Participatory Action Research with South Asian Immigrant Women

Abstract

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is presented as similar to social work in regard to processes, outcomes and empowerment. The challenges in utilizing PAR in social work are explored using the example of a PAR project with a group of South Asian immigrant women in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. An examination of the insider-outsider dimensions of PAR is also provided. The similarities between the process in social work and the process in PAR are discussed with reference to the specific skills relevant to both. This paper proposes a set of considerations to facilitate the use of Participatory Action Research in social work.