Browsing by Author "Merrifield, Juliet"

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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.
Putting Scientists in Their Place: Participatory Research in Environmental and Occupational Health
(Highlander Center, 0000) Merrifield, Juliet
This paper explores the tensions between community/workplace activists and the scientific establishment concerning environmental and occupational health hazards, particularly from toxic chemicals. It examines the shifting perceptions of science—from a neutral, problem-solving entity to a contributor to societal challenges. The work highlights the role of participatory research in empowering communities to address health hazards and critiques the traditional paradigms of scientific research influenced by industrial and political interests. Key focus areas include the industrialization of science, the political economy of scientific research, and the intersection of public health activism with scientific knowledge production.