Book Description

Participatory research (PR) has already gained considerable importance both as a research strategy and as an educational process in recent years. This volume breaks new ground by presenting the experience and reflections of academics and practitioners, from both North and South, who are using this approach in the field of health. Contributors place PR in its historical and theoretical context. They examine issues of training and practice, drawing on experiences from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the USA and Europe. The case studies make clear the complexities and contradictions, as well as common experiences, which practitioners confront in diverse social, economic and political contexts. Questions of equity in terms of gender, race and class come to the fore, as do insights into the qualities, skills and attititudes required of practitioners. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods are described in a number of case studies with particular stress being laid on ethical considerations, reliability of the results, and how to integrate PRA methods into a participatory research process.