The Community Narrative Research Project: Organizational Learning and Change Through College-Based Community Research Initiatives

Abstract

This paper explores the role of participatory research and narrative research methods in fostering organizational learning and change in a college setting. Using the Community Narrative Research Project (CNRP) and the Rhodes College Bonner Scholars Program as a case study, this research examines relationships between research methodologies and community practices. I examined student-written narratives, interviews with researchers, and focus groups with research participants to assess the role of the CNRP in promoting learning and change within the Bonner Scholars Program. My analyses focused on understanding the potential of written narratives to promote problem identification within the Bonner Scholars organization and on CNRP researcher and student experiences of narrative and participatory research strategies. I explore strengths and weaknesses of the CNRP, focusing on tensions between methodological theory and practice. Results suggest that narrative and participatory methodologies might serve as a useful model for understanding organizational learning and change in college settings. Implications for future research are discussed.