ERIC Number: EJ958302
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Nov
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0090-4392
EISSN: N/A
Appreciative Inquiry as a Mode of Action Research for Community Psychology
Boyd, Neil M.; Bright, David S.
Journal of Community Psychology, v35 n8 p1019-1036 Nov 2007
In this article, the authors highlight the potential for rethinking approaches to community and social change interventions that draw on participatory action research at the organizational and community level. They distinguish problem-centric from opportunity-centric approaches to social change. Theory on social norms suggests that problem-centric approaches work with the momentum of norms without substantively changing them. By contrast, opportunity-centric approaches have the potential to reframe and dramatically shift organizational and community norms. Appreciative inquiry (AI), a growing practice in organization development, is presented as an example of opportunity-centric change that induces innovation and collaboration through participatory methods. It is distinct from other methods that focus on resolving problems in organizations. The authors illustrate how an AI Summit, a large-scale inquiry designed with four phases: Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny, can assist in an opportunity-centric process. They conclude by describing how opportunity-centric methodologies like AI fit well with the tenets and concerns of community psychologists. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Action Research, Participatory Research, Psychology, Inquiry, Organizational Development, Community Development, Organizational Change, Social Change, Problem Solving
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A