(Separate Fee Required) RMW-1: Assessing the impact of collective action and mobilization initiatives

Within social work, most research on community organizing and collective action has focused on the examination of processes. It has been very difficult to assess the impact of organizing efforts on both participants and outcomes, especially with more grassroots models (Gutierrez et al., 2018).

In this workshop, we will review a variety of research methods that are particularly useful for assessing the impact of collective action efforts––case studies, oral histories and archival methods, media content analysis, interviews and focus groups, participatory action research, surveys, and field experiments. Particular focus will be given to the use of field experiments, which are novel in social work and can be an excellent approach for assessing the impact of community interventions, especially where changing opinions, attitudes, norms, or behaviors at a broader community-level is the aim of the initiative. Emphasis also will be on how to involve mobilization participants in these research efforts.

This workshop is appropriate for anyone with basic knowledge of social work community practice and research methods. While the workshop will focus on community organizing, it is appropriate for anyone interested in exploring research methods to examine the impact of other types of collective mobilization interventions. Participants will be encouraged to share their research projects and discuss the applicability of various impact assessment strategies for their work.