Participation and public spheres: democratising society by participatory action research in social work

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Monika Alisch ◽  
Martina Ritter
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Public Spheres

Radicalising Community Development within Social Work through Popular Education—A Participatory Action Research Project

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 2207-2225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Westoby ◽  
Athena Lathouras ◽  
Lynda Shevellar
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Popular Education ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Action Research Approach

AbstractThis article reports upon the efforts of three social work/social science academics in partnership with social and community practitioners, at radicalising community development (CD) within social work. The project was motivated by painful political events and processes unfolding around the world in 2017 and led to the design of a participatory action research approach with thirty-three practitioners. Engaging in several cycles of research (pre- and post questionnaires, observation, focus groups and interviews) and action learning (a popular education knowledge exchange day, a community of practice day and prototyping new projects) several new initiatives were implemented, including the formation of a new Popular Education Network. Reflections and discussion consider the implications of radicalising CD within social worker practice through combining education, organising and linking to progressive social movements. The article overall makes the case that popular education could be a crucial element in enabling the radicalisation of CD within social work.

scholarly journals Participatory Action Research with South Asian Immigrant Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rosemary Cassano ◽  
Judith M. Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Asian Immigrant ◽  
South Asian Immigrant

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is presented as similar to social work in regard to processes, outcomes and empowerment. The challenges in utilizing PAR in social work are explored using the example of a PAR project with a group of South Asian immigrant women in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. An examination of the insider-outsider dimensions of PAR is also provided. The similarities between the process in social work and the process in PAR are discussed with reference to the specific skills relevant to both. This paper proposes a set of considerations to facilitate the use of Participatory Action Research in social work.

Finding a place for my research to belong: experiences of early-career social work participatory action researchers in neoliberal academia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Kramer ◽  
Darren Cosgrove ◽  
Sarah Mountz ◽  
Eunwoo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Us

Social workers face complex challenges that demand practice-engaged research and research-engaged practice. Participatory action research and community-based participatory research span the boundaries that often exist between the research and practice communities. Some social workers argue the values underpinning participatory action research and community-based participatory research align with the values of the profession; however, such methodologies are not widely represented in social work research in the US. This article presents the findings of a study examining the lived experiences of 15 early-career scholars, mostly based in the US, who were pursuing participatory action research and community-based participatory research. The neoliberalisation of the academy pervaded their experiences, presenting significant barriers to their ability to pursue action-oriented methodologies. Review of the international participatory action research literature also suggests the US may contrast with other regions in the world like Asia and Latin America, where participatory action research is more robust. Recommendations to better develop participatory action research social work literature are offered.

The Role of Identity in Motivating and Shaping the Experiences of Social Work Participatory Action Research Scholars

Affilia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 552-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren Cosgrove ◽  
Catherine S. Kramer ◽  
Sarah Mountz ◽  
Eunwoo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Early Career ◽  
The Body ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Social Work Values

Participatory action research (PAR) and Community-based participatory research (CBPR) prioritize collaborative research approaches with the goal of social transformation. Themes from this qualitative study of 15 early career social work PAR and CBPR scholars indicate that they are strongly motivated to pursue these methodologies because of their own experiences with disempowerment as well as their connection to social work values. Participants reflected upon their experiences with marginalization (due to observed and unobserved identities/experiences), which fostered a commitment to emphasizing power sharing and elevating marginalized voices. Additionally, identity played a role in how researchers experienced doing PAR/CBPR. Researchers described being simultaneously an insider and outsider in the communities in which they worked, especially the ways that their status as university researchers impacted their positioning in the communities they considered their own. This article explores how identity motivates and presents challenges that scholars must navigate when pursuing PAR/CBPR. Additionally, findings indicate that some scholars who hold marginalized identities experience increased vulnerability within academia when they engage in PAR/CBPR. Such experiences may impact whose voices are represented in the body of social work literature.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document