Each of us has a something in life we care deeply about. Most often this isn’t something tangible, but rather a cause of feeling we hold close to us. It’s because of these beliefs that any type of change ever gets done, whether positive or negative. This has been seen more-so the past few years then possibly ever before. As a 25 year old, I’m constantly wondering if social justice and politics have always been such high topics of debate on a national level and I simply was too young to notice, or if something has shifted in recent years. People have the comfort and accessibility of social media to share their ideas and find those who align with their beliefs. Generating social change has never been easier, which is why there is an influx of people seeking to do so. On paper this is a positive thing, we want to learn and grow as a community, but unfortunately, there is too much divide on what positive change should look like, causing it to turn into disaster instead.
Participatory Action Research is a way to try and minimize this chaos. This approach was developed to help those traditionally oppressed and generate positive social change. The goal is to identify the underlying cause of the injustice, not just the surface level problems. Only when people are able to work together will the inequalities ever be addressed (Brydon-Miller, 1997). Contrasting typical quantitative research, which did not involve the researcher becoming involved, participatory action research wants direct involvement in hopes of addressing social issues. Research, education, and action are all components of participatory action research so that each person can grow and change for the better (Brydon-Miller, 1997).
Each person has witnessed the power people have when they come together and work towards a common goal. Penn State’s THON is a prime example of how much can be done when thousands of students work towards finding a cure (THON). When using participatory action research, members of the community have a say in which research methods are used and learn how to use them and analyze the results they produce. They can then use the information as they see fit in hopes of addresses the specific concerns. Multiple approaches may also be used to help reach this goal instead of traditionally choosing only one. Each person has to be committed and trusted in order for the project to be successful and reflection is key in determining what worked and what changes occurred in the community (Brydon-Miller, 1997).
Psychologists have the unique job of always wanting to give back to their community, often through volunteer work or just through the nature of their job. However, participatory action research has begun to gain popularity in the field. Many have realized they need to be creating the change themselves, not just simply trying to teach others to do so. It’s hard to instill empowerment in others when it hasn’t been installed in yourself first (Brydon-Miller, 1997). Being able to take part in the social change not only provides communities with great resources, but allows for an increase in flexibility and reflection across the entire profession. Each side has the potential to benefit, as long as everyone is willing to put forth the effort and commitment that is needed.
References:
Brydon-Miller, M. (1997), Participatory Action Research: Psychology and Social Change. Journal of Social Issues, 53: 657-666. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1997.tb02454.x
One day we will dance in celebration. THON.org. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://thon.org/.
Be the change that you wish to see. I love the title of your blog entry. This is something that has been going on for a while now around the world. We need to see changes taking place, but it will only happen if we put in the work to change. I agree with you that participatory action research is the best way for social change. We saw in the beginning of 2020 all of the protests that were going on that were supposed to be for a “good cause” but ended up being chaos instead of being the change and bridging awareness to the black lives matter foundation. This is one of the biggest movements that happened last year and one of the things that go hand in hand with this topic as well. Many people want to see change in certain places, such as inequality, racial profiling ect. But the way they go about it is not the correct way and it becomes chaotic. By introducing and using participatory action research we can help eliminate the chaos that happens when trying to be the change that we want to see (Baum, MacDougall & Smith, 2006). With participatory action research we can help improve the world by changing it (Baum, MacDougall & Smith, 2006) in a more controlled way. There will no longer be chaos when trying to be the change that is needed in our society when using participatory action research. We can come together as a society and change the big problems within our communities if we apply participatory action research into our plans of changing our communities and society.
Reference
Baum, F., MacDougall, C., & Smith, D. (2006, October). Participatory Action Research. Journal of epidemiology and community health. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2566051/.
hi
The way you explained the background information of the concept “change”, it really helped me know what you’re going to say after, and it’s a great matting for participatory action research. You mentioned only when people are able to work together will the inequalities ever be addressed. I think it’s not just a saying, it’s a thing we could feel in our daily life. When you actually participant in a work, you could get the difficulty behind it. Therefore, only we could feel the same way if we tried to live others’ life. That’s how we addressed inequalities.
You mentioned THON as an example to illustrate this research method, for the project to succeed, everyone must be committed and trusted, that’s another callback from the before.
References:
Brydon-Miller, M. (1997), Participatory Action Research: Psychology and Social Change. Journal of Social Issues, 53: 657-666. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1997.tb02454.x