We present a research approach that seeks to develop and strengthen participatory action research (PAR) when applied in social-ecological systems (SES) by combining it with critical systems thinking (CST). This research approach responds to the urgent societal need to move beyond predefined project framing in development projects. While PAR acts as a basis for operationalizing participatory research processes, CST supports PAR by including explicit questions about system and problem boundaries. We first present this approach in the context of existing approaches and then go on to illustrate it by investigating a SES case study of a marine system on the Caribbean Saba Island as part of a project to protect sharks from extinction. The case study illustrates that strengthening PAR with the explicit framing questions used by CST combines the strengths of these two approaches. This combination allows participants: (1) to (re)frame the problem definition and scope as perceived by the different stakeholders, and (2) to find, co-create, and implement viable solutions with local stakeholders to improve a SES based on local needs and diverse stakeholders' perspectives on potential solutions.
The constantly growing tourism sector does not only bring economic well‐being to host communities but also raises environmental and social questions. Communities increasingly experience negative impacts that strain their social, cultural, and ecological living environments. We investigate the potential of a more relational, action‐oriented research approach for tourism: Participatory Action Research (PAR). Results show that PAR has the potential to actively involve tourism‐affected communities in the decision‐making processes that impact their living environments and facilitate them in co‐creating community‐specific initiatives for sustainable change. Yet, the current role of conventional research approaches hinders PAR in developing its full potential.
Participatief Actieonderzoek (PAO) is een benadering die ons in staat stelt complexe problematiek aan te pakken met datgene wat we in overvloed hebben op aarde: mensen. Wanneer al die mensen vanuit intrinsieke motivatie bijdragen aan een betere wereld op een manier die bij hen past, kunnen we enorme sprongen vooruit maken. Met PAO onderzoeken we waar die energie in de samenleving zit en laten we mensen ontdekken hoe ze met die energie kunnen samenwerken. Zij maken hun eigen actieplannen en voeren die samen uit. Het Handboek Participatief Actieonderzoek. Samen werken aan een betere wereld biedt praktische handvatten voor het uitvoeren van PAO, of dat nu is op het gebied van gezondheidszorg, natuurbescherming, sociale problematiek of een ander domein. Het is gebaseerd op de nieuwste inzichten en ervaringen uit de praktijk. Diverse PAO-methoden worden stap voor stap toegelicht en het is aan de lezer om er een combinatie van methoden uit te halen, die het best aansluit bij de lokale context. Ter ondersteuning van dit boek wordt verwezen naar blogs op www.7sens.es en videolectures op het 7Senses YouTube-kanaal. Madelon Eelderink is koploper in de toepassing van Participatief Actieonderzoek (PAO). Met haar bedrijf 7Senses streeft ze naar wereldwijde toepassing van PAO voor het versneld behalen van de Sustainable Development Goals. Met PAO faciliteert zij de ‘community-up’ co-creatie van innovaties en oplossingen die passen bij de behoeften en belangen van alle betrokkenen. Sinds 2013 voeren Madelon en haar team wereldwijd PAO uit op diverse onderwerpen, zoals duurzame ontwikkeling, natuurbescherming, gezondheid en gezondheidszorg, het sociale domein en de energietransitie. Daarnaast is Madelon veelgevraagd trainer, begeleider en spreker op het gebied van PAO. Momenteel voert Madelon een PhD-onderzoek uit aan de Universiteit Utrecht naar de manier waarop PAO ingezet kan worden om complexe duurzaamheidsproblematiek aan te pakken.
The WHO Health Promoting School (HPS) approach embraces a comprehensive, integrated construct of a health promotion strategy aimed at the specific participation of the local school, health services and other stakeholders. The objective of this study was to initiate the development of a community-specific health promotion plan for the primary school in Llano Largo to reduce hygiene-and sanitationrelated health problems among children. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques and Argumentative Policy Analysis (APA) were applied to assess the underlying causes of health-related problems and to initiate the process of social learning among stakeholders, including parents, teachers, the village committee and representatives from the local hospital, local NGO, local government, and the village church. Stakeholders defined five core problems: 1) serious lack of hygiene; 2) no doctor and a lack of medicines; 3) hunger and malnutrition; 4) absence in school as a result of child labor; and 5) no discipline in school. Lack of communication, organization and education seem to be the underlying causes of these problems. In line with the HPS concept, a community-specific health promotion plan was constructed. A ''Social Communication Work Group'' was elected to execute the plan. In conclusion, PRA and APA techniques were successful to implement a HPS plan in Llano Largo. Followup studies should determine the long-term efficacy of the plan. rhea rates in children is abundant. A systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing data on water, sanitation and hygiene interventions by Fewtrell et al.(2) confirmed that hand-washing interventions are effective for reducing the frequency of diarrhea and disease. Water-supply interventions and water-quality interventions are also effective in reducing diarrhea rates. For example, flocculant-disinfectant can reduce the number of diarrheal episodes in children under 5 years of age by 50% (3).School health promotion on potential health risks can lead to positive changes in health-related behavior. However, the need for an intersectoral approach to establish collaboration on communication between different stakeholders, particularly the local population, is an important factor determining the success rate of an educational program (4-7). The World Health Organisation's ''Health Promoting School'' provides the tools for an organizational and structural systematic approach to improve school health, which, in turn, increases the learning capacity of students (8). The health promoting school (HPS)
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