Reconstructing a Community, Reclaiming a Playground: A Participatory Action Research Study

Abstract

This article describes a participatory acrion research study rhat examined participants' perceptions ot community and of rhe Wesr End neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the study took place. It is argued rhat oppressive situations have developed strong collective identities and social capital among residents, which can lead to the development of community art as a catalyst for social change and inform community-based art education. An asset-based community art curriculum was implemented and two murals were developed. Results from the study indicare that participants conceive of community, in general, as a safe, happy place that is clean and green, and the West End as a place with strong social bonds despite suffering from trash, violence, and drugs. Results also indicate that participants increasingly realized their own ability to affect cbange in tbeir community to improve tbe landscape and promote a cleaner, greener place through art. Data reveal that the community art curriculum contributed to social chatige in the neighborhood by highlighting rhe role of neighborhood children and reclaiming a playground thai bad been associated witb drugs and violence.

Value of Participatory Action Research Methodology in Investigating Design Process within Undergraduate Management Education

“…PAR has been used to explore educational issues at both school level and college/university level, in support of research into issues in the classroom, or the wider side of the education systems themselves. It has also been notably applied in after-school enrichment and youth development programmes (Hutzel, 2007). According to Cunningham (2008) '… action research gives us an iterative, systematic, analytic way to reflect on what we are doing in class, to evaluate our success at achieving our classroom goals, and to chart the direction of future classroom strategies based on what we have learned' (p. 1).…”

Negotiating the Art of Protest through Craftivism

“…In essence, art and pedagogy are key considerations in a participatory framework, not unlike what Helgeura (2011) aptly refers to as transpedagogical or a blending of art and pedagogy in informal spaces. In such spaces, artists/educators/facilitators involve participants in processes that encourage critical engagements with art, artmaking and communities through robust investigations of pressing social issues (Hutzel 2007;Campana 2011;Desai 2020). Key to this work is the role that art and pedagogy play as a kind of civic action (Bell & Desai 2011;Kraehe 2017;Lawton 2019;Acuff 2020;Shields et al 2020) Furthermore, like many who study craftivism, I see potential for resistance that not only mirrors existing, and in some ways, established forms of protest but imagines alternative responses and reactions that emerge from the unique contexts and needs of communities (Newmeyer 2008;Ey 2019).…”

The Influence of the Local Community Post Conflict Interventions Measures on Reconstruction of Public Primary Teacher Training Colleges in South Sudan

“…Community-based intervention are aimed at empowering local community groups and institutions by offering direct control of investment decisions, planning of projects, execution and monitoring through a process that emphasizes on the inclusivity of participation and management (Hutzel, 2007). The impact of violent conflict and fragility is devastating and comprehensive on a country's society, economy, and political governance.…”