This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sung-Chan, P. Articles by Yuen-Tsang, A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Our Journey Nurturing the Voices of Unemployed Women in China through Collaborative-action Research

Hong Kong Polytechnic University, ssplsung{at}polyu.edu.hk

Angelina Yuen-Tsang

Hong Kong Polytechnic University, sswkyuen{at}polyu.edu.hk

The restructuring of state-owned enterprises since China's economic reform in 1978 has resulted in massive unemployment, especially layoffs of middle-aged women workers. State policies and programmes developed to combat unemployment often disregard the voices of these women and deprive them of opportunities to participate in reemployment solutions. The authors initiated an action research project in Beijing in which researchers facilitated unemployed women to find their own voices and negotiating solutions to their problems through a collaborative-action research process. Contrary to the women's customary approach of depending on the government to solve their problems, action research demanded that they take on active roles in coping with the unemployment crisis and practice reflexivity, collaboration, and community participation. The article recaptures the process through which unemployed women were empowered to gradually develop their voices through the different stages of the collaborative-action research process.

Key Words: Action Research • China • gender • reflexivity • unemployment

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?