Lead Partner: UoP, Participants: Work Research Institute Norway
The aim of the WP3 is to empower the unemployed themselves and other interested social actors / stakeholders to transform, through reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action, the results produced by the previous WPs, in order to address effectively the problem of underutilization of the un-/under-employed at their locality. Furthermore, the WP3, will initiate an iterative reflective cycle (data collection, reflection, action, data collection….) in the selected localities, where participants will collect and analyse data, then determine what action should follow which is then further researched and the participants eventually become researchers themselves. The WP3 will be implemented in 2 out of the 4 target localities, namely Sparta and Tripoli (where the leader organisation, UoP, maintains its seat). The most important reason for the focus on these two towns is that UoP has already worked closely with social actors in both localities over the last 3 years, through the research project Policy Workshop. Thus, WP3 will build on this work and the existing relationships of trust and cooperation, a key element for this participatory methodological approach which considers participants (subjects) as co-researchers, on an equal footing with researchers.
The initial research question of WP3 (which can be transformed from the “action group” itself during the process) is what are the reasons for the underutilization of the local labour and thus, the waste of human resources for local development. The major objectives of this WP are:
- a short-term objective for individuals: to transform and reconstruct views and practices participants (representatives of key social groups/ actors/ stakeholders) use in their effort to address the problem of underutilization and waste of human resources;
- a long-term objective for the society: to produce changes which could be the basis of related policy reforms at a broader level;
- to create concrete and feasible action plans at the local level to effectively address the problem of the underutilisation of human capital
Work in WP3 is divided into the following two tasks2: Task 3.1: Selection of participants of the “action group” and “contract” Participants will be representatives of the key social groups/ organizations of the unemployed and non-voluntary part-timers – with special focus on the most vulnerable of them: the women and the young and other local actors such as municipalities, chambers of commerce and industry, trade unions etc. The framework of the Action Research will be discussed and agreed in the first meeting that will be held. An initial questionnaire will be used to collect existing practices/strategies employed to address unemployment at the local level.
Task 3.2: Organisation of a series of meetings
3.2.1. A future cafe workshop: this is a dialogue-based method for collaborative learning which creates the space for co-researchers to express and share personal theory and visions and seek for shared solutions.
3.2.2. A two day workshop will be organised to discuss the results of the first meeting (future cafe workshop) in comparison with the results of the previous phases of research (WP1 & 2); this will be the first self-reflective discussion where cognitive conflictions and transformation may occur
3.2.3. One full-day workshop will be organised involving other participants from the organisations of the co-researchers; During this workshop specific action plans will be developed which will reflect the actual change of practices and attitudes vis a vis the main research question.
3.2.4. Meeting of the “action group” to reflect on action implementation and prepare open events in each city.
3.3.4. Open event in each city to present the new actions
Task 3.3: WP3 administrative and technical management.
Subproject 3.1: Article submitted to international conference with title Αddressing un/under-employment at the local level: Participatory action research in Greece of crisis
Subproject 3.2: Article submitted to Scientific journal with evaluation Field-configuring events and action research. A case study from Sparta.
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