ABSTRACT
This chapter is a reflection on the role of participatory research (PR) in empowering local people and their communities. My focus in this chapter is not only on how one does PR, but also on the important question of why do PR at all; that is, what is different about PR from conventional research, who benefits from participating in the research process and who is exercising power? It is not about a tool kit or a set of techniques that provide quick or easy solutions to produce an effective outcome, nor is it an automatic alternative to conventional approaches to research-in fact, it may be ill-advised in certain contexts. Supporting or enabling participation in the strongest sense becomes a political act through establishing partnerships between the researcher and the researched, whereby ownership, empowerment and responsibility for accountability are shared throughout the research process. PR can play an important role in fostering or stimulating community activism at both the individual and collective levels.
