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THE PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH PARADIGM AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
Author(s) -
Cocks Errol,
Cockram Judith
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
mental handicap research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 0952-9608
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3148.1995.tb00140.x
Subject(s) - citizen journalism , action (physics) , participatory action research , public relations , paradigm shift , process (computing) , service (business) , comprehension , psychology , learning disability , identity (music) , sociology , business , political science , marketing , computer science , developmental psychology , law , epistemology , aesthetics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , anthropology , programming language , operating system
We believe that we are living through an age of transition, perhaps moving towards some ‘post technological’ era and that this time is marked by considerable turbulence in society. Because of die place of disability within our society this era contains more dian its fair share of risks to people with disabilities. Our enduring concern is about the ability of human service organisations to deliver meaningful services—to become or to remain compassionate, humane and responsive to people's needs and, in particular, to devise strategies in which research and action are closely linked. In this study we advocate a participatory research paradigm as a powerful and liberating strategy to deliver meaningful services to people with disabilities. Through the participatory process the sharing of client experiences benefits both the clients (by turning their passivity into activity) and those who deliver services to them. It is a major thesis of this paper that a new research paradigm in the field of learning disability must emerge from a clearer comprehension of the essential identity of people with a learning disability and the reality of their life experiences and situations.