Adaptation of a structured story-dialogue method for action research with social movement activists

Dialogue and story-telling are essential elements of many qualitative methodologies and action research itself, reflecting the constructivist paradigm in which qualitative research (QR) and action research (AR) are grounded, and the co-construction of knowledge that takes place amongst research participants (in group settings) and researchers. This paper reports on the adaptation of a structured story-dialogue method for research with social movement activists undertaken in the form of a series of regional weekend workshops animated by researchers and attended by Transition movement leaders and participants from multiple locales, as part of a larger study (www.transitionemergingstudy.ca). We draw upon participant observation, animator reflections, research team meetings, participant feedback, as well as workshop materials, in relation to two different adaptations of Labonte and Feather’s original formulation (1996) and subsequent reflections (2011), setting this in the context of a broader literature on structured story-dialogue methods with groups. The potential of structured story-dialogue methods for research on, with and for social movements is highlighted.