Participatory Action Research: A Youth-Centered Approach to Planning for a Citywide Youth Media Center

Abstract

In 2007 and 2008, I worked with a team of adult and youth researchers from Youth Media Action, an independent media outlet, on a participatory action research project to better understand the media needs and interests of urban youth. This study centers on training and working with a group of youth researcher to conduct a community needs assessment with urban youth, media educators, and parents that included focus groups, interviews, and an online survey. This case study brings into relief my experiences doing this work with specific attention to some of the possibilities and challenges of expanding the boundaries of research to include youth from marginalized communities that are rarely included in these circles. The case reveals our iterative process of collectively developing and implementing the project in a manner that could potentially be meaningful and useful for Youth Media Action, the participating group. Along the way, many questions arose and this case specifically addresses dilemmas that surfaced about participation, community building, and ownership issues. It is my contention that participatory research processes are critical for cultivating spaces of inquiry in which adults and youth can co-construct knowledge that can be directly applied towards community action and change.

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