Participating Action-Research as a Bridge for Social Transformation

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the relevance and impact of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in education and social transformation. IAP is a participatory and action-oriented research approach that seeks to achieve social transformation through collaboration between researchers and the community. This approach emerged in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s, combining popular education, liberation theology, alternative communication, and liberation philosophy. The phases of the IAP will be discussed, including diagnosis, action planning, implementation, observation and reflection. The importance of observation and participation in PAR will be highlighted, as well as the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to social justice. In addition, the concept of awareness will be analyzed, which implies critical awareness and the transformation of social and educational practices towards greater equity and justice. We address the importance of ethnography in the PAR, since it allows understanding the context that needs to be transformed and promotes the active participation of the community in the process of research and social transformation. Examples of PAR projects in different contexts, including rural and urban communities, will be presented, and their impact on education and social transformation will be analysed, and finally, the concept of “Public Interest Ethnography” (PIE) will be discussed. seeks to combine theory, practice, action and change in a globalized world. Finally, examples of EIP projects in different contexts, including marginalized communities and ethnic minorities, will be presented and their impact on education and social transformation will be discussed.