Action Research Implemented

Action research is a method of creating social change collectively. Activists will try to create change via participating in the situation. They will gain knowledge of the problem by living with the problem, and create an effective solution to that problem.

It begins with a brainstorm of ideas. These ideas can be broad and random. Then activists will start getting more specific with one particular topic, like causes/effect, indirect influences. Activists don’t just dive into a topic. They then do a lot of background research on the topic they decide to work on. They research about the past and present. Sources can be newspapers and the books in the library. After significant research is done, the activists set a goal. The goal is what the activists want to accomplish. Creating social change doesn’t mean changing the whole situation at once. Activists usually have a specific goal in mind, and they target that specific goal. Other than the goals, there are also component goals. These component goals are the things that need to be done in order to reach the goal. After having a clear and specific goal in mind, activists create an action plan. They think about what their message is and what is the most effective way to get that message out. The plan will be polished, and then implemented in the field. In the process, the activists will take notes about their action plan. They look at what is successful, and what needs to be change. They evaluate their action plan according to the data they took and analyzed. Afterwards, they look at their goal again to see if it was accomplished. If not, the activists implements a revised action plan to achieve the goal.

The issue I am going to implement action-research on is the relationship between my grandmother and my family. Ever since my grandfather passes away, she has been living alone in a pretty empty house. When she goes home, she doesn’t have anyone to talk to and the only entertainment is from the television. My apartment is right next to hers, so she comes over frequently. But my parents are busy with their own matters, so sometimes having her in our apartment is inconvenient.

This issue is important because it relates to me personally. My grandmother has been with me for as old as I am. Ever since my grandfather went away, my grandmother is trying to cope with living alone. Being an old person, living alone is hard. Especially with diabetes, a trip or a fall can be deadly. So if the relationship between her and my family is improved, she can sort of be part of my family. We can take care of each other better.

I have used a couple of social change methods on this issue. The most important method was being nice. Just saying hi or good morning to people can enhance anyone’s day. I usually jog after school, and most of the time I see my grandmother there. I will just say hi and I will continue my activities. But now, I try to start a conversation with her, try and make her not feel alone. I have volunteered to help her with chores, like mopping floors and fixing stuff. I talked to my parents about this and they agree that this is a great idea. I told them to work on their attitudes toward my grandmother. Like when she comes over and talk, we should listen to what she has to say. Having someone to listen to you makes you feel you exist.

My previous goal was focused on the restaurant workers at the GB restaurant, but I decided against it because it doesn’t really affect me that much (compared to my current issue). I have only a week for this project, so focusing on something on a smaller scale and more personal is better.

I think many people are going to pick something small for this. I am sure 95% of all my social change classmates do not have any experiences with action research or just creating social change in general. So picking something on a large scale might be overwhelming.