Full Description
Contemporary society encounters profound economical, socio-ecological and political crises challenging the democratic foundation of our societies. This book addresses the potentials and challenges for Action Research supporting democratic alternatives. It offers a broad spectrum of examples from Scandinavian Action Research showing different openings towards democratic development. The book's first part contributes with a wide range of examples such as Action Research in relation to the Triple Helix/Mode II contexts, to design as a democratic process, to renewal of welfare work and public institutions, to innovation policies combining Action Research with gender science. In the second part of the book epistemological and ontological dimensions of Action Research are discussed addressing questions of validity criteria related to Action Research, the transformation of knowledge institutions and the specific character of creativity in Action Research. The book offers a basis for theoretical as well as practical oriented discussions and critical reflections within the field of Action Research and related research orientations, involving a wide range of actors.
Contents
Preface. Editors' Introduction: Why Action Research for Democracy? Part One: Renewal of Working Life and Welfare Institutions Through Democratisation. Openings by Action Research and Interactive Research Introduction to Part One 1. Interactive Research: A Joint Learning Process with the Unions Maria Bennich, Lennart Svensson and Göran Brulin 2. Design as Democratic Process - and Implications for Innovation Bo Westerlund and Yngve Sundblad 3. Democratising Innovation Policy by Gender Scientific Participatory Research Malin Lindberg 4. Empowering Dialogues: A Way to Democratise Knowledge Production? Ann-Christine Larsson and Sofia Nordmark 5. New Forms of Public Participation: The Festival of Difference as Action Research on the Road to a More Inclusive Labour Market Ditte Tofteng and Mia Husted 6. Redefining Democratic Welfare - Openings and Future Orientations: Action Research in Danish Day Care Centres Annegrethe Ahrenkiel 7. Action Research with Teachers: Action and Critique in a Project on Multicultural Education Signe Hvid Thingstrup 8. Educational Action Research and the Development of Professional Teacher Knowledge Hilde Hiim Part Two: Action Research: Rethinking the Societal Role of Science: Democratisation, Sustainability and Historical Experience Introduction to Part Two 9. Can Action Research Strengthen Democratic Dimensions in Gender Mainstreaming Processes? Ewa Gunnarsson 10. Organising Research Institutions Through Action Research Jonas Egmose 11. Towards Democratic Scientific Inquiry?: Participatory Democracy, Philosophy of Science and the Future of Action Research Erik Lindhult 12. Artistic Sense in Action Research Birger Steen Nielsen and Kurt Aagaard Nielsen Postscript.
