Action research: an approach to preventing substance abuse and promoting social competency

This article demonstrates the use of action research, an approach combining various social work methods to raise community consciousness, stimulate intergroup and intergenerational interaction, and motivate people to work toward change both individually and collectively. The project described represents an effort to mobilize youths and adults living in a rapidly changing, culturally pluralistic, low-income suburban community to confront the impact of drug and alcohol abuse in a context of mutual respect and support. The central theme of investigation was local youths' perceptions about drug and alcohol abuse in the context of their own lives. A group of youths, in partnership with professionals, surveyed their contemporaries with a questionnaire of their own creation. The community meeting that followed was designed to stimulate the youths through reflection, dialogue, and planning for action.