Using neighborhood observation to support public housing tenants’ empowerment

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6134727
AutoresSimon Coulombe (0000-0002-2424-2026, Wilfrid Laurier University), Stephanie Radziszewski (0000-0003-0916-7731, Université du Québec à Montréal), Paul Morin (0000-0002-4512-0642, Université de Sherbrooke), Xavier Leloup (0000-0003-2196-6886, Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Canada), Hélène Bohémier (Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal, Canada), Janie Houle (0000-0003-0370-5076, Université du Québec à Montréal, autor de correspondencia)
Año2017
Volumen16
Número4
Páginas376-395
Fecha de publicación2017-04-04
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAction Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1476-7503 • E-ISSN: 1741-2617
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1476750317695411
OpenAlexW2604194378
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas50

Although public housing is often described as a negative and stigmatized environment, tenants living in such an environment can cultivate a positive sense of community, which enhances their individual and collective well-being. The present study describes the second phase of an action research, aiming to facilitate the empowerment of public housing tenants acting as peer-researchers. Following a Photovoice phase, this second phase focuses on the development and first implementation of a participatory observation method as a tool for evaluating tenants' collective environment fit. A group of nine tenants contributed to develop and later completed an observation grid. The observations were then discussed in decision-making sessions. The participatory observation method proved useful in supporting tenants in their reflection process, promoting the depiction of a nuanced portrait of their residential environment while also prioritizing capacity building. Results are currently used to inform an action phase in which tenants are taking increasingly more power. Triangulating the results from multiple sites is needed to establish more firmly the added-value of this observation method in a larger action research project. Key challenges and lessons learned are described in a reflective section, sharing experiential knowledge with researchers that consider using a similar method

Action (physics · Action research · Citizen journalism · Economic growth · Empowerment · Experiential learning · Knowledge management · Participatory action research · Pedagogy · Phase (matter · Photovoice · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Community Health and Development · Computer Science · Homelessness and Social Issues · Participatory Visual Research Methods