PDC20: Public Science: An Introduction to Critical Participatory Action Research

Session Type: Professional Development Course

Abstract

There has been a rise in university community research collaborations and an interest in shifting these away from using service frameworks toward using those of solidarity. Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach to research that positions those most impacted by research as leaders in shaping research questions, framing interpretations, and designing meaningful research products and actions. Via interactive lecture, PAR project stories, and small-group activities, this course will introduce participants to the history and current practice of PAR with projects that rely on community-generated surveys, focus groups, mapping, interviews, and secondary analysis of quantitative data. Participants will come away from the course with a basic understanding of the praxis of PAR, a sense of ethics and dilemmas, a taste of applying concepts discussed to their own work, and new connections with allied scholars in the field. Participants will be provided with a short reading list prior to the course; there are no prerequisite skills or knowledge necessary for participation in this course.

Sub Unit

• Professional Development and Training Committee

Instructors

• Anne M. Galletta, Cleveland State University

• Maria Elena Torre, City College of New York - CUNY

• Michelle Fine, City University of New York

• Maddy Fox, Brooklyn College - CUNY

• Monique Antoinette Guishard, Bronx Community College - CUNY

• Carmine Stewart-Burkette, Cleveland State University