Reference:Action Research Approach To Poverty Reduction
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Action Research and Service Learning as Longitudinal Approaches to Poverty Eradication, Economic Development, and Human Development is a paper originally prepared for International Action Research Conference in 2007 by Warner P. Woodworth, Ph.D and Peter Jay Sorenson CMC® and is copyright of the authors. The paper is reproduced here with their permission.
| Cover page | Introduction | Third World Poverty & Attempted Solutions | From Academic Idea to Working NGO | Action Research Roles & Tools | What We Are Learning | Conclusion | Bibliography and References |
Action Research and Service Learning as Longitudinal Approaches to Poverty Eradication, Economic Development, and Human Development
Paper Prepared for
International Action Research Conference
Sponsored by the Work Research Institute, Oslo, Norway
Making the “Practical Turn” Practical: Collaborations Across Nationalities, Professions, and Varieties of Action Research
Oslo, Norway, 10-12 September 2007
By:
Warner P. Woodworth, Ph.D., Professor, Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Peter Jay Sorenson CMC®, Organization Design Consultant, GINKGO Enterprises, Dallas, Texas, USA.
COPYRIGHT 2007
Abstract
The global pandemic of poverty affects the lives of billions of people. On a macro-global level the United Nations Millennium Goals have focused attention on poverty. But strategies and tactics need to be formulated and enacted that strike at the roots of poverty and create economic self-sufficiency for the individuals and families affected. Microfinance is emerging as a powerful tool to bridge the gap between global awareness and individual and family level change.
How can we create broad involvement in economic and social development over a long time frame to build the momentum that is be required to turn back the pandemic of poverty? The challenge is to create an ever-growing group of social entrepreneurs that both have experience combating poverty and a commitment to live their lives engaged in that work.
During the last two decades Professor Warner Woodworth has taught courses on Third World Development and Social Entrepreneurship at The Marriott School of Management at BYU. Under his influence BYU has become an incubator for the creation of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and social entrepreneurs.
Two foundational approaches in these classes are the use of action research and service learning methodology. The action research approach creates learning to both guide individual projects and contribute to an ever-expanding body of intellectual capital to carry forth to future challenges and projects. Human capital is created as the students who participate in these classes and projects make the individual and collective sacrifice to serve others and deliberately learn from their experience. They develop a deep knowledge of how to help people develop to the boundaries of their potential. And they develop a heart-felt commitment to doing so throughout the remainder of their lives.
In this presentation and paper the general approach to the classroom teaching/learning process will be described, one field project, the creation and eight year development of the NGO HELP International, will be used as an example, and the overall impact of the approach will be described. Specific tools, methods, and approaches used in HELP International will be discussed. Specific qualitative action research results from observation, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions on the field project will be presented. Each element of the paper and presentation will demonstrate the merit of the combined approach of action research and service learning.
The paper will conclude with a description of the challenges lying ahead for HELP International and a challenge to the academic, NGO, consulting, and for-profit organizational communities to become involved in the work as collaborators across organizational and geographical boundaries.
Why post this paper on the STS RT Wiki?
As I thought about the answer to this question my mind went back to the rootstock of STS research and practice in the middle of the last century. The emergence of STS as an interdisciplinary approach to organizations was a breakthrough in thinking. Add the formal definition of action research and systems thinking to STS as it emerged and it was truly a paradigm shift. Fred Emery spoke of the need for “the social engagement of the social sciences in the practical affairs of mankind.”
That is why this paper is being posted. It is about “the social engagement of the social sciences in the practical affairs of mankind.” It is specifically about how action research has been applied for the last decade in the developing world by an entrepreneurial organization, HELP International. HELP has focused on developing strong social entrepreneurs and providing a hand up to people in the developing world so that they can move towards social and economic self-sufficiency.
A core set of tools in this work are the tools of action research. The paper describes the roles of action research in the evolution of the macro-organization, the micro-organization, and in human development. The paper goes on to describe specific tools to use in fulfilling these three roles of action research. This is nitty gritty, fine-grained, here is how you can do it in your organization material.
Bon Appétit!
Peter Jay Sorenson, CMC
Member of the Stewards Team
03 August 2009
