Policy reform instead of policy transformation? Experiences of participatory action research (PAR) on desegregation policy in Szeged, Hungary
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12949679 |
|---|---|
| Authors | György Málovics (0000-0002-6539-8588, corresponding author), Boglárka Méreiné Berki (0000-0002-6739-6893), Melinda Mihály (0000-0003-4436-5282) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 1-2021 |
| Pages | 81-101 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | IJAR – International Journal of Action Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1861-1303 • E-ISSN: 1861-9916 |
| Publisher | Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.3224/ijar.v17i1.05 |
| OpenAlex | W3174939480 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 36 |
To move towards more just and ecologically sustainable societies, we must structurally transform our current socio-economic system at a deep level. Participatory Action Research makes much of this term ‘transformation’, yet on closer examination, the concept is not only conceptually but also practically vague. What exactly is required for socio-environmental spatial policies to be ‘transformational’? Our aims in this paper are twofold. First, we want to suggest that there are different definitions of ‘transformation’. We work through three sets of concepts: autonomy, empowerment, and solidarity, showing that there are hegemonic and counterhegemonic versions of each. Secondly, we use these different framings to reflect on a case study exploring the desegregation of a Roma community in Szeged, Hungary. We explore the ways in which the empowerment of Roma community leaders within a PAR project worked both to challenge and to reinforce existing power asymmetries: while Roma representatives were increasingly accepted and influential, they were unable to shift the powerful city council away from an underlying commitment both to desegregation, and to a logic of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor. Ultimately, this led to a situation where the neoliberal hegemonic logic of the policy went unchallenged, with the practical consequence that, while some community members benefitted from desegregation, the poorest were rendered more precarious and vulnerable. This points to a need for further reflection on the intractability of oppressive structures, and honesty about the potential limitations in achieving short-term structural transformation using PAR
Autonomy · Desegregation · Emic and etic · Empowerment · Hegemony · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · Solidarity · Law · Public Administration · Rural development and sustainability · Urban Planning and Governance · Urbanization and City Planning
Civil Society in Latin America
Empowerment and Poverty Reduction
The Sage Encyclopedia of Action Research
Action Research
Three Dimensions of Autonomy
Kalí– NGOs and the Spanish Model
White Privilege
Transformation Through Partnerships
Articulating the Basis for Promoting Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe
Societal transformation in response to global environmental change
Missing Marcuse
Sustainable development
Moving beyond Marcuse
Legitimising inequality? The governance of ‘Others’ through participatory initiatives in schools
Socio-environmental justice, participatory development, and empowerment of segregated urban Roma
Gentrification and Social Mixing
Urban Roma, segregation and place attachment in Szeged, Hungary
Socio-Economic Mobility and Neo-Liberal Governmentality in Post-Socialist Europe
Participatory action research as the approach for women’s empowerment
A call to Action Research for Transformations
Confronting espoused theories with theories-in-use
Between idealism and reality
An analysis of the theory/concept entries in the Sage Encyclopedia of Action Research
Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment
Struggles and ambiguities over political subjectivities in the camp
Community representatives
A 'Road to Work'? The reworking of deservedness, social citizenship and public work programmes in rural Hungary
The Eviction of Critical Perspectives from Gentrification Research
Positive Functions of the Undeserving Poor
Roma political agency and spaces of social inclusion and exclusion
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,75 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |