ACTION RESEARCH: an example

The book "ACTION RESEARCH: an example" by Lorna Beretta provides a detailed case study on the methods of an active non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in developing countries. It examines the practices of the NGO in the context of action research, a methodology aimed at promoting social change through participatory approaches. Through interviews with the founders and staff of the NGO, as well as representatives of the Brazilian government, the theory and practice of the NGO are analyzed and compared with the principles of action research. The findings reveal that the NGO deviates from action research in its methodology, particularly in its understanding of personal experience. While action research often starts from the recognition of an oppressed condition, the NGO's methodology is based on acknowledging the possibilities for action within a social context. Nevertheless, the NGO emulates the principles of action research in many other essential aspects.