Podcast E14: Transforming the Poverty Field. Skip Bivens talks with Victor Friedman & Maryann Broxton

In this episode of AR+ Yes/And podcast, Felix (Skip) Bivens interviews Victor Friedman and Maryann Broxton, both of whom served as guest editors for the recent special issue of the Action Research Journal entitled Action Research for Transforming the Poverty Field. Their backgrounds are intentionally dichotomous: Victor a life-long action researcher and academic, and Maryann an activist for ATD Fourth World, an international organization working directly with people experiencing poverty.

Listen here!

The interview discusses, intensively, the development process behind of the special issue, and along the way, delves deeply into the tensions inherent in the social construction of knowledge.

Victor and Maryann emphasize the need for diverse perspectives and for involving people with direct experience of poverty in all stages of the research process.

The conversation highlights the significance of recognizing the legitimacy of research conducted by marginalized communities and involving them in the research process to create a more inclusive and effective approach to addressing poverty.

In Victor’s words,

“I’d like to turn research on its head. Research is everyday life for everybody. This way of being in inquiry, of turning problems into questions, creating relationships in which we learn together in a respectful way that empowers each other through knowledge and through relationship building.”

The articles curated by the editorial team for the special issue offer extensive detail and reflection on the research processes they document. By offering insights on inclusive research practices in diverse location and at varying scales, the special issue aims to impact poverty research and provide tangible examples for the wider action research community.

Links handy

Link to the podcast on soundcloud here: https://on.soundcloud.com/kQk9AzjH7TVFyxH48

Link to the special issue blogs here: https://actionresearchplus.com/action-research-for-transforming-the-poverty-field-arj-special-issue-is-out/