Connecting relational wellbeing and participatory action research: Reflections on ‘unlikely’ transformations among women caring for disabled children in South Africa

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Date

2023

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Taylor and Francis Group

Abstract

Participatory action research (PAR) is a form of community-drivenqualitative research which aims to collaboratively take action toimprove participants’lives. This is generally achieved throughcognitive, reflexive learning cycles, whereby people ultimatelyenhance their wellbeing. This approach builds on twoassumptions: (1) participants are able to reflect on and prioritizedifficulties they face; (2) collective impetus and action areprogressively achieved, ultimately leading to increased wellbeing.This article complicates these assumptions by analyzing a two-year PAR project with mothers of disabled children from a SouthAfrican urban settlement. Participant observation notes,interviews, and a group discussion served as primary data. Wefound that mothers’severe psychological stress and the strongintersectionality of their daily challenges hampered participation.Consequently, mothers considered the project‘inactionable’.

Description

Keywords

Disability, Social development, South Africa, Women, Socio-economic status

Citation

van der Mark, E. J. et al. (2023). Connecting relational wellbeing and participatory action research: Reflections on ‘unlikely’ transformations among women caring for disabled children in South Africa. Journal of Global Ethics, 19(1), 80–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449626.2023.2186468