Action and Knowledge: Breaking the Monopoly with Participatory Action ResearchOrlando Fals-Borda, Muhammad Anisur Rahman Participatory Action-Research, or PAR, is an innovative and radical approach to economic and social change that recognizes how important it is for people who are involved to have the critical voice in determining the direction and goals of change. This demands a commitment from social scientists and policy makers to deprofessionalize and share their expertise, and to listen to the feelings and needs of the common people, particularly those forgotten and left voiceless by the dominant institutions of society. Action and Knowledge draws on twenty years of experience with the techniques and philosophy of PAR using case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America to show how widespread this approach to development has become since it emerged as a new way to empower the oppressed two decades ago. It shows how PAR can successfully bring about change by actively involving people in generating knowledge about their own condition and how it can best be transformed. Action and Knowledge gives a constructive message to social action groups, grassroots organizers and government officials in both industrialized countries and the Third World on ways to stimulate social and economic change, and will also lead to further dialogue with scholars, teachers and students. |
Contents
The Theoretical Standpoint of PAR | 13 |
A SelfReview of PAR Muhammad Anisur | 24 |
PAR and | 37 |
Copyright | |
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academic action activists activities analysis Anisur Rahman authentic Bogotá cadres CALIFORNIA/SANTA CRUZ UNIVERSITY Cauca river Chapter child laborers cial collective Colombia commitment concept consciousness context created CRUZ The University cultural democracy discussion dominant economic effort electricity existing experience external animation Fals-Borda families ganizations Geneva Gianotten grassroots grassroots democracy ideological important initiatives institutions intellectual internal International Labour Office investigación involved John Gaventa ment methodology mobilization munity negotiating ORAP organizational participativa participatory action-research participatory research Pátzcuaro peasants people's organizations people's power perience political poor popular education popular knowledge practice praxis problems production professionals programs promote Rahman reality reflection region role Rwanda scientific self-development self-reliance Sensitized Agents Six-S society stimulate structures struggle techniques theoretical ticipation ticipatory Tilakaratna tion tivated tive traditional transformation ture University Library UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA village Villarrica vivencias workers Zamosc Zimbabwe