Participatory action research and social work - A critical appraisal

Participatory action research (PAR) is widely endorsed by social workers as consistent with their commitment to social justice. This paper critically appraises the applicability of PAR to the diverse organizational and cultur al contexts of social welfare work. The author interrogates participatory r esearchers' assertions about power, method and action. Questions are raised about the use of PAR in the Asia-Pacific region where a cultural aversion to the public expression of dissent is frequently encountered. The author a rgues that some of the limitations of PAR can be overcome by radically open ing it to insights from practice and from postmodern theories.