Abstract
Participatory action research (PAR) is a form of community-driven qualitative research which aims to collaboratively take action to improve participants’ lives. This is generally achieved through cognitive, reflexive learning cycles, whereby people ultimately enhance their wellbeing. This approach builds on two assumptions: (1) participants are able to reflect on and prioritize difficulties they face; (2) collective impetus and action are progressively achieved, ultimately leading to increased wellbeing. This article complicates these assumptions by analyzing a two-year PAR project with mothers of disabled children from a South African urban settlement. Participant observation notes, interviews, and a group discussion served as primary data. We found that mothers’ severe psychological stress and the strong intersectionality of their daily challenges hampered participation. Consequently, mothers considered the project ‘inactionable’. Yet, many women quickly started expressing important individual and collective wellbeing transformations. To understand these ‘unlikely’ transformations, a feminist relational account, in particular, that of relational wellbeing, proves essential. We reflect on the consequences of these findings for the dominant PAR methodology and operationalization, and propose to sensitize future PAR with marginalized women by employing relational wellbeing as an overarching ontological awareness.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 80-104 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | Journal of Global Ethics |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 22 Mar 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the European Commission under Grant number 2013-2717/001-001. This publication reflects the view only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Funding
This work was supported by the European Commission: [Grant Number 2013-2717/001-001]. This work was supported by the European Commission under Grant number 2013-2717/001-001. This publication reflects the view only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. This work was supported by the European Commission under Grant number 2013-2717/001-001. This publication reflects the view only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Funders | Funder number |
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Commission | |
European Commission | 2013-2717/001-001 |
Keywords
- disabled children
- mothers
- participatory action research
- Relational wellbeing
- resource-poor
- South Africa