Retooling relationships within Habitat for Humanity: A folkorists foray into participatory action research.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In her article “The Politicization of Culture in Applied Folklore” (1999), Jessica Payne calls upon folklorists to use our unique skills in service to the communities in which we study, work and live. This project is an initial foray into the uses of folklore outside both the academy and traditional public or applied folklore arenas. Distinctive but unusual contributions to the field of folklore will be made through demonstrating how folklorists can use their skills to collect data that will assist people in solving problems.
Participatory action research (PAR) is a collaborative methodology familiar to sociology and education but little used in folklore, despite the methodology's sharing many of the research tools of folklore, such as participant observation, qualitative interviewing and use of personal narrative experiences. One of the hallmarks of PAR is that each participant is recognized and utilized as an expert in his or her base of knowledge.
This dissertation will explore the application of folkloristics and PAR in a non-profit organization: the Americus/Sumter County Habitat for Humanity affiliate based in Americus, Georgia. It will particularly address the use of collaborative methodologies in folklore. I am working with a collaborative team which consists of two Habitat homeowners, an AmeriCorps/Habitat volunteer and the affiliate's Director of Family Services. Through the application of folklore methods, such as participant observation and interviews we are exploring the relationship between homeowners and volunteers.
The research has had two distinct but connected parts. The first is that of a folklorist testing a methodology little used in folklore and the second is chronicling the application of folklore and collaborative methodologies in a real application: Habitat for Humanity.