Introduction

This book describes participatory practices in many environments, including educational and penal institutions, community-based programs, workplace settings, literacy, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. In these environments, the term participatory practices refers to education and management, or both. Participatory education is a collective effort in which the participants are committed to building a just society through individual and socioeconomic transformation and ending domination through changing power relations. As educators and students work toward building a just society, participants share, create, analyze, and act on their knowledge and experiences. Participatory management involves the representation of marginalized individuals in an organization’s democratic decision-making process. Educators and students, and employers and employees, who work toward creating a democratic organization challenge the hierarchical social relations and power structures that create boundaries among individuals.