Browsing by Author "Gaventa, John"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Participatory research: Revisiting the roots
(2002) Tandon, Rajesh; Hall, Budd; Brown, L. David; Jaitli, Harsh; Kanhere, Vijay; Small, Dele; Gaventa, John; Merrifield, Juliet; Madiath, Anthya; Belamide, Eileen; Bryceson, Deborah; Manicom, Linzi; Kassam, Yusuf; Vio Grossi, Francisco; Hirabai Hiralal, Mohan; Tare, Savita; Batliwala, Srilatha; Patel, Sheela; Khot, Seemantinee
It has been nearly a quarter of a century since the early formulations of participatory research began to be presented hesitatingly and tentatively. Those early proposals were essentially a reaction to the classical methodology of research and inquiry which had alienated the social science research enterprise from the very people about whom research was being carried out. In a simple way, stated then, participatory research challenged the 'monopoly of knowledge' which has been vested in the elites of our society. The production of knowledge, its certification and dissemination have been controlled by intellectual elites in all human societies, since a long period of time. The Brahmanical order justified its hierarchy by making the distinction between intellectual work and physical work. Brahmins were the repositories of knowledge and wisdom, could use the language of God's 'Sanskrit', and interpret the religious scriptures to prescribe the social norms and behaviour for the rest of society. Similar Brahmanical orders have existed in other cultures and other histories. Therefore, the first significant contribution of participatory research has been to challenge the mythical and artificial divide between mental labour and manual labour, intellectual pursuits and physical pursuits. It has questioned the belief that capacity for intellectual work resides in only a few. It argued that popular knowledge, ability to produce and use knowledge, is a universal human phenomenon, and such capacity exists in all human beings, so argued participatory research then.
'Seeing Like a Citizen' Re-claiming citizenship in a neoliberal World
(2005-11-28) Gaventa, John
Five years ago this month, many of us gathered at the University of Sussex for the first time to Launch the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability. In a draft concept note developed at the time we had argued, 'if development assistance is to be effective in meeting the poverty targets, new approaches, which attempt to rebuild the concept of citizenship and the ways in which citizens influence and contribute to more responsive and accountable institutions, are absolutely critical. In the proposal for future work in March 2001 we went on to say: If poverty is to be alleviated, new attention must be paid to the relationships between poor people and the institutions which affect their lives. To do so requires re-examining in different development contexts contemporary understandings for rights and citizenship and their implications for related issues of participation and accountability
Seeing Like a Citizen: Re-claiming Citizenship in a Neoliberal World
(Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability, 2005-11) Gaventa, John
This paper argues that neoliberal frameworks reshaping citizenship, particularly through market-based approaches and thin democracy, limit the capacity for citizens to express their rights and seek accountability. The 'seeing like a citizen' approach is presented as a counterpoint to neoliberal interpretations of citizenship, advocating for a more active role for citizens in claiming rights and challenging power structures. Drawing on research from multiple working groups within the Development Research Centre (DRC), the paper explores the dynamics of citizenship in the context of neoliberalism, emphasizing the importance of active citizen participation for social justice and development.