Parsing “Participation” in Action Research

Navigating the Challenges of Lay Involvement in Technically Complex Participatory Science Projects

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12164980
AutoresJill Lindsey Harrison (0000-0001-5842-4891, University of Wisconsin–Madison, autor de correspondencia)
Año2011
Volumen24
Número7
Páginas702-716
Fecha de publicación2011-03-10
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSociety & Natural Resources (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0894-1920 • E-ISSN: 1521-0723
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08941920903403115
OpenAlexW2109257901
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas21

Participatory action research (PAR) is widely recognized for its potential to improve environmental problem solving. However, PAR proponents and observers have paid relatively little attention to the ways in which lay participation complicates the research process. In this article, I examine the challenges presented by lay participation in the case of the Drift Catcher, a participatory air monitoring program in which community residents in the United States work with scientists from an environmental nongovernmental organization (NGO) to sample their own air for pesticides and then to use those data to press for social change. My findings suggest the need for a more nuanced understanding of “participation,” one that accounts for the technical complexity of a PAR project, other challenges, and the participants' organizational capacity. Successfully executing a participatory research project, especially one that produces politically controversial data, may require substantial capacity building to weather the political and technical challenges that arise

Action (physics · Action research · Citizen journalism · Environmental planning · Participatory action research · Political science · Politics · Process (computing · Public relations · Sociology · Work (physics · Computer Science · Engineering · Health Policy Implementation Science · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Participatory Visual Research Methods