Autonomous Activist-Research. The case of the squatters' movement in Madrid
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/ris.2012.02.10Keywords:
Activist-research, Autonomous citizen participation, Methodology of social sciences, Reflexivity, Squatters’ movementAbstract
Citizen participation has been recently incorporated in the design and implementation of different public policies but participants have often criticised that there is little room for autonomous modes of citizen participation within institutional frameworks. Which are the specific features of autonomous processes of citizen participation compared to the most institutional ones? How does autonomous participation develop? This article deals with the methodological aspects of autonomous participation. In doing so, we will present an experience of autonomous activist-research within the squatters’ movement of Madrid which lasted for two and a half years. In particular, we focus on the methodological decisions taken by activist-researchers and describe the major contributions of this participatory process. We argue that such an activist-research process was based upon three different strategies which provided a productive framework for the participants’ involvement: a) an open, horizontal and self-managed group of activist-researchers; b) an open-source and copy-left commitment in order to fulfill an equal access to the production of knowledge; c) a qualitative and comprehensive methodology which allowed to gather a wide range of information taking into account the social diversity within the squatters’ movement.
Downloads
References
Adell, R. and M. Martínez. eds. 2004. ¿Dónde están las llaves? El movimiento okupa: prácticas y contextos sociales. Madrid: La Catarata. PMCid:446220
Arnstein, S. 1969. "A Ladder of Citizen Participation." Journal of the American Planning Association 35 (4): 216-224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944366908977225
Blackburn, J. and J. Holland. eds. 1998. Who Changes? Institutionalizing Participation in Development. Exeter: Intermediate Technology.
Borja, J. and M. Castells. 1997. Local y Global. La gestión de las ciudades en la era de la información. [Local and global. City management in the age of information] Madrid: Taurus-United Nations for Human Settlements (Habitat).
Cancian, F. M. 1993. "Conflicts between Activist Research and Academic Success: Participatory Research and Alternative Strategies." The American Sociologist 24-1:92-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02691947
Castells, M. 1983. The City and the Grassroots. A Cross-Cultural Theory of Urban Social Movements. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Chambers, R. 1997. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. London: Intermediate Technology.
Conti, A. 2004. "La encuesta como método político. El objetivo de la encuesta no es la interpretación del mundo sino la organización de su transformación." Pp. 55-66 in Malo, Marta edited by Nociones comunes. Experiencias y ensayos entre investigación y militancia. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños.
Cox, L., and C. Flesher. 2009. "Movement knowledge: what do we know, how do we create knowledge and what do we do with it?" Interface: a journal for and about social movements 1(1):1-20. [http://www.interfacejournal.net/2009/01/issue-one-editorial-movement-knowledge.html]
Cox, L. 1998. "Gramsci, movements and method: the politics of activist research." Alternative Futures and Popular Unrest: 4th International Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University. [http://eprints.nuim.ie/442/]
De Sousa Santos, B. ed. 2003. Conhecimento Prudente para uma Vida Decente. Um Discurso sobre as Ciências revisitado. Porto: Afrontamento.
Domínguez, M., Martínez, M. and E. Lorenzi. 2010. Okupaciones en movimiento. Derivas, estrategias, prácticas. Madrid: Tierra de Nadie.
Eckardt, F. 2011. "Cuando la gente se hace oír... Reflexiones sobre el renacimiento de la democracia directa en Alemania." Urban 1:67-80.
Fals Borda, O. 1985. Conocimiento y poder popular. Lecciones con campesinos de Nicaragua, México, Colombia. Bogotá: Punta de Lanza-Siglo XXI.
Fuster, M. 2009. "Action research: mapping the nexus of research and political action." Interface: a journal for and about social movements 1(1): 21-45 [http://www.interfacejournal.net/2009/01/activistresearch-methodologies_9685.html ]
Galtung, J. 1977. Methodology and Ideology. Theory and Methods of Social Research. Copenhagen: Christian Ejlers.
Gianotten, V. and T. De Wit. 1991. "Un caso de organización popular." Pp. 89-114 In Acción y conocimiento. Cómo romper el monopolio con investigación-acción participativa edited by Fals Borda, O. and Rahman, M.A. Bogotá: CINEP.
Greenwood, D. 2007. "Pragmatic Action Research." International Journal of Action Research 3, 1/2: 131-148.
Hale, C. R. 2006. "Activist Research vs. Cultural Critique: Indigenous Land Rights and the Contradictions of Politically Engaged Anthropology." Cultural Anthropology 21-1: 96-120.
Jimeno, M. 2004. "La vocación crítica de la antropología latinoamericana." Maguaré 18:33-58.
Koopmans, R. 1995. Democracy from Below. New Social Movements and Political System in West Germany. Colorado: Westview.
Lapassade, G. 1980. Socioanálisis y potencial humano. Barcelona: Gedisa.
Malo, M. ed. 2004. Nociones comunes. Experiencias y ensayos entre investigación y militancia. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños. PMCid:415680
Martínez, M. 1997. "Dimensiones epistemológicas y metodológicas de la IAP para un autoconocimiento de los Nuevos Movimientos Sociales." Política y Sociedad 25: 205-227.
Martínez, M. 2002 Okupaciones de viviendas y centros sociales. Autogestión, contracultura y conflictos urbanos. Barcelona: Virus.
Martínez, M. 2011a. "Dimensiones múltiples de la participación ciudadana en la planificación espacial." Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas 133: 21-42.
Martínez, M. 2011b. "The Citizen Participation of Urban Movements in Spatial Planning: A Comparison between Vigo and Porto." International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 35-1: 147-171.
Offe, C. 1985. "New Social Movements: Challenging the boundaries of institutional politics." Social Research 52, 4: 817-68.
Park, P. 1992. "Qué es la investigación-acción participativa. Perspectivas teóricas y metodológicas." Pp. 135-17 in La Investigación. Acción participativa. Inicios y desarrollos, edited by Salazar, M.C. Madrid: Popular-OEI-CEAAL.
Petras, E. M. and D. V. Porpora. 1993. "Participatory Research: Three Models and an Analysis." The American Sociologist 24-1:107-126 .
Piazza, G. 2011. Which models of democracy? Internal and external decision-making processes of Italian Social Centres in a comparative study. Center of Studies on Politics and Society – WP Series 1-1, pp.3-54.
Pollack, M. 1980. "Paul F. Lazarsfeld: A Sociointellectual Biography." Science Communication 2:157-177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107554708000200201
Pruijt, H. 2004a. "Okupar en Europa." Pp. 35-60 in ¿Dónde están las llaves? El movimiento okupa: prácticas y contextos sociales, edited by Adell, R. and M. Martínez. Madrid: La Catarata.
Rahman, M. A. 1991. "El punto de vista teórico de la IAP." Pp. 21-35 in Acción y conocimiento. Cómo romper el monopolio con investigación-acción participativa. edited by Fals Borda, O. and Rahman, M.A. Bogotá: CINEP.
Rappaport, J. 2008. "Beyond Participant Observation: Collaborative Ethnography as Theoretical Innovation." Collaborative Anthropologies 1: 1-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cla.0.0014
Schensul, J. J., Berg, M. J. ande K. Williamson. 2008. "Challenging Hegemonies: Advancing Collaboration in Community-Based Participatory Action Research." Collaborative Anthropologies 1: 102-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cla.0.0009
Reason, P. 1994. "Three Approaches to Participative Inquiry." Pp. 324-339 in Handbook of Qualitative Research, edited by Denzin, N., Lincoln, Y. London: Sage.
Shukaitis, S., and D. Graeber. 2007. Constituent Imagination. Militant Investigations, Collective Theorization. Oakland: AK Press.
Situaciones, Colectivo. 2004. "Algo más sobre la Militancia de Investigación. Notas al pie sobre procedimientos e (in)decisiones." pp. 93-110 in Malo, Marta (ed.) Nociones comunes. Experiencias y ensayos entre investigación y militancia. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños. [also included in Shukaitis and Graeber (eds.) Constituent Imagination. Militant Investigations, Collective Theorization. Oakland: AK Press, pp. 73-93].
Toret, J. et al. Eds. 2008. Autonomía y metrópolis. Del movimiento okupa a los centros sociales de segunda generación, Málaga: ULEX y Diputación Provincial de Málaga. PMid:18298676
VVAA . 1997. Kontra la nada. Testimonios del Cine Okupado. Barcelona: Kasa de la Muntanya.
VVAA . 1999. Okupació, repressió i moviments socials. Barcelona: Assemblea de Okupes de Terrassa- Diatriba-Kasa de la Muntanya.
VVAA . 2001. Vivienda: especulación,... & Okupazioak, Bilbo: Donostialdeko Okupazio Batzarra - Likiniano Elkartea.
Villasante, T. R. 2006. Desbordes creativos. Estilos y estrategias para la transformación social. Madrid: La Catarata. PMCid:1909752
Wilden, A. 1987. Man and Woman. War and Peace. The Strategist's Companion. London: Routledge.
Wilhelmi, G. 2000. Armarse sobre las ruinas. Historia del movimiento autónomo en Madrid (1985-1999). Madrid: Potencial Hardcore.
Woolgar, S. 1988. Science: The Very Idea. London: Ellis Horwood.
Zamosc, L. 1992. "Campesinos y sociólogos: reflexiones sobre dos experiencias de investigación activa en Colombia." Pp. 85-133 in La Investigación. Acción participativa. Inicios y desarrollos edited by Salazar, M.C. Madrid: Popular-OEI-CEAAL.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2012 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the printed and online versions of this Journal are the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a “Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International” (CC BY 4.0) License. You may read here the basic information and the legal text of the license. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 License must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the published by the Editor, is not allowed.
