[...]... environment in which the action research has been conducted and the problems and limitations that they encountered during Participatory Action Research 23 the process Systems action research also has the advantage of training practitioners in research methods, including competence in social practice, cooperative action, and analysis (Lewin 1946) Applications of Participatory Action Research for Natural Resource. .. particularly in industry and management studies In Norway, an ambitious program of action research on “industrial democracy” was launched in the 1960s by representatives of industriaiists and trade unionists, who wanted to increasc the worker’s participation in management decisions (Emery and Thorsrud 1976) Research actions were conducted in many different industries over 20 Participatory Action Research. .. regarding which projects are the best to support within each subprogram line Support for the regional research centers seems to stem from the premise that academic research will help in better understanding what is happening in Amazonia and, therefore, in better directing efforts to save some of its natural richness However, there is no Approaches to Resource Conservation 11 provision for linking basic research. .. testing stage The objective of this book is to discuss the validity of one of these new proposed approaches, participatory action research in the field of natural resource management It differs from previous types of participatory research because it links research and intervention (concrete actions) and evaluates the outcome of an intervention so that lessons learned can be applied to future interventions... described as natural resource management problems At the level of individual property, the improvement of natural resource management is a question usually treated by agriciiltural sciences, forestry science, and so on The natural resource management analysis takes as basic elements the natural resources at stake and the stakeholders who have some interest—directly or indirectly in the use or maintenance... known as Transamazônica 2 CHAPTER Participatory Action Research Action Research: A Brief History Action research is generally considered to have been pioneered by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s Lewin was involved in government programs to improve intergroup relations, and he sought methods of improving the contribution of science to the resolution of social problems (Lewin 1946) He realized that the only... show that indigenous peoples are quite able to destroy their natural resources after contact with the market economy and dominating cultures and having access to modern technologies Anthropologists have not yet found any conclusive link between the indigenous religion and management of natural resources For example, there is no conscious effort to conserve natural resources in Amazonian Indian societies... are in developed countries, such as sustainable agriculture in the Netherlands (Roling 1994) and the Landcare Movement in Australia (Campbell 1994) William et al (1994) describe their approach as a “learning process,” which has been used successfully in solving local environmental problems such as river-basin management and co -management of ranching and wildlife in Oregon However, experiences in developing... of action research maintains the better balance between research and action and between the interests of the local actors and the researchers It can solve concrete problems and produce scientific results Because the systems action research can be rigorously documented and analyzed, it also offers the best possibility of replicability Of course, to obtain replicability researchers must describe in detail... groups gave birth to the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations in England and to the Institutional Analysis, the type of action research currently used in France (Liu 1997) Action research has made significant advances in social innovations One example is the promotion of new forms of work organization with greater individual and team autonomy (Trist et al 1963) Action research has also produced important . x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT A Critique. of Intervention for Natural Resource Management 6 Participatory Approaches 11 Evaluation of an Alternative 19 Participatory Action Research 20 Action Research: