Challenging Practices of Imprisonment through Action Research

Challenging oppressive practices – in any environment – is a difficult task.  Doing so for people who are labelled as dangerous or violent can feel impossible.  My interest in the experiences of long-term prisoners evolved over a number of years, beginning first with researching ex-prisoners returning to society after long term prison in Canada and then continuing as I conducted ethnographic research in men’s maximum-security prisons in England.  Over the course of this work, I gradually came to understand the severity of harm inflicted on people through practices of imprisonment.  The loss of liberty is an extreme form of punishment that, nevertheless, can be very difficult to fully appreciate unless you have experienced it or had the opportunity to observe it close-up, over a lengthy period of time.  Additionally, custodial confinement and the maintenance of ordered prison regimes necessarily translate into oppressive routines, practices and interpersonal relationships (e.g. consider the Zimbardo experiments). 

Tapping and Reflection - HMP Long Lartin Original image found at Koestler trust

The research on which this article reports, attempted to engage directly with some of the inherent problems of imprisonment.  Conducted in three maximum-security prisons in England, the research attempted to incorporate action research-inspired dimensions to facilitate opportunities for prison officers to better understand the ‘pains of imprisonment’ from the perspectives of prisoners.  In some respects, the project was an attempt to try to challenge the system from within.  It aimed to disrupt existing practices enough to allow staff to question the way they were working.  The challenges and limitations of the project were numerous.  But there were also modest ‘successes’ in the moments when the officers with whom I was working began to fundamentally question their own practices or the more inflexible aspects of prison officer culture.  Whilst the project, ultimately, ended prematurely and thus did not lead to successful systemic change, the research demonstrated the powerful capacity for change that an action research approach can inspire.  

My experience of this project, coupled with my continued concern over the inherently harmful practice of imprisonment have led me to consider other possible ‘ways in’ to the criminal justice system in order to challenge the status quo.  In my view, the most likely means of opening up new possibilities is through expanded and sustained action research approaches.  A fundamental principle of action research is to aim to create spaces of possibilities through collaboratively designed and enacted methods.  In a prison or criminal justice context, this may best be achieved through mobilising third sector groups, engaging in activism with prisoners and prisoners’ families or victims and their lobby groups and, crucially, through further work with prison staff and criminal justice authorities. 

You can access this article for free by using this link. 

After you’ve had a chance to read this piece, please share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with our community so we can continue this discussion! The AR+ site is hosting a discussion forum for us to talk about our reactions and experiences related this topic. You can access it here. A quick (and free) registration is all that's needed to join the discussion.

Living well with dementia

       Diagnosed with dementia (probable Alzheimer’s) in her early 80s, I first met Ana when she was 84 years of age. Unique in her way of life, Ana had lived on the same section of land nearly all her life. What is more, she had lived alone for over 35 years in the house she had built for herself and her mother over 40 years previously. She had no immediate family, but friends who knew her well and supported her, were of the opinion that, despite her age and failing memory, it would be best if she could stay in her own home. I used to call on Ana, to make sure she was safe and well and to help her shop for groceries. In those days, a meal was delivered Monday to Friday by ‘Meals on Wheels’ and Ana would stretch that one meal over lunch and dinner. She also had a caregiver who came in two mornings a week to help her shower. On other days she would get up and dress by herself before preparing her breakfast which consisted of cornflakes, a banana, and a pot of tea. Another caregiver came in on Saturdays to check on her, otherwise she fended for herself.

 So began a relationship from which I would learn a great deal about the intricacies of dementia. For instance, people with dementia are often said to be confused, but exactly how does one define confusion? The Collins Concise Dictionary (2001) defines it as “lacking a clear understanding of something, mistaking a person or thing for another, bewilderment, lack of clarity, and disorder” (p. 184).

Image of Portrait of Una Platts used with
permission from Auckland Gallery

This definition and others like it lead us to think that people with dementia live in a state of bewilderment, and their actions or responses are always muddled somehow. In my dealings with Ana, I found misunderstandings or ‘confusion’ could easily be rectified if information was put into context. This served to refresh knowledge that was previously known but had been forgotten. Alternatively, it may be that presenting the facts in a simple and straightforward manner enabled Ana, who was very astute, to use her innate sense of judgment to make rational decisions.

     In trying to work out her likes and dislikes, I asked Ana one day if she had previously done her own cooking and housework. She replied “certainly not if I could help it.” When asked what she used to eat she said with a smile, “An egg thing.” “What’s an egg thing?” “An egg and anything in the cupboard.” With her declining capacity to care for herself, these skills, or lack of them, took on a new significance which is why her friends sought help from a community support service. However, all too often other people (caregivers) assigned to help Ana wanted to clean the house, but that was not at all what she wanted. Ana’s home reflected her passion for painting, portraits and reading. She liked it as it was and she would not tolerate anyone trying to change her way of life.

Instead, Ana wanted to engage in conversation, she derived great pleasure from talking to people and was always interested in hearing about other people’s life. She was an articulate and accomplished raconteur who could talk to anyone. In particular, she liked to reminisce and, given the opportunity, to talk about art. Her knowledge and skill were obvious and she could usually remember significant detail when it came to art. Alas, the fact that she often told the same story over and over again, or asked the same questions repeatedly, was a trial to many caregivers and they would leave because they lost patience with her ‘confusion’. Consequently, Ana’s support system was unreliable, and what was worse, often those who came upset her because they wanted to enforce their values in her home. They didn’t understand Ana’s needs and underestimated her capacity to make decisions.  Insights such as these made me realize how wrong it is to judge people with dementia and more, how social perceptions of dementia impact on people’s ability to live well with dementia. Ultimately, my experiences with Ana took me on a journey that I would never have anticipated.

I look forward to continuing this discussion with you! Please feel free to offer comment or question.

Grace O’Sullivan

FREE access to this article for the next 30 days is available through this link.

Sampling and sex trading: Lessons on research design from the street

Sex trading is a hot topic right now.  There is a lot we don’t know AND in worrying ways a lot we think we know, but may not actually understand.  I believe participatory and action research may help clear some of the fog.

In my article in the Action Research Journal I explore ways that I learned directly from people who trade sex by conducting participatory action research.  Not surprisingly, I found reality to be far more complex and contradictory than our media representations and our often too-easy moral stances might suggest.  To understand the systems, experiences and meanings around sex trading I think we ought to put the multifaceted experiences of real people at the center. 

But which “real” people?  Whose experiences? 

As researchers and activists I think it is critical to be clear about location (geographic, context, rootedness).  I focus on sex trading in one neighborhood; a place of strength and beauty that is also challenged by generational poverty, violence and disinvestment.  Participatory and action research allowed me to conduct research with people who trade sex and thus to develop deep and nuanced understandings that helped build a foundation for social action.  But, this wasn’t a one-sized fits all solution factory.  It’s a grounded approach rooted in a unity of theory and practice; and also rooted in radical acts of listening and connection. 

 

I invite you to read my article and I would welcome your thoughts, comments and conversation.

Lauren Martin 

You can access this article online FREE for 30 days by following this link.

Action Research as Imaginal Process

Perhaps due to the nature of our personal orientations to the natural world, our experiences -- as educators, researchers, and passionate souls -- have led us to consider action research as a chrysalis for human transformation. 

We wonder how many others have actually observed and reflected upon the powerful transformations that occur in nature, where the very form of a being alters throughout the organism’s development. While metamorphosis is a powerful metaphor, how do humans – without the same evolutionary messages as insects – accomplish profound change within personal and larger social systems? For the butterfly, the time in the chrysalis is one with very little observable movement, yet within it dissolution, differentiation, and growth are occurring. In fact, the change is already being signaled within the caterpillar even before the move to chrysalis through the impact of what are called imaginal cells. 

In investigating the experiences of formal and informal educators engaged in action research projects, as part of a Masters degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning, we observed that what seemed like previously intransigent issues for these educators often did significantly shift. We also noted that as one engages with the action research process, there can be a time of suspension and disorientation as former ways of seeing and being are challenged and changed. In our research, we name this the Mush Stage, and it seems to be a necessary part of transformation for humans as well as butterflies.

We’re not sure how the caterpillar turned butterfly feels about this experience -- where its previous form totally dissolves. Does it know loss or fear or confusion? We do know that we hear about these feelings from educators and have been carefully observing and analyzing the role this Mush Stage plays within the transformative process that so often results in a newly felt sense of empowerment.

How can action research provide a framework for human metamorphosis? What sort of synergistic relationship exists between action research, ecological education, and transformative learning?

We invite you to join us in our exploration of these questions in our article entitled, Ecological education and action research: A transformative blend for formal and non formal educators.

Nicky Duenkel and Judy Pratt

Free access to Nicky and Judy's new article in Action Research Journal is available free for 30 days here. We'd love to engage in conversation with you about your response to this article.

Related links:  

Master of Science in Ecological Teaching and Learning

One take on the metaphor of imaginal cells as related to humans.

Original image of lifecycle of a butterfly can be found here and the original image of chrysalis cut open can be found here.

A book for all stages: a review of Building in Research and Evaluation: Human Inquiry for Living Systems

In this post, Dian Chase, a PhD Candidate at Oregon Health and Science University, reviews Dr. Yoland Wadsworth's book, Building in Research and Evaluation: Human Inquiry for Living Systems.

 Yoland Wadsworth (2010).  Building in research and evaluation: human inquiry for living systems.  Action Research Press, Hawthorn and Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

What questions do you have about participatory research?  As a student, researcher and teacher, I have many.  From the why to the wherefore, from abstract to the concrete, Dr. Wadsworth’s book provides insights and answers.  This is a book with many purposes.  Bringing together concepts from systems theory, traditional inquiry, organizational behavior, and quality improvement, this book provides an intellectual basis for action resource.  Using metaphor (the inquiry cycle as a house was especially apt), checklists, and concrete examples, the concepts are accessible and useful for students, researchers and instructors.  And by her evident passion for working with, rather than on, people, Dr. Wadsworth reminds us of our motivation to pursue this work.

Like a map, this book provides a road map for meaningful inquiry; like a mirror, it reminds us of the need to build time for reflection into our planning rather than proceeding blindly down a pathway.  From that reflection, we draw insights that guide our actions.  By asking questions, we can broaden our insights and include others in our journey.  By focusing on fixing problems, we often create other problems.  By understanding the processes, we can create change that is meaningful and lasting.  This book is a guide to doing just that.

This book will be useful to me in many ways.  As a student, it helps tie together concepts and provide a framework for understanding.  As a researcher, the reminders, checklists and conceptual cycles (would that things would ever go linearly) provide touchstones for where my focus should be.  And as a teacher, the examples will help me make participatory research come alive.  It will have a place on my desk, rather than my bookshelf – a work for all stages of growth rather than a one time read.

Dian Chase

You can get more information about Dr. Wadsworth's book at the book's website. This book can be found in Europe,  UK, USA, and the Middle East at the publisher's site right here and in Australia, NZ, and Asia from the publisher at this link.  We'd be interested to hear your thoughts and comments as well!

Can Migraine Management be Action Research?

Some people might think Larry Smarr is crazy. After collecting enormous amounts of data, Larry arrived at his physician’s office with graphs and tables. Larry Smarr is not crazy. In fact, astrophysicist Larry Smarr had discovered his Crohn’s disease before medical science did and before he had noticeable symptoms. He contends that individuals can take responsibility for and manage their own health and that modern computing technology can help. In an article in The Atlantic, Mark Bowden recounts this tale of a man who realized that an individual is an expert about his/her own body. Smarr’s story illustrates that with data from monitoring one’s health, a person can be warned, and therefore, armed against serious health threats.

In my ARJ article on migraine management as action research, I give implicit assent to Smarr’s primary assertion and to an ancient Greek directive to know oneself. In the first-person, managing a chronic health condition is action research. The person who suffers is an expert about the health condition and the suffering that goes along with it. This person may choose to welcome second-person collaborations with family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Beyond the realm of one’s social interactions, third-person resources can also be helpful. Ultimately, managing one’s life can be perceived as ongoing cycles of Participatory Action Research, whereby a person engages others in order to stay well and be his or her optimal self.

In Participatory Action Research, it is vital to engage in analyses that expose one’s action logics to scrutiny. It can lead a person to eschew inauthentic acts and thoughts in favor of authentic ones.

As a psychologist, researcher, and a person with a disability from a chronic health condition, I’m interested in others’ views on this topic. Are the types of self-scrutiny that I describe and that Smarr evidences indicative of well-being? Or, is it plain old narcissism? 

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Lauren S. Seifert

Access this article online 

Looking Forward - Alan Wight



From: apartmenttherapy.com



 


From: democracycellproject.net



Feminism and Action Research - Valerie Louis

Before I was an action researcher, I was a feminist researcher/scholar.  I had done feminist qualitative research, taking into account whose voice was being heard, the power dynamics within the research process, and the gendered lens which I explored my topic.  As an action researcher I learned a lot from feminist theory and methodology. I have used my feminist lens as a foundation for my AR.  As a feminist thinker, I am not just concerned with gender but the intersectionality of oppressions and identity.  The hierarchy of oppressions just didn't make sense in the theoretical world - though I embrace understanding that many in the world do see their identities and oppressions as hierarchical, or one piece that plays out more overtly in society than another.

When I began my education as an action researcher, my classes studied much of the critical theories I read as a feminist scholar.  With this re-reading, I realized I had found another one of my educational homes.  But what drives my action research is my feminist identity, my awareness of the social injustice in the world.  Action research provided a place for the theory and the action that fell in love with as a women's studies student.  I found AR to provide more of a blueprint and a theory for my feminist methodology.  Much has been written about feminism and AR (see Brydon-Miller, Maguire & McIntyre and Frisby, Macguire & Reid in bibliography below).  I think it is important to explore how we came to AR.  For me, I know that it is continually important for me to honor the feminist researcher/scholar within me and that it is foundational to all of the work that I do, even when at times it is not the most prominent label I use in the discussion (and that is not because I am afraid of the f-word :-)

Brydon-Miller, M., Maguire, P., & McIntyre, A. (2004). Traveling companions: Feminism, teaching, and action research. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers

Collins, P. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment: Routledge.

Frisby, W., Maguire, P., & Reid, C. (2009). The `f' word has everything to do with it. Action Research, 7, 13-29.

Williams, Kimberlé Crenshaw. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity

Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color". In: Martha Albertson Fineman,

Rixanne Mykitiuk, Eds. The Public Nature of Private Violence. (New York:

Routledge, 1994), p. 93-118.