ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 begins with Kurt Lewin’s account of a successful action inquiry at Harwood Manufacturing Corporation that took place in 1944 and his related insights into group behaviour and dynamics based on ‘field theory’. The chapter discusses Lewin’s legacy in PAR practice and theory and goes on to illustrate the authors’ adaptation of force field analysis to an in-depth group discussion of factors contributing to and counteracting the threat of eviction of Katkari families from village life in Western India. It also presents Gaps and Conflicts, another effective PAR tool to investigate the issues underlying a core problem, with a focus on gaps or conflicts in power, interests (gains and losses), moral values, or information and communication. To illustrate the tool, the authors describe its use to assess barriers to implementing a national nutrition policy and action plan in Mali.
