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F. T. T. Ribas and J. Macke
society, for resources from academic knowledge, because higher education institutions usually adopt a posture that does not contemplate society, generating a disconnection between society and university (Solberg and Hansen 2015). Academic citizenship implies the formation of a place that becomes a space for the public, in the
sense that the university is a means for the social—for society to seek through it
the solution to social issues or problems, not just the university offering to solve or
define the challenges of society (Norgard and Bengtsen 2016).
2 Method
In qualitative research, researchers seek to understand the meaning that individuals
build (Merriam and Tisdell 2015), is used to explore social phenomena through
the experiences of individuals or groups, through interaction between social actors
(Gibbs 2018). Therefore, the qualitative approach becomes adequate to study the
general objective of the present study as an approach that interacts and explores the
context and the social actors, while interacting with the researchers.
The study strategy, action research, comprises empirically based social research
carried out through a close connection between reflection, action, and the resolution
of a collective problem (Cornwall and Jewkes 1995). In action research, researchers
and project participants engage in a cooperative or participatory manner, playing
an active role in solving the diagnosed problem (Thiollent 2011) and implementing
collective and planned action (Gerassi et al. 2017).
The solutions or practical improvements of the diagnosed problems about real life
(Mckay and Marshall 2001) make the researcher active and deliberate, in the context
of his research as a critical participant in the process. Therefore, the approach and
the research strategy are aligned with the purpose of the present study, which is to
promote social innovation for sustainable development.
Action research is structured in four phases: exploratory, action development,
action, and evaluation. In the exploratory phase, there was a meeting with the community leadership to carry out an internal diagnosis in order to raise the social problems
of each context. In the development phase of the actions, the researchers, together
with the participants, raised the problem situation and defined possible solutions. In
the action phase, the interventions occurred through the practice and intervention
of the actions discussed and selected. Finally, in the evaluation phase, actions were
evaluated, seeking to identify the key factors that led to success (Gerassi et al. 2017;
Apgar et al. 2017; Thiollent 2011).
The social practices implemented were: (1) a time bank proposal for a vulnerable
community; (2) a free meal project once a week for low-income and unemployed
people; (3) an entrepreneurship workshop for unemployed individuals; and (4) a
children’s painting workshop of a municipality Social Welfare Foundation. All these
projects were carried out by a team of professors from a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the city of Caxias do Sul, south Brazil. The four projects took place
F. T. T. Ribas and J. Macke
society, for resources from academic knowledge, because higher education institutions usually adopt a posture that does not contemplate society, generating a disconnection between society and university (Solberg and Hansen 2015). Academic citizenship implies the formation of a place that becomes a space for the public, in the
sense that the university is a means for the social—for society to seek through it
the solution to social issues or problems, not just the university offering to solve or
define the challenges of society (Norgard and Bengtsen 2016).
2 Method
In qualitative research, researchers seek to understand the meaning that individuals
build (Merriam and Tisdell 2015), is used to explore social phenomena through
the experiences of individuals or groups, through interaction between social actors
(Gibbs 2018). Therefore, the qualitative approach becomes adequate to study the
general objective of the present study as an approach that interacts and explores the
context and the social actors, while interacting with the researchers.
The study strategy, action research, comprises empirically based social research
carried out through a close connection between reflection, action, and the resolution
of a collective problem (Cornwall and Jewkes 1995). In action research, researchers
and project participants engage in a cooperative or participatory manner, playing
an active role in solving the diagnosed problem (Thiollent 2011) and implementing
collective and planned action (Gerassi et al. 2017).
The solutions or practical improvements of the diagnosed problems about real life
(Mckay and Marshall 2001) make the researcher active and deliberate, in the context
of his research as a critical participant in the process. Therefore, the approach and
the research strategy are aligned with the purpose of the present study, which is to
promote social innovation for sustainable development.
Action research is structured in four phases: exploratory, action development,
action, and evaluation. In the exploratory phase, there was a meeting with the community leadership to carry out an internal diagnosis in order to raise the social problems
of each context. In the development phase of the actions, the researchers, together
with the participants, raised the problem situation and defined possible solutions. In
the action phase, the interventions occurred through the practice and intervention
of the actions discussed and selected. Finally, in the evaluation phase, actions were
evaluated, seeking to identify the key factors that led to success (Gerassi et al. 2017;
Apgar et al. 2017; Thiollent 2011).
The social practices implemented were: (1) a time bank proposal for a vulnerable
community; (2) a free meal project once a week for low-income and unemployed
people; (3) an entrepreneurship workshop for unemployed individuals; and (4) a
children’s painting workshop of a municipality Social Welfare Foundation. All these
projects were carried out by a team of professors from a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the city of Caxias do Sul, south Brazil. The four projects took place