If there is one lesson I will take away from this course, it is that social change can occur in a variety of ways. Its flexibility allows for it to affect many different groups of people and be applied to a myriad of situations in the hope of improving the community. One manner of social change that I have always found interesting and have heard second-hand about its benefits is that of Community Gardens. Community gardening allows for a group of people to connect in a mission of growing food and beauty while fostering positive personal and interpersonal effects in the process. In a world wher ..read more

One of the most well-known activist research done is from the dairy business; however, the most sinister research comes from the tobacco industry. Activist research sits in between participatory research and self-interest. This is because the researcher thrusts themselves into the world of which they are studying, while also pushing certain values into their research. (Nelson, 2023). We can see this type of research-development-marketing in almost any field or industry, such as meat and dairy, pharmaceuticals, and the wellness market.  Large companies, even today, hire their own researche ..read more

Fertility is a common discussion that many people have to face at some points in their life. Many couples try to have a baby and do so with ease, others struggle a little more. There are several factors that contribute to infertility and fertility struggles. Some may think since the female grows the baby, that would imply that the fertility would be solely dependent on the female but this is not the case. Therefore, the male should show interest in investigating the problem influencing fertility and the female should support this. This essay will discuss fertility and participatory research in ..read more

The acceptance and research on mental health has greatly increased over even just the past few years. In the year of 2021, roughly 22.8% of the U.S population has suffered from a mental illness. Now if that percent seems low we can put into how many people that percent represents, which is 57.8 million people in the United States. What better way to address and study mental health than to have those who have lived through it themselves be a part of the research. Now, there have been multiple studies done where those who have suffered from any mental health illness have been participants in res ..read more

Action research, at its core, is a transformative methodology that seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice by actively involving participants in the research process. It evolved out of disillusionment with the traditional positivist research model (Brydon-Miller, 1997) and  emp sizes collaboration, empowerment, and real-world social change. Within this realm, Participatory Action Research (PAR) stands out, striving to holistically comprehend social situations and instigate change through collaboration between researchers, participants, and communities (Cornish et al., 2023). P ..read more

Social change is a powerful force that drives progress and transformation in society. Throughout my life I have seen how social change has impacted so many movements or changes. For example, a study conducted by Oxfam found that participatory approaches to social change, such as community-led initiatives, have been effective in addressing poverty and inequality in various contexts around the world (Oxfam, 2019). By actively involving communities in decision-making processes, these initiatives have led to more sustainable and impactful outcomes. I myself have been in community groups that invol ..read more

When thinking about social change, I immediately think of the color pink. But what is social change? It is the evolution in this blog on behaviors and thoughts. A whole shift in attitudes, practices, and policies in a community, but for this discussion, a Country. Social change was done with the affiliation of the color pink. Why, though, of all colors pink? Well in the Philippines 2022 elections on October 7 2022, the color pink was the sign of hope; it is the color of the groundswell of an individual’s volunteers’. Pink was the campaign color for a potential candidate’s stance against the ot ..read more

Growing up, we base our ideas of science and scientists on what we see in the media we consume. For me, being a scientist meant either digging up dinosaur bones or conducting psychic experiments in the basement of Columbia University. Then, when the University grew tired of their antics, a real scientist would buy an old run-down fire station, develop nuclear reactors that they could wear on their back, bust some ghosts, and save New York City. As you grow older, your ideas of what a scientist is changes. You begin to see the scientist as an objective observer. One who conducts experiments on ..read more

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a unique research approach that involves the researchers being part of the community or social situation they are studying. This method allows for a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and the development of more effective interventions. A prime example of PAR in action is the urban revitalization project in Flint, Michigan, USA. Once a thriving industrial hub, Flint had been facing economic decline and urban decay for several years. The city, known for its automobile manufacturing history, was grappling with numerous challenges, including job loss ..read more

“Nothing about us without us” first became a mantra of activists in support of disability rights (Wilson et al, 2022). It has since become adopted by D-Justice advocates for education justice in Detroit (Wilson et al, 2022). This mantra succinctly sums up the goals of participatory research and societal change. Participatory research and societal change involves community members actively being involved in gathering information and making decisions about making positive changes in their community (Brydun-Miller, 1997). D-Justice was started in response to the profit driven direction that Detro ..read more