Action research as a participatory research methodology to investigate restorative justice

What is it about?

The authors begin by outlining the core principles of action research from a theoretical perspective and then critically reflect on the challenges encountered when translating these principles into practice during a four-year action research project on restorative justice processes. Drawing on work conducted at two research sites - social housing estates in Vienna and a rural village in Hungary - they examine how these differing contexts shaped their research strategies. By juxtaposing and comparing experiences across the two sites, the authors illustrate the tensions and ambivalences encountered and trace how practical engagement in the field reconfigured their understanding of action research methodology. The discussion engages with key difficulties action researchers may face during the preparation and implementation of fieldwork, with particular attention to entering the field as outsiders, navigating local micropolitics and power relations, and, most importantly, facilitating change. Finally, the chapter also highlights the strengths of research programmes grounded in the active involvement of participants in the field.

Featured Image

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Central pillars of restorative justice and participatory action research complement each other in interesting ways as both focus on the transformation of social issues through the participation of ‘those concerned’. However, RJ values neutrality, impartiality, or at most multipartiality that can cause irreconcilable contradictions as restorative justice-oriented ‘action researchers have to accept the difficulty and perhaps the impossibility of adopting a non-biased position and of being equally credible to different groups, which the restorative “philosophy” calls for.’

Perspectives