Participatory research and social transformation

Abstract

The article presents Dr. Rajesh Tandon's account of the origins and development of participatory research. It traces the approach back to adult educators across Africa, Asia and Latin America, who found that mainstream research methods did not match their belief in people's ability to learn, act and change their own world. The dominant social science methodology, established after the Second World War and based on claims of neutrality and objectivity, is described as a way of controlling ordinary people's lives and minds. Participatory research is presented as an alternative built on people's own involvement and experience rather than distance and detachment. This alternative recognises people's own knowledge, strengthens their ability to analyse their situation, helps them use expert knowledge for their own benefit, brings forward their own perspective, and frees their minds from dependence on trained experts. The article also discusses four long-running questions around the goals, roles, methods and results of participatory research, along with its links to movements around natural resources, labour, women and human rights.