Action-Research for Participation and Empowerment

Action-Research is an established collaborative social research methodology applied in different contexts, often including pertinent stakeholders as co-researchers, aiming to induce changes for the common good. One finds in the literature different meta-methodological approaches to Action-Research, ranging from the quasi experimental method of Kurt Lewin, to participatory action-research and de-constructivism. A shared aspect of these approaches have is doing research - with and for people - and not on people. Aware participation and knowledge democracy are key features of action-research. Since Action-Research takes place with people, it might be used as a tool to mitigate and lower social inequalities. Thereby helping to promote conditions of emancipation and empowerment of social minorities and/or subcultures. In this sense, Action-Research might be seen as transformative co-learning, at the individual, organizational and community level.

This RC10 session invites participants to address the empirical or methodological aspects of Action-Research in different applied fields, e.g. education, training, education, social, health, political, etc. Priority will be given to contributions that reflect on: what and how research tools (qualitative and quantitative) intersect with the ways of Action-Research; the roles of researchers and participants; the engagement of the co-researchers in the production of useful knowledge for the common good; the generative and transformative potential of action-research; the evaluation features of Action-Research; the intended and unintended effects of Action-Research; the language and style of Action-Research; Action-Research and organizational empowerment and, last but not least, the linkages between Action-Research and Participatory Democracy.