Disentangling the Methodological Tensions of Doing Participatory Action Research

• In Event: Exploring the (Micro)Politic Tensions Inherent in Action Research

Abstract

Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) has gained traction recently as an approach to
democratizing knowledge, particularly in marginalized communities. However, more attention
needs to be given to CPAR as theory coalesces in practice. Using a LatCrit methodology of
counterstories, this research details the lived experiences of four women (of color) CPAR
facilitators who work with minoritized students in various educational settings. Employing
affective labor theory, this qualitative study seeks to disentangle the moral and ethical tensions
that surface when adults in these spaces work alongside youth. We aim to add nuance to the
conversation interrogating how our skill sets, privileges, and expertise as adults in these spaces
can co-exist concomitantly alongside the insights, lived experiences, and knowledge of young
people.

Authors

• Van T Lac, The University of Texas - San Antonio

• Ana Carolina Fernandes de Bessa Antunes, University of Utah

• Julia A. Daniel, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Janiece Zalina Mackey, Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA)