Promise and Provocation: Humble Reflections on Critical Participatory Action Research for Social Policy. (April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sandwick, Talia; Fine, Michelle; Greene, Andrew Cory; Stoudt, Brett G.; Torre, María Elena; Patel, Leigh
• Other Names: Warren Mark R. guest-editor.; Diamond John guest-editor.; Eatman Timothy guest-editor.; Fine Michelle guest-editor.; Glass Ronald David guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Urban education. Volume 53:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 473
• Page End: 502
• Publication Date: 2018-04
• Subjects: participatory action research -- activist-scholarship -- community engaged research -- research methods -- activism -- social -- urban -- social policy -- social justice; Education, Urban -- Periodicals; Enseignement en milieu urbain -- Périodiques; Éducation; Milieu urbain; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 370.91732
• DOI: 10.1177/0042085918763513
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-0859

Abstract

This essay reflects on the promise and challenges of community-engaged, critical participatory action research (CPAR) hinged to social policy in times of racialized state violence and massive community resistance. With cautious optimism, we argue for the potential of CPAR to facilitate more just social policy, by enhancing research validity, policy integrity, and organizing capacity. Drawing on a series of CPAR projects, we also raise a series of ethical, political, and power-laden dilemmas we have encountered in this work and offer, with humility, provisional solutions for advancing activist-scholarship linked in struggle with communities under siege.