 24 Sept 2003. [Non-accredited conference proceedings]

by Hentie Wilson

This Participatory Action Research project demonstrates a post-modern learning design in an industrialized... more This Participatory Action Research project demonstrates a post-modern learning design in an industrialized institution. A course team developed, implemented and piloted a Unisa course for South African mathematics teachers over eight years, using four Action Research cycles. This paper describes the process of using action research for Instructional Design and the team’s professional development through action learning. The Tornado-approach affects teams in organizations and the researcher suggests models for successful/unsuccessful teams (tornado-effect). (Unpublished as Masters Thesis)

Mentoring and coaching in promoting publications in the Department of Physiotherapy at a local university in South Africa

by Michael Rowe

A growing shift towards research and evidence based practice in academia is associated with requirements to... more A growing shift towards research and evidence based practice in academia is associated with requirements to disseminate research results in the form of publication in peer reviewed journals. Mentoring has been identified as an important component of developing young authors, as it increases confidence and competence, and facilitates professional development. This led to the formation of a support group to stimulate peer-review publication in the physiotherapy department at the University of the Western Cape. The Kirkpatrick Framework of Evaluation was used to evaluate the success of the mentoring process which made use of a participatory action research methodology. The writing group consisted of nine academic members of staff and took place over ten weeks. The programme included writing, giving feedback, discussion and peer review on a weekly basis. Focus group discussions were taped and transcribed in order to evaluate the mentoring process by identifying relationships within the data and categorising key concepts, which were shaped into a thematic framework. The findings indicated that participants experienced a variety of emotions throughout the programme, with an overall feeling of personal growth by the end. In addition, participants also reported improved writing, reviewing and communication skills. Six months following the programme, six participants had submitted at least one article to a peer reviewed journal. It is clear from this study that some academics still find the task of writing and reviewing articles daunting, and that guidance and support in the form of a writing programme can be useful.