Participatory Research's Contribution to a Conceptualization of Empowerment¹

TLDR

Empowerment is a popular strategy for addressing social issues, and participatory research (PR) is a theory and intervention approach that involves oppressed people in studying and solving social problems. The article investigates how PR contributes to conceptualizing empowerment and proposes it as an intervention approach for applied researchers. PR operates by transforming social structures to benefit oppressed people and is described through its literature and conceptualization of empowerment. A case study of forming a Homeless Persons Union illustrates the application of PR.

Abstract

Empowerment has emerged in recent years as a popular strategy for addressing social issues. A potential intervention approach for applied researchers interested in studying empowerment is participatory research (PR). PR is a theory and intervention approach for involving oppressed people in the study of and solutions to social problems. It is a strategy that works to transform social structure to benefit oppressed people. This article examines PR's contribution to a conceptualization of empowerment on both a theoretical and applied level. First, PR literature and its conceptualization of empowerment are described. Following this, PR is proposed as an intervention approach for applied researchers interested in studying empowerment. A case study involving the formation of a Homeless Persons Union is provided as an example of applied PR.