ABSTRACT
In an emancipatory approach to research, knowledge production is determined and directed by people most impacted by the research who have one or more marginalized or oppressed identities, e.g., for reasons of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic background, etc. It is an umbrella approach that can include many streams of critical theory-based research such as feminist, Marxist, disability, race, and gender theory. Key assumptions in emancipatory research are that there are multiple realities and that the researcher from the dominant or elite group is not the only person who can create research. This way of doing research is particularly relevant to inclusive design, participatory design, and design for social innovation. This research method introduces ‘design by’ rather than ‘with’ or ‘for’, as the marginalized stakeholders, rather than the designers, must drive the agendas. Designers following an emancipatory approach use research methods that facilitate critical discussions, greater participation by marginalized people, and more agency among marginalized stakeholders. Designers, using this approach, also become more aware of tensions related to power within the design process. This chapter examines the aims and principles of emancipatory research. It provides guidelines for ensuring an emancipatory approach in design research and evaluating emancipatory design interventions.
