Questioning PAR’s benevolence: Recognizing negative effects

In a previous post I explored some criticisms of PAR as a “scientific” method – the writer argued that PAR could not be considered “research” because it is riddled with bias and offers limited opportunities to theoretical development as it is so focused on an individual case. In this post, I explore the views of some proponents of PAR who would fundamentally dispute these criticisms, arguing that PAR poses a significant challenge to traditional research, but recognize that PAR is not necessarily benevolent in its effects. Sara Kindon, Rachel Pain and Mike Kesby* argue that PAR researchers need to recognize the power dynamics within PAR and the potential for negative effects.