Positionality and Racialization in a Participatory Action Research Project: Reflections and Insights From a School Reform Collaboration

• In Event: Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: Counterstories and Racialized Experiences of Students of Color in Multiple Settings

Abstract

In this article, we share findings from a critical reflection on a collaborative participatory research initiative called “The Improving Schools Project. Through engaging in this reflective self-study process, we developed a clearer understanding of how the racialization of organizations played a critical role in mediating participants’ engagement in terms of control, collaboration, and commitment. We argue that organizational histories and legacies based on their (mis)treatment and relationship with communities of color may shape participatory research processes in unintended ways. We use the findings to highlight the importance of systematically reflecting on organizational status as an aspect of cross-racial participatory projects.

Authors

• Elizabeth R. Drame, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Decoteau J. Irby, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee