‘Action-minded’ research: ‘Giving back’ and aspiring to action research with a vegan advocacy organisation in Japan
Keywords:
Veganism, Japan, Action-minded research, Vegan advocacy, Giving back, Japanese social movementsAbstract
This paper, based on my doctoral research project, discusses the usefulness of ‘action-minded’ research to navigate the complexities of real-life action research (AR) fieldwork and proposes the idea of ‘giving back’ as a form of AR principle and practice. I define ‘action-minded’ research as an orientation in which researchers think through the action research framework to strive toward democratic research relationships without necessitating their participants’ full collaboration. During my AR journey with Japanese vegan advocacy organisation VegeProject Japan, I found that adopting such an approach and ‘giving back’ to my participants in helpful and asked-for ways promoted trusting relationships and culminated in a dual positionality as both advocate and researcher that shaped my thesis. This approach is underscored by the view of AR as an aspiration, embracing that human beings are animals too, and thus, imperfect.
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