Intersections in Innovation: Jane Addams’ Model for Participatory Research

• In Event: 1250 - Social Science and Social Justice: Engagements Past, Present and Future

Abstract

The intersections of social justice, intersubjectivity in collaboration, partnering with the community, and transporting knowledge from local to global levels are embedded in Jane Addams work. In her role as researcher, Jane Addams immersed herself in the community as she developed the study of social interaction in partnering with subjects, and advocated for social scientists’ engagement in combatting inequality. Those are the foundations of Participatory Research. Therefore, applying the theoretical perspectives of Social Construction of Reality and Transformative Experiential Learning this study uses textual analysis and archival research to connect the origin of Participatory Research to the methods and practices of Jane Addams. Additionally, Addams elevated the acquisition of cultural knowledge and understanding from the local community to both national and global levels. Therefore, participatory research has demonstrated itself as a viable structural framework for effecting positive social change for over a century.

Author

• Petina JeanDell Powers, Texas Woman's Univeristy