Participatory Action Research Christina Hughes, University of Warwick and Jocey Quinn, Plymouth University

Participatory Action Research What Why A Case of Challenges But what if also …

The What of PAR With, not on or for: Offers a democratic model of research by arguing for the significance, and the usefulness of involving those concerned about or affected by an issue as research partners in the knowledge- production process. Expectation of change/action: Anticipation that the knowledge produced will be acted upon to improve practice/outcomes. The change/action cycle can be understood as a circle (closed action at the end of a project) or spiral (ongoing action as repeated adjustments/evaluations are made) Methodologically eclectic: methodological tools for data collection can be diverse

The Why of PAR Rights: Winning back the right to name their worlds (Freire, 1970) Recognition: the fundamental importance of relationship, interdependence and intersubjectivity to human development, and of non-instrumental social relations involving recognition by a circle of partners in all phases and spheres of life to the development of an autonomous self, individuation, moral subjectivity and agency (Hooper and Gunn, 2014).

Case Example: Methodological Challenges of Working with Children through participatory video (Lomax et al, 2011) Looking with:.... participatory video demands critical attention to the exercise of power within research relationships, it challenges us to explore reflexive ways that enable us to ‘join with another, to see together without claiming to be another’. (Kindon, 2003: 146, in Lomax et al, 2011)

Tensions Constantly aware of how the ‘constellation of theoretical interests, methodological concerns and personal anxieties might have shaped the nature of the children’s participation and the ‘final cut’ of their video’ (Lomax et al 2011: 233).

But what if also: Working with the non-verbal ‘Language has been granted too much power’, (Barad, 2003: 801) Beyond Words collaboration between Plymouth Institute of Education and Plymouth Music Zone, funded by Arts Council Research Grants Programme

B. Research Questions How do PMZ Music Leaders include and make music with those whose communication is non-verbal? What role does the ‘unspoken’ play in inclusive music leadership overall? What are the implications of addressing the ‘unspoken’ for inclusive practice across the Arts sector and how can this also help practitioners in the fields of Health and Education? How does post-human theory help illuminate this process? What does this study add to the field of post-human theory? The Beyond Words Project

C. Methodology Six inter-related elements: A 16-month ethnographic case study with 50 participants. Visual methodologies with non- verbal participants 100 In-depth interviews with family members/support workers of participants. Focus groups with music leaders and volunteers. Participative stakeholders seminars. Final international conference: ‘Privileging the Unspoken in Arts Practice for a Post- human world’ The Beyond Words Project

Progress so far 36 Observations sessions 15 people identified as core participants with their network of intimacy Draft literature review Focus groups with music leaders and volunteers Ethics log, ethics clearance Researcher’s reflective diary

I catch the pattern Of your silence Before you speak I do not need To hear a word. In your silence Every tone I seek Is heard. Langston Hughes

Further Resources University of Durham PAR Toolkit: Bibliography Bergold, J and Thomas, S (2012) Participatory Research Methods: A Methodological Approach in Motion, Qualitative Social Research, 13(1) (Editorial, Special Issue) Hooper, C-A and Gunn, R (2014) Recognition as a framework for ethical participatory research: developing a methodology with looked after young people, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 17(5) Lomax, H, Fink, J, Singh, N and High, C (2011) The politics of performance: methodological challenges of researching children’s experiences of childhood through the lens of participatory video, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 1493): Quinn, J Beyond words. the unspoken/non-verbal in inclusive music practice; implications for the arts in a post-human world'. We will work with non-verbal people with dementia, autism, strokes using posthuman methodology, Arts Council/University of Plymouth/Plymouth Music Zone Rath, J (2012) Poetry and Participation: Scripting a Meaningful Research Text with Rape Crisis Workers, Qualitative Social Research, 13(1)