PARTICIPATORYACTION

RESEARCH
InvolvingConstituentsinSocialChangeOriented
Research
PARTICIPATORYACTION
RESEARCH:
Methodusedtoinvolvecommunityresidents,
clients,andotherconstituentsinsocialchange
orientedresearch.
Participantsworkwithafacilitatortoidentifya
communityproblem,developresearch
methodology,collectdata,andanalyzefindings.
Thedataisthenusedtomakerecommendations
abouthowtheproblemshouldberesolved.
Participantsadvocateforfunding,legislation,or
governmentactiontoadoptthefindings.
Theendresultistoalleviateoppressionor
improvecommunityorservicequality.
PARISCONSIDEREDANALTERNATIVE
TOQUANTITATIVERESEARCHIN
WHICHTHERESEARCHERKNOWSALL
ASSUMPTIONSMADEABOUT
THEPROCESS
Peoplewhoexperiencetheproblemarein
thebestpositiontoconductresearchonthe
issue.
Allpeoplecanlearnbasicresearchskills.
Participantscanestablishequal
partnershipswithresearchersthatcanbe
usedtoaddresscommunityproblems.
PARrelatedactivitieshelpempower
membersofpowerlessgroups.Participation
inthePARprocessisacriticalcomponent
ofcommunityinterventions.
PARCANINCLUDEBOTHQUALITATIVEAND
QUANTITATIVEMETHODS.ITSGENERALLY
CONSIDEREDASUBTYPEOFQUALITATIVE
RESEARCHBECAUSE:

Itincorporatestheperceptionsofparticipants
intohowtheresearchisconductedanddatais
analyzed
Participants/constitutentsareequalpartners
withtheresearcher(asinfeministresearch).
Itsfocusissocialchangeratherthansimplyon
theproductionofnewknowledge.
Ithelpsusunderstandtheexperiencesand
cultureofpopulationgroupsoutsidethe
dominantculture.
SOCIALWORKERSENCOUNTERPAR
RELATEDRESEARCH:
Incommunityorganizationpractice.
Whenadministeringordevelopingprogramsthat
servemembersofmarginalizedgroups.
Whenservingasanevaluatororconsultanton
communityprojectsorinsocialservice
organizations.
Whenusingthemultisystemsempowerment
approachtopractice(seeforexample,Gutierrez,
Parsons,&Cox,1998).
PURPOSEOFPARTICIPATORY
ACTIONRESEARCH:
ThepurposeofParticipatoryActionResearch(PAR)istominimize
powerdifferencesbetweenresearchersandconstituents,increasethe
knowledgeofparticipants,andpromotesocialchange(Sohng,1998).
PARisassociatedwithtwoaspectsoflearningtheory:KurtLewins
ActionResearch(1951)principles(knowledgeflowsfromtaking
action)aswellastheworkofPauloFreire(Pedagogyofthe
Oppressed,1970)inwhichhedescribedaprocessofeducationfor
marginalizedgroupsthatinvolvedmutuallearningamongteachers
andstudents.
Thebasicassumptionoftheseapproachesisthatacademicresearch
shouldbeusedtoreducetheharmfuleffectsofoppressionby
involvingmembersofpowerlessgroupsintheconstructionof
knowledge,acriticalexaminationoftheworldaroundthem,and
actiontoaddresssocialproblems(Stringer,1999).
PARalsodrawsuponsocialconstructionismandtheworkofpost
moderntheoristssuchasMichelFoucaultwhomaintainthat
scientificknowledgeoftenhaslittlerelevanceinpeopleseveryday
lives,butinsteadservestomaintainexistinginstitutional
arrangementsthatlimitpowertomembersofeconomic,socialand
politicalelites(Rodwell,1998).
ACCORDINGTOLEWIN,ACTIONLEARNINGISA
PROCESSTHATINVOLVESTAKINGACTIONAND
REFLECTINGONTHATACTIONTOGAINNEW
KNOWLEDGE.
PARTICIPATORYACTIONRESEARCH
GENERALLYISNOTFOCUSEDON
AGENCYOPERATIONS,BUT
ADDRESSESASOCIALPROBLEM
THATAFFECTSCONSTITUENCY
GROUPMEMBERS.
STRINGERDESCRIBESTHISAPPROACH
ASONEINWHICH:

Knowledgeacquisition/productionproceedsasa
collectiveprocess,engagingpeoplewhohave
previouslybeenthesubjectsofresearchinthe
processofdefiningandredefiningthecorpusof
understandingonwhichtheircommunityor
organizationallifeisbased.Astheycollectively
investigatetheirownsituation,stakeholders
buildaconsensualvisionoftheirlifeworld.
Communitybasedactionresearchresultsnot
onlyinacollectivevisionbutalsoinasenseof
community.Itoperatesattheintellectuallevel
aswellasatsocial,cultural,political,and
emotionallevels.(p.11)
ADVANTAGESOFMETHODS
Increasesfeelingsofparticipantownershipof
process/programs.
Increaseslikelihoodthatdatawillbeused.
Increaseslikelihoodthattheresulting
programorinterventionwillmeetneedsof
stakeholdersandbeculturallyappropriate.
Participantsdevelopskillsandconfidence.
Theygainknowledgeandinformationand
thusbecomeempowered.
DISADVANTAGESOFMETHOD
Distrustandconflictamongparticipants.
Lengthoftimeneededtodevelopconsensusaround
goals,mission,andmethods.
Theneedfortrainingaroundresearchmethods,data
collection,andanalysis.
Theneedforskilledfacilitation,coordination,and
followupontaskcompletion.
Moneyandanorganizationalstructureareneededto
doallthesethings.
Thegroupmustbeabletoapplyfindingsinorderto
achieveanoutcome
THEINABILITYOFTHEPARTICIPANTS
TOREACHACONSENSUSINATIMELY
MANNERCANRESULTINAN
INCOMPLETEPROJECT,APROJECTIN
WHICHDATAANALYSISAND
CONCLUSIONSAREBASEDON
INCOMPLETEEVIDENCE,ORONEIN
WHICHAHANDFULOFPARTICIPANTS
ARERESPONSIBLEFORTHE
PRODUCTIONOFTHEFINALREPORT.
(CHAMBERSETAL.,1992).
THEPARPROCESSREQUIRESATEAMLEADEROR
FACILITATORWITHSOMEEXPERTISEINGROUP
PROCESSESANDRESEARCH.THEFACILITATORMAY
BE:

Auniversitybasedresearcher
Asocialworkerorcommunityorganizer

Apaidconsultant

Amemberoftheconstituencygroupwhohas
previoustraining/experiencewiththeprocess
CONDITIONSTHATMUSTBEMET
FORASUCCESSFULPARPROJECT
Trustingrelationshipsamongmembersmustbe
developedinorderforaconsensusaboutproject
goals,datacollectionmethods,ananalysisof
findings,andrecommendationscanbereached.
Trainingaboutresearchmethods,datacollection,
andanalysismustbeprovidedforthe
participants.
Establishingagoodorganizationalstructureto
supporttheworkteam
Theprovisionofstrongadministrativesupport
andadequateresourcesfortheproject
Askilledfacilitatortocoordinatetheprocess.
SMITH(1997)DESCRIBESAPARMODELINWHICHAN
EXTERNALRESEARCHER/FACILITATORUSESAFIVE
STAGEPROCESSFORGOALATTAINMENT:

1) Theresearchercollectsinformationaboutthe
communityanditsproblems.
2) Theresearcherusesdialoguetoengagethegroup
inaprocessofproblemidentification.
3) Groupmembersdevelopanunderstandingofthe
social,economic,andpoliticalcontextororiginsofthe
problem.Theyidentifyquestionsthattheywant
answered.
4) Thegroupidentifiestheoriesaboutproblemorigins,
designsdatacollectionmethodsandgenerates
possiblesolutionstoaddresstheproblem.
5) Thegrouptakesaction.
SKILLSNEEDEDFORFACILITATION
Interpersonalskillssuchasengagement.
Culturalcompetency

Groupfacilitationandconsensusbuilding

Researchskills

Knowledgeofservicedeliverysystems,
communityprocesses,power,andeconomic&
politicalsystems.
TYPESOFEVALUATIONAPPROACHES
THATINVOLVEORGANIZATION
CONSTITUENTSINCLUDE:
ParticipatoryActionResearch
EmpowermentEvaluation

Selfevaluation
DIFFERENCESINAPPROACHESARE:

Participatory Empowerment Self-Evaluation

Action Evaluation
Research
Role of Consultant; Consultant; Consultant;
Researcher Partner with works for works for
participants participants agency/funder
Purpose Social Change Self- Evaluate
Determination Agency
Services
Outcome Alleviate Increases Improved
Oppression Participant Service Quality
Skills and
Control