From Participation to Empowerment: Critical Reflections on a Participatory Action Research Project with Street Children in Turkey

Anli Ataöv
Department of City and Regional Planning
Middle East Technical University (METU)
Ankara, Turkey

Jawaid Haider
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania

Citation: Ataöv, Anli and Jawaid Haider (2006). "From Participation to Empowerment: Critical Reflections on a Participatory Action Research Project with Street Children in Turkey." Children, Youth and Environments 16 (2): 131-156. Retrieved [date] from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/

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Abstract

This paper is based on a three-year participatory action research (PAR) project conducted with children living and working on the streets of six Turkish metropolitan cities. We first examine how the dominant policy fails to acknowledge street children as actors in public space and review empowering methodology for working with street children. Second, we discuss the PAR methodology and how it facilitates meaningful participation by street children. Third, we consider how the project contributed to the inclusion of street children in public space. Finally, we review the role of PAR in empowering street children.

Keywords: street children, children’s participation, participatory action research, urban space, public realm, empowerment, Turkey