Making power explicit: Using values and power mapping to guide power-diverse Participatory Action Research processes

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Community Health Research
• Qualitative Research Methodologies

Background:

• Participatory action research (PAR) integrates collective knowledge for social action.
• Understanding power dynamics is crucial in collaborative research settings.
• This study focuses on a PAR team with inherent power differentials between university and community researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how a PAR team navigated power dynamics.
• To understand the role of values in managing power differentials within the team.
• To identify strategies for equitable collaboration in PAR.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing phenomenological and case study methodologies.
• Data collection through loosely structured interviews and journaling with all 5 team members.
• Exploration of the team's navigation of power throughout the PAR process.

Main Results:

• PAR team members consistently used values as a guide.
• Values were instrumental in negotiating power and resource realities.
• The team effectively distinguished between equity and equality in their practice.

Conclusions:

• PAR teams can navigate power dynamics by grounding their work in core values.
• The study proposes power and values mapping practices for diverse PAR teams.
• These practices aim to address power and values realities in context-specific PAR.