THE MORAL MAXIMALISTS= RESEARCH GROUP

MISSION AND RESEARCH ROLE

Mission Statement:

Study, learn, and write about local community grassroots organizational struggles to deal with social, economic, and political injustice in Augusta to include the following neighborhoods: Aragon Park, Bethlehem, Hyde Park, Laney-Walker, May Park, Nellieville, and Turpin Hill.

Our focus will be on local community grassroots community organizations, community activists, and social movements. However, broader issues of environmental injustice, crime, education, and other social issues may become part of the research project as it develops.

Group Research Role:

The group research role falls somewhere on the continuum between that of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the traditional research model of the detached/objective observer. Our research approach falls closer to the traditional model in terms of de-emphasizing the community role in the research process, but moves toward the PAR approach and collaborative research in that we want to share knowledge with the community, help to empower communities, and assist communities and community organizations when we can -- but we will not take leadership roles in community organizations and activities.