Of designs and disappointments: Some limits to participatory research in a third world context

This paper introduces issues associated with the practice of participatory research (PR) in a Third World context by describing the experience of carrying out a study of urban housing cooperatives in Zimbabwe. A contrast is presented between the PR model, derived from the literature, and the implementation of this model. Five explanations for the discrepancy are proposed, including: differences between the rural and urban context, the questionable suitability of PR for multiple and concurrent case studies, and the need for early intervention. The paper concludes that a methodology is needed for assessing whether a given research context is appropriate for application of a PR model.