Praise for this book
Peoples Knowledge and Participatory Action Research offers a radical exploration of the deep knowledge held within communities under siege by neoliberalism and traditional forms of science; the dedicated refusal to surrender this knowledge to the hegemonic gaze of experts, grip of white supremacy or bribes of corporate interests, and the joy and delicacies of engaging in participatory research for justice. A must-read for community-based researchers and even more so for academics deluded by fantasies of expertise. Congratulations!
Michelle Fine, Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology, Womens Studies and Urban Education, City University of New York.
This book is an important contribution to helping all of us -- academics and grassroots-led researchers -- to think through what it means to collaborate. Clearly written and with both practical wisdom and theoretical reach, it is a book to get some useful conversations started.
Keri Facer, Professor of Educational & Social Futures, University of Bristol and AHRC Leadership Fellow, Connected Communities
Given the pressing environmental and social justice issues facing society today, research should be moving towards a co-production of knowledge with communities. However, too often it is questionable whether it is, or whether there continues to be a top down process of knowledge dissemination to the public from the white walls of the academy. Through writing, reflection, poetry and the visual arts, this book draws out these issues -- political, ethical, and social -- and provides an important platform for people outside these walls from which to speak about their collaborative knowledge production practices.
Jacqueline Vadjunec, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Oklahoma State University
This engrossing and timely collection exposes the weaknesses of conventional academic research. The authors outline a new approach for action research, taking us in a direction that will help heal the many divisions in our fractured world. Anyone involved in research, whether in universities, community organizations or governments, should read it. I loved the fresh voices on gender and race. We should all write letters to our younger action researcher selves acknowledging how colonized we have been. When we liberate ourselves we liberate those with whom we partner. This would be a great deal.
Hilary Bradbury, Editor of Handbook of Action Research and Action Research Journal.
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The Individual Contributors (2016)
The moral right of the editors to be identified as authors of the editorial material and of the contributors for their individual chapters has been asserted under sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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ISBN 978-1-85339-939-8 Hardback
ISBN 978-1-85339-932-9 Paperback
ISBN 978-1-78044-939-5 Library Ebook
ISBN 978-1-78044-932-6 Ebook
Citation: Peoples Knowledge Editorial Collective (2016) Peoples Knowledge and Participatory Action Research: Escaping the white-walled labyrinth, Rugby, UK: Practical Action Publishing, .
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Front cover photo: Rara band in Jacmel, Haiti. From photograph by Richard
Fleming, 2015. Original painting by Michel Lafleur.
Cover design by Piers Altman www.piersaitman.co.uk and http://du.st
Typeset by Allzone Digital Services
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Further information about the issues covered in this book is available at .
Contents
Anonymous contributors
Mayra Guzman, Cedoux Kadima, Grace Lovell, Asha Ali Mohamed, Ros Norton, Yosola Olajoye, Federico Rivas and Alpha Thiam
Asha Ali Mohamed, Asma Istwani, Beatriz Villate, Emilia Ohberg, Eva Galante, Fatma Mohamed, Ijaba Ahmed, Hinda Mohamed Smith, Lucy Pearson, Mayra Guzman, Salma Istwani, Shanti Sakar, Susanna Hunter-Darch and Tamanna Miah
Jasber Singh
ChriS JaM
Lucy Pearson, Javier Sanchez Rodriguez and Asha Ali Mohamed
Hugh Kelly with Graham Jeffery
David Clay
Tilly Hale
Peoples Knowledge Editorial Collective with paintings from Haiti by Michel Lafleur
Tom Wakeford
Dedicated to the memory of our co-author,
Tilly Hale (19432015)
Co-published by Practical Action Publishing and the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University
The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) is driving innovative, transdisciplinary research on the understanding and development of socially just and resilient food and water systems internationally. Unique to this University Research Centre is the incorporation of citizen-generated knowledge - the participation of farmers, water users and other citizens in transdisciplinary research, using holistic approaches which cross many disciplinary boundaries among the humanities as well as the natural and social sciences.
Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR)
Coventry University
Ryton Gardens, Wolston Lane,
Coventry, CV8 3LG, United Kingdom.
E-mail:
Tel: +44 (0) 2477 651 601
Web: www.coventry.ac.uk/cawr
The Reclaiming Diversity and Citizenship Series seeks to encourage debate outside mainstream policy and conceptual frameworks towards an equitable and sustainable future based on social and ecological diversity, human rights, and more inclusive forms of citizenship. Contributors to the
