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Chapter 1 Defining PAR to Refine PAR: Theorizing Participatory Action Research in South Asian Educational Contexts

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Participatory Action Research and Educational Development

Part of the book series: South Asian Education Policy, Research, and Practice ((SAEPRP))

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Abstract

Although writings about PAR typically offer an academic argument, it is less common for them to delineate what it takes to do participatory action research (PAR). Therefore, the authors of this chapter asked themselves three critical questions: What is the work involved in enacting PAR? What kinds of opportunities might researchers face and what kinds of problems will they need to solve? And what would it take to solve the problems and leverage the opportunities in such a way that promotes social justice and transforms the context and the players? In this chapter, the authors first provide some definitions for the terms used in the discourse of PAR and then examine some historical markers that may underlie the enthusiasm for the research methodology. The authors’ goal is for readers not only to come to know what informs PAR but also to begin asking their own questions about what it takes to pull off PAR in the educational contexts in South Asia that they seek to support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Setty & Associates International, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Rohit Setty

  2. University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, USA

    Matthew A. Witenstein

Authors
  1. Rohit Setty
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  2. Matthew A. Witenstein
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Correspondence to Rohit Setty .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Huma Kidwai

  2. Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA

    Radhika Iyengar

  3. Redlands, California, USA

    Matthew A. Witenstein

  4. Concord, North Carolina, USA

    Erik Jon Byker

  5. Fairfax, Virginia, USA

    Rohit Setty

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Setty, R., Witenstein, M.A. (2017). Chapter 1 Defining PAR to Refine PAR: Theorizing Participatory Action Research in South Asian Educational Contexts. In: Kidwai, H., Iyengar, R., Witenstein, M., Byker, E., Setty, R. (eds) Participatory Action Research and Educational Development. South Asian Education Policy, Research, and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48905-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48905-6_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48904-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48905-6

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