Chapter 2. Participatory action research as a strategy for studying self-help groups internationally

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cultural phenomena in which individuals and groups develop their own meaning systems and practices are vitally implicated in considering research on self‐help groups internationally or interculturally. Qualitative participatory action research (PAR) is described as an appropriate research strategy for gaining indepth knowledge and insight into cultural phenomena associated with self‐help groups. PAR as defined here draws on the traditions of action science (used by William Foote Whyte and others) in studying industrial organizations and on participatory research (used by L. David Brown and Rajesh Tandon and others) hi studying communities in Third World countries. PAR involves a form of applied social research. The participants share at least some power and ownership of the research with the researcher through their involvement in the design, data collection, analysis and action phases. The characteristics of PAR are described. A case study that illustrates the use of PAR in studying the experiential knowledge created by a group of parents with gifted and learning disabled children is presented. The usefulness of PAR for cross‐cultural and intercultural research is outlined.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: