Media centre Jobs Contact Research Learn Events News & opinion About Search About Research clusters CLUSTER Participation, Inclusion and Social Change Participation is a right held by all people to engage in society and in the decisions that impact their lives. Participation is thus a political endeavour that challenges oppression and discrimination, in particular of the poorest and most marginalised people. Participatory processes enable people to see more clearly, and learn from the complexity that they are living and working amid. Through participation people can identify opportunities and strategies for action, and build solidarity to effect change. Those whose interests are served by exclusion will seek to co-opt or pacify participation. This is not grounds for rejecting it, but for fighting harder for it, and understanding the fields of power within which meaningful participation for transformative social change lies. Research by our Participation, Inclusion and Social cluster specializes in the development of participatory research methods with particular emphasis on systematic social exclusion facing women, people living in extreme poverty, people with disabilities, slaves and bonded labourers and others. This requires a systemic understanding of change, and an activist approach to research. We describe such an approach as participatory practice. Through our work, we aim to: Conduct and support participatory practice that is facilitative and developmental, challenging the dominance of ‘external expert’ knowledge in mainstream research approaches. Use, develop and share knowledge on participatory methods, which are a key part of participatory practice. These include systemic action research, peer research, participatory mapping, collective analysis, participatory numbers, and visual and digital approaches. Our Participatory Methods website hosts a range of resources to generate ideas and action for inclusive development and social change. Employ a holistic learning based approach that is ‘responsive’, ‘reflective and ‘adaptive’, recognising that reality is constantly changing, and that participatory practice means continuous engagement. Visit our Participatory Methods website Share Participation newsletter Stay up to date with our research, events, teaching and professional development learning by subscribing to our regular e-newsletter. Subscribe Key contacts Joanna Howard Research Fellow and Cluster Leader j.howard@ids.ac.uk People Brigitte Rohwerder Research Officer Danny Burns Professorial Research Fellow Dilmurad Yusupov Postgraduate Researcher Erika López Franco Research Officer Jackie Shaw Research Fellow Jae Hyun Park Doctoral Researcher Jamie Myers Research and Learning Manager Joanna Howard Research Fellow and Cluster Leader See all Projects PROJECT Participatory Action Research with Disabled Adolescents in Nepal (PARDAN) Intersecting vulnerabilities of disability, low socio-economic status, marginalisation and age indicate that children and young people with disabilities are likely to be uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there has been limited research from low-and middle-income countries... PROJECT Ending human trafficking in Nepal IDS, Karen Snyder and our partners, aim to improve the knowledge base on TIP, identify what works in reducing human trafficking, and improving service delivery to trafficking survivors and people at risk of being trafficked. PROJECT Desk Review: evidence for the use of digital resources to deliver sexuality education How do young people learn about sex today? Increasingly, sexuality education and information are being delivered through digital spaces, reaching millions. Working with UNESCO this project begins with a desk review of the evidence for the use of digital resources to deliver sexuality education... PROJECT Ethical Involvement of Children with Disabilities in Evidence Generation and Use This project, undertaken in partnership with UNICEF, explored the main ethical challenges, and corresponding mitigation strategies, in relation to involving children with disabilities in evidence generation. Children with disabilities are defined as individuals under 18 years of age who have... See all Recent work FEATURED PROGRAMME The Sanitation Learning Hub Together with partners around the world, our focus is to support and strengthen the sector to tackle the complex challenges it faces in delivering the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2. FEATURED BRIEF The Modern Slavery Trap: Bonded Labour International enterprises, sex work, organised crime groups, and exploitative recruitment agencies have dominated the discussion on modern slavery in recent years. However, while this work is important, it is just the tip of the iceberg. It misses the diversity of relationships and perpetrators colluding to make modern slavery, and particularly bonded labour, a public secret in the twenty-first century. UPCOMING EVENT Child rights: through Covid and into recovery – new and changing norms As part of the Rejuvenate project, we are hosting a series of grounded dialogues. The first dialogue, held in September, responded and reflected on the Rejuvenate principles, and can be rewatched here. We will be joined in an interactive session by practitioners and thinkers in the fields of... From 12 January 2022 until 12 January 2021 PAST EVENT Sanitation, hygiene and environmental cleanliness for child development outcomes It has been a long-standing goal of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) professionals to improve the health and lives of children. The health consequences from insufficient access to WASH are wide reaching and impact a range of diseases, infections and other concerns. It is well accepted that... 25 November 2021 REPORT Sanitation, Hygiene and Environmental Cleanliness for Child Development Frontiers of Sanitation: Innovations and Insights;19 This Frontiers of Sanitation draws on the Transformative WASH concept to explore and outline what may be required of WASH implementation stakeholders in efforts to support child development outcomes. The Frontiers explores the multiple ways in which inadequate sanitation, hygiene, and... Alison Macintyre Clare Strachan 23 November 2021 OPINION Using child rights framework as a tool for gender backlash Raisa Philip 22 November 2021 See all Contact Subscribe to our newsletter(s) IDS Bulletin Disclaimer & cookies Privacy statement © 2021 Institute of Development Studies Design and development by Soapbox We use cookies to enable us to see how this website is being used. This helps us to ensure that the website is user-friendly, and that you’re able to access the information you need easily. Our cookies are stored locally on your device. To accept our cookies, continue browsing as normal: alternatively please see our cookie policy for more information. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies