Skip to main content

Pragmatic and Participatory Action Research – The Northern and Southern Traditions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Action Research and Critical Psychology

Part of the book series: Theory and History in the Human and Social Sciences ((THHSS))

  • 159 Accesses

Abstract

After Lewin and Moreno, the field of action research developed two distinct pathways. The Northern Tradition continued Lewin’s work in industry and developed participatory approaches to increase worker participation and democratic structures in the workplace. The Southern Tradition also connects to Lewin’s work but takes a more radical stance on equal participation in all aspects of society. Their central vehicle is education as a prerequisite for liberation. This chapter provides an overview of the history of both traditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bonfil, G. (1970). La antropologia social en Mexico: ensayo sobre sus nuevas perspectivas. Anales de Antropologia, 7, 23–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D. L., & Tandon, R. (1983). Ideology and political economy in inquiry: Action research and participatory research. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 19, 277–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bye, G., Moldenæs, T., & Løvland, J. (2001). The Tromsø module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 159–172). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, W., & Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming critical: Education, knowledge, and action research. Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, I. (2000). Governance, the state, regulation and industrial relations. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coal Industry Nationalisation Act. (1946). http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/9-10/59

  • Colbjørnsen, T., & Falkum, E. (2001). The FAFO-NHH module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 219–228). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawnay, K. (2001). A history of sterling. The Telegraph. Retrieved 09 March, 2012, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1399693/A-history-of-sterling.html

  • de Silva, G. V. S., Mehta, N., & Rahman, M. A. (1979). Bhoomi Sena: A struggle for people’s power. Development Dialogue, 2, 3–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dicks, H. V. (1970). Fifty years of the Tavistock clinic. Routledge & K. Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eichengreen, B. J. (2008). Globalizing capital: A history of the international monetary system. Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elden, M. (1983). Democratization and participative research in developing local theory. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 4(1), 21–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elvemo, J., Levin, M., & Munkeby, I. (2001). The Trondheim module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 191–202). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, M. (1999). Searching: The theory and practice of making cultural change. John Benjamins.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Emery, M., & Purser, R. E. (1996). The search conference: A powerful method for planning organizational change and community action. Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, F. E., & Thorsrud, E. (1976). Democracy at work: The report of the Norwegian industrial democracy program (Vol. 2). M. Nijhoff Social Sciences Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, F. E., Thorsrud, E., & Trist, E. L. (1969). Form and content in industrial democracy: Some experiences from Norway and other European countries. Tavistock Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fals Borda, O. (1979). Historia doble de la costa. C. Valencia Editores.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fals Borda, O. (2001). Participatory (action) research in social theory: Origins and challenges. In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds.), Handbook of action research: Participative inquiry & practice (1st ed., pp. 27–37). Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fals Borda, O. (2006). The North-South convergence: A 30-year first-person assessment of PAR. Action Research, 4(3), 351–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750306066806

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine, H. (2001). Initiation and early history. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 21–38). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1996). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin. (Original work published in 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (2005). Education for critical consciousness. Continuum. (Original work published in 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen, B. (1993). Creating productive structures: The role of research and development. In F. Naschold, R. Cole, B. Gustavsen, & H. van Beinum (Eds.), Constructing the new industrial society (pp. 133–167). van Gorcum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen, B. (2008). Action research, practical challenges and the formation of theory. Action Research, 6(4), 421–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750308094130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen, B., & Engelstad, P. H. (1986). The design of conferences and the evolving role of democratic dialogue in changing working life. Human Relations, 39(2), 101–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen, B., Finne, H., & Oscarsson, B. (Eds.) (2001). Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy. John Benjamins. Library of Congress(2001). Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy. John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen, B. (2004). Participation and local organization. In W. Fricke & P. Totterdill (Eds.), Action research in workplace innovation and regional development. John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, B. L. (1981). Participatory research, popular knowledge and power: A personal reflection. Convergence, 14(3), 5–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, K., & Claussen, T. (2001). The Rogaland module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 117–136). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanssen-Bauer, J. (2001). The Nordvest Forum module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 203–218). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbst, P. G. (1974). Socio-technical design: Strategies in multidisciplinary research. Tavistock Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Relations. (1947). Editorial policy. Human Relations, 1(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100102

  • Jaques, E. (1951). The changing culture of a factory. Tavistock Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaques, E. (1993). Working-through industrial conflict the service department at the Glacier Metal Company. In E. L. Trist & H. Murray (Eds.), The social engagement of social science: A Tavistock anthology (Vol. 1: The socio-psychological perspective, pp. 379–404). The Tavistock Institute. moderntimesworkplace.com

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapoor, D., & Jordan, S. (2009). Education, participatory action research, and social change: International perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen, H., & Garmann Johnsen, H. C. (2001). The Agder module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 173–190). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, M. (Ed.). (2002). Researching enterprise development: Action research on the cooperation between management and labour in Norway (p. 14). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1931a). Der Übergang von der aristotelischen zur galileischen Denkweise in Biologie und Psychologie. Erkenntnis, 1, 421–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1931b). The conflict between Aristotelian and Galileian modes of thought in contemporary psychology. Journal of General Psychology, 5, 141–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1936). Principles of topological psychology. McGraw-Hill.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1938). The conceptual representation and the measurement of psychological forces. Contributions to Psychological Theory, 1(4), 247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1943). Psychology and the process of group living. Journal of Social Psychology, 17(1), 113–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1947a). Frontiers in group dynamics: Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change. Human Relations, 1(1), 5–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, K. (1947b). Frontiers in group dynamics: II. Channels of group life; social planning and action research. Human Relations, 1(2), 143–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872674700100201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, S. (1972). Industrialization of Norway 1800–1920. Universitetsforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marrow, A. J. (1969). The practical theorist: The life and work of Kurt Lewin. Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre, A. (2007). Participatory action research. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • McTaggart, R. (1997). Participatory action research: International contexts and consequences. State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordby, T. (1993). Arbeiderpartiet og planstyret 1945–1965. Universitetsforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pålshaugen, Ǿ., Qvale, T. U., & Engelstad, P. H. (2001). The work research imtitute module. In B. Gustavsen, H. Finne, & B. Oscarsson (Eds.), Creating connectedness: The role of social research in innovation policy (pp. 117–158). John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stavenhagen, R. (1971). Decolonialising applied social sciences. Human Organization, 30(4), 333–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swantz, M.-L. (1970). Ritual and symbol in transitional Zaramo society. Gleerup.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E. L., & Murray, H. (Eds.) (1993). The social engagement of social science: A Tavistock anthology (2: The socio-technical systems perspective). The Tavistock Institute. http://moderntimesworkplace.com/archives/ericsess/sessvol2/sessvol2.html

  • Trist, E. L. (1981). The sociotechnical perspective: The evolution of sociotechnical systems as a conceptual framework and as an action research program. In A. H. Van de Ven & W. F. Joyce (Eds.), Perspectives on organization design and behavior (pp. 19–75). Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E. L. (1993). Guilty of enthusiasm. In H. I. Ansoff & A. G. Bedeian (Eds.), Management laureates: A collection of autobiographical essays (Vol. 3). Jai Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E. L., & Bamforth, K. W. (1951). Some social and psychological consequences of the Longwall method of coal-getting: An examination of the psychological situation and defences of a work group in relation to the social structure and technological content of the work system. Human Relations, 4(1), 3–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warman, A. (1970). De eso que llaman antropología mexican. Editorial Nuestro Tiempo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whyte, W. F. (Ed.)(1991). Participatory action research. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dege, M. (2023). Pragmatic and Participatory Action Research – The Northern and Southern Traditions. In: Action Research and Critical Psychology. Theory and History in the Human and Social Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31197-0_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics