Consciousness raising in participatory research

Abstract

Nursing practice and research that are grounded in emancipatory inquiry challenge the inequalities and injustices that affect health in this society. Increasing numbers of nurse scholars have explored the use of emancipatory inquiries (particularly feminist theory and critical theory) as philosophic bases for nursing practice and as theoretical or methodologic perspectives for nursing research. This article presents participatory research as a methodology and consciousness raising as a method for nursing research that addresses the emancipatory goals of feminist and critical theories. An example of consciousness raising in a participatory nursing research project is offered. It is argued that participatory research can produce a revolutionary emancipatory knowledge for the future of nursing and health care.