ABSTRACT
In this chapter we discuss the application of participatory methodologies in both academic-and policy-related research in Jamaica. We start by defining the concept of ‘respect’, and follow this with an examination of the ways in which participatory methodologies can be adapted for both academic-and policy-related research. This is facilitated through reference to specific case studies describing the use of participatory appraisal as part of community training and planning projects (such as those carried out by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund) and as a tool for understanding urban environmental problems in Kingston; the relevance of action research in integrating education, research, and social change in inner-city communities; and the use of visual methods to reduce the distorting effects of uneven power relations in exploring child-environment interactions. The lessons learned from these exercises in participatory research are then shown to be applicable both to academic research (such as the understanding of social change and human-environment interactions) and to environment and development policy.
