Partycypacyjne badania w działaniu: analiza polskich doświadczeń
Participatory action research: analysis of Polish experiences

Summary/Abstract: The text was written to open a discussion on the status and future of participatory action research (PAR). The article addresses the methodological challenges faced by researchers trying to exploit the scientific potential of PAR, but also by those trying to apply this approach in practice. The analysis of two selected attempts to apply PAR in Poland (in the area of community development and urban spatial policies) allows to identify some key problems and tensions characteristic for the whole model. In particular, the authors focus on the richness of the research and consultation procedures and explain why this diversity can be problematic. The analysis shows that the process of diversification and adaptation of PAR has not been accompanied by systematic methodological reflection. Instead, there has been a progressive decoupling of the practical and cognitive elements and an oscillation towards one of the two poles of conducting research: the positive or the reflective model. The effect of this is methodological drift. The analysis of the examples of Polish PAR allows us to understand the difficulties faced by a person who tries to do research in connection with non-academic practice.

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