Participatory Research and Academic Social Science: Some Reflections Based on Shifting Methodological Frameworks in Sociology

Abstract

This introductory paper examines the alignment of participatory research approaches within the competing methodological frameworks of sociology. It argues that participatory research is compatible with methodological positions challenging the positivist tradition, which remains dominant in social science research. Through three assertions, the author discusses the theoretical affinities between participatory research and non-positivist methodologies, explores participatory research's potential for critique on social and economic structures, and considers the relationship between theory and action for socially engaged scholars. This paper aims to broaden understanding of participatory research as a viable academic approach grounded in theoretical and methodological diversity.