Participatory Action Research in Communication and Territorial Development

Research areas

Area 1 — Participatory action research and the co-production of knowledge

Study of approaches involving researchers, residents, professionals and institutional actors in producing knowledge and developing actions. This area examines forms of participation, the recognition of experiential knowledge, power relations in research, and the conditions for assessing the transformations undertaken.

Area 2 — Territorial communication and the construction of public problems

Analysis of the communication practices through which actors make territorial issues visible, define priorities and legitimize their interventions. Research focuses on institutional discourse, local media, territorial representations, and controversies surrounding development projects.

Area 3 — Local governance, citizen participation and collective action

Study of relationships between local authorities, public institutions, associations and populations in conducting territorial action. This area examines consultation arrangements, local mobilizations and decision-making processes, taking into account inequalities in opportunities to speak and tensions between participation and representation.

Area 4 — Digital practices and transformations in territorial relationships

Analysis of the social uses of platforms, digital media and communication tools within territories. This area explores their effects on the circulation of information, social interactions, mobilizations and relationships with institutions, as well as inequalities in access, skills and visibility.

Area 5 — Territorial development, local resources and social inequalities

Study of processes through which economic, social, cultural and environmental resources are mobilized, distributed and enhanced. This area examines local initiatives, relationships between urban and rural spaces, and the differing effects of development policies on social groups.

Area 6 — Heritage, identities and socio-ecological transitions

Analysis of relationships between collective memory, cultural practices, attachment to places and transformations in living environments. This area examines uses of heritage, tourism and environmental issues, and negotiations and conflicts surrounding the preservation and planning of territories.