We explore the nature of reflexivity in the context of social action and community work. In using the term social action, we are referring to collective action which seeks to transform the nature of local and societal conditions. We characterise such action as the creation of a social space in which stakeholders, representing different interests, come together to engage in joint activities to address issues of inequality and power. In such contexts, reflexivity is something more than the ‘self-reflexivity’ of the individual stakeholder, as social action requires a joint deconstruction of power in the voices and relationships operating between the stakeholders within a performative space. We name this form of reflexivity ‘inter-relational reflexivity’ and explore what such reflexivity may look like. We will suggest that inter-relational reflexivity goes beyond self-reflexivity and occurs dialogically including a concern for moral agency and the negotiation of accountability and responsibility for action. This in turn could lead to the translation of critical awareness in relation to others into social action, referred to as performativity.
In this article a critical reflexive model is described and applied to life stories of tertiary education students doing a masters in health promotion. At the heart of the process is the dialogical space where relational reflexivity is facilitated and around which the narrative story is developed.Examples from tertiary education are given to illustrate how working reflexively with life stories increases critical thinking and a sense of identity, belonging and agency. The approach is holistic in that it connects new knowledge to lived experience. It is based on a social constructionist worldview that uses a narrative lens which recognises that our knowledge is continuously constructed in context and in interaction with others. One way to understand ourselves and others is to understand our own and each other's stories. The model which facilitates this process involves four iterative loops: deconstructing power in the collective; mapping values and identity; negotiating agency; and rendering accountable performance.
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