Building Girls' Capacity in Philadelphia - Meaningful Access to Participatory Action Research and Platforms of Feminist Standpoints

Abstract

The partnership of feminist theory and participatory action research (PAR) aims at democratizing the relationship between 'subjects' of research and researchers in order to advance non-hierarchical social activism. However, there is still a gap between theorization and analysis of the manifestations of feminist participatory action research, particularly that which concerns girls and women of color. Feminist action research can dismantle this disparity by building spaces where voices have potential roles in affecting change; transforming personal experiences into politicized knowledges and standpoints. But how do radical epistemologies lead to social change? How do ─in the words of bell hooks─ radical spaces support marginality as a space of resistance? This project examines these questions by looking at how Girls Justice League (GJL) ─a non-profit organization committed to building girls capacity─ goes about carrying out participatory action research in the City of Philadelphia. As a meta analysis of efforts that support situated knowledges, this research project uses a qualitative approach ─including two semi-structured interviews with GJL board members, a personal-narrative-oriented focus group, and an analysis of GJL's reports─ to understand GJL's effort to build girls and women's capacity through feminist PAR. The study finds that the PAR strategies that GJL follows are linked directly to their three-fold mission statement, which provides a useful framework to understand the implementation of resistance into radical spaces. Building girls capacity through a unique structure, approach, and practical implementation of feminist PAR is an empowering stepping stone into paving the way for social change. GJL's model shows the urgency to replicate feminist PAR in other social justice organizations, institutions, and academic settings as a way of building access to inter-disciplinary research-oriented participatory forums.