Transforming Lives through Participatory Action Research: The Impact of Being a Peer Interviewer in One Qualitative Research Project

Background

In the current climate of increasing interest in qualitative research and a concern for an epistemic framing that acknowledges and responds to issues of power, participatory action research (PAR) has gained currency. Indeed, PAR intends to transform the lives of those involved in research. While there is an emerging literature describing the benefits and challenges of PAR, there is less research that has done an in-depth investigation of the impact of PAR projects for those who have lived experience with the researched issue. In this article we contribute to this emerging literature by taking a more comprehensive look at the impact of participating in a PAR project for a selection of peer-interviewers in the Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion (lone mothers) project, a longitudinal study that engaged single mothers accessing welfare to interview their peers in three Canadian provinces to understand their experiences with an increasingly precarious labor market and significant restrictions in the welfare system.

Method

Eight interviews and one focus group were conducted with six peer-interviewers from the Ontario site of the lone mothers project, as well with as the study’s project coordinator and principle investigator. Seven of the eight interviews were audio recorded and detailed notes were taken during interviews and the focus group. We engaged in two steps of thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data. First, we reviewed written notes to generate an initial set of codes. Next, we analysed qualitative data directly from audio files, a practice supported in the literature. Participants provided feedback on our interpretation of the data, further informing the analysis and framing of the findings. This step reflects an ongoing commitment to meaningfully involving individuals with lived experience through all stages of the research process.

Results

This study’s findings demonstrate the positive impact participating in PAR can have for peer-interviewers. Peer-interviewers from the lone mothers project reported that participating in the project improved their self-esteem, helped them build new skills, increased their civic engagement, and sparked their motivation to engage in critical reflection and pursue further education. Participating in the project also created a sense of community and belonging amongst the peer-interviewers who often experienced exclusion and marginalization. Furthermore, the peer-interviewers felt like hearing stories of significant adversity helped put their own difficulties into perspective and heightened their sense of compassion towards their fellow citizens.

Conclusion

Individual transformation was possible because the lone mothers research team was committed to the research process in spite of pressure to produce outcomes. To further strengthen PAR we suggest future research investigate the impact of PAR on a larger range of stakeholders, as well as examine the longer-term impact of PAR projects on individuals and systems. Ultimately, though, we believe PAR, practiced in a way that prioritizes the research process, has the ability to impact individual lives and influence social policy change that results in a more equitable and just society.