Prajateerpu, Power and Knowledge

Abstract

We examine the roles of the diverse co-inquirers involved in the power-equalizing action research project known as Prajateerpu. While privileging neither official expertise nor experiential knowledge over the other, we suggest the need to create arenas where expert knowledge is put under public scrutiny as a means of contributing to a redressing of the power imbalance that exists between the poor and elite social groups. We emphasize the important tensions that arose in Prajateerpu between the views of those participants whose analysis had become marginalized from decision-making processes and those who were in positions of power. Having reflected on the role of various actors in the two-year process, we look at the potential contributions processes such as Prajateerpu could make towards processes that aim to democratize knowledge and promote social justice.