Is this not a paradox or oxymoron?
Research Title: Reconciling Legacy and Progress: Action-Researching Action Research in Higher Education
Action research presents a challenging methodology for me as a graduate of Lancaster University Management School, an institution closely associated with its role in the advancement of action research within the military-industrial innovation sphere; and also AR being notably linked to World War II weapons development in the United States challenges me.
In light of this background, I aim to undertake an action research intervention that critically examines the concept of Action Research itself within the context of a certification dedicated to promoting inclusivity and social justice.
To achieve this, I plan to incorporate ethnographic-anthropological “transect walks” as a methodology. These walks (with a fellow PGCerter) will involve physically traversing different spaces within the university campus, deliberately engaging with the university’s physical environment to understand its history and its impact on inclusivity and social justice. Transect walks will allow me to connect with the university’s physical and symbolic spaces, gaining a deeper understanding of their influence on my positionality.
Through this intervention, I intend to create a sense of ambivalence, symbolically exploring how to employ tools with a complex historical legacy within a framework of reconciliation and inclusivity.
My passion lies in the meta-level analysis, and this multifaceted project, which involves critiquing the methodology, the unit, and the university while operating within the medium of their own production, aligns with my intellectual interest in depth and reflexivity. It not only has the potential to transform the university environment but also to inspire similar initiatives in the broader field of higher education, incorporating innovative methods like transect walks to inform critical research and action.