Activist Research in the Cultural Professions

Abstract

In Chap. 10 we outlined a project that worked to follow PA^tR principles and processes. In this chapter, we have included a selection of projects that have been carried out in the cultural professions such as nursing, social work, youth work, teaching, community work, health services and the like. It is important to note that not all projects are in published form, but these are samples and ones that have undergone peer review for quality of methodology and reporting. You will find many more in less globally accessible forms and when you do use them as guides keep one eye on critiquing them for their quality. Also, these date quickly so perhaps look for more recent examples as well. These are reported in scholarly journals and you might like to pursue them for greater detail or even as a template for your own PA^tR project. You will find that not only do the projects reported here illustrate what we are calling PA^tR, to a greater or lesser extent, but they also bring to the fore some of the issues associated with doing this sort of work. This dynamism reflects the ongoing development of action research and related forms of research, as well as some of the debates stemming from many aspects ranging from the ethics, ontologies, theories, methodologies, epistemologies, contexts and practices of this family of research and community interaction. As you scan the topics and abstracts of those we have selected, we encourage you to continue to apply what you have learnt from previous chapters to inform what you understand PA^tR to be. At the same time, we hope this will inform your practices for your own project.