Participatory Research in Community Development and Local Theology - Ivanhoe, Virginia, USA

Abstract

This report documents a participatory research project conducted with the community of Ivanhoe, Virginia, focusing on the impacts of industrial decline and efforts to revitalize the community. The project, part of a larger educational initiative by the Highlander Research and Education Center, explores how the community responded to economic changes. The project also addresses how women in rural areas are leading community revitalization efforts and the development of local theology. The collaborative work of a community educator, a feminist theologian, and a local community leader produced a participatory analysis of the community's struggle and strategies for economic development, resulting in a two-volume history of Ivanhoe and a deeper understanding of grassroots community organizing and participatory research.