De ‘meervoudige natuur van actieonderzoek’

Subtitle:opportuniteiten en spanningsvelden van burgerparticipatie in sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek

Abstract:Like many other forms of participatory research, action research has clear emancipatory connotations and democratisation can be regarded as a common thread in the academic literature on these research approaches. However, realising these emancipatory aspirations is anything but evident and researchers experience many challenges and difficulties in their attempts to do so. In my doctoral dissertation on the ‘multiple nature of action research’ I investigate these tensions by shedding light on the complex relationship between power and participation. Gaining a better understanding of the challenges that action researchers face is essential. With the advance of citizen participation in social science research, action researchers are increasingly confronted with the question of how they want, can and should fulfil their role as researchers. Just as many other participatory researchers, action researchers need to orient themselves in a growing 'participation market' in which ‘participation’ is increasingly initiated 'top-down' by governments and other large-scale institutions with a status quo-oriented agenda. This social context is particularly challenging for action researchers who want to work in a democratising manner. In our own action research, we also experienced a clear tension. On the one hand, it opened up the research process for actors and social groups that are traditionally excluded and this has led to change-oriented awareness processes. On the other hand, actually changing the practice under scrutiny has proven to be very difficult and we have even experienced that participation can reinforce the status quo. By analysing our research experiences it becomes clear that action research takes place in a wider playing field in which participation can be interpreted in several ways, which has a great impact on the 'field of possibilities' of action researchers. By focusing on the ‘multiple nature of action research’, this doctoral dissertation challenges the dominant perspective on action research as a democratising prac-tice. In doing so, I want to emphasize that future action researchers should not shy away from the am-biguities of participatory and action research, but, from a critically optimistic stance, take these ambi-guities as a starting point. As such, together with the other research participants, they can use all op-portunities to democratise and also create new opportunities.

Publication year:2023

Keywords:Doctoral thesis

Accessibility:Open