Part A (Q3): What is PRA/PLA in Social Work Research?

PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) and PLA (Participatory Learning and Action) represent a paradigm shift in social research, moving from "extractive" research (where outsiders take data from a community) to "empowering" research (where the community researches itself).

• PRA is a family of approaches and methods that enable local people to share, enhance, and analyze their knowledge of life and conditions, allowing them to plan and act. It relies heavily on visual tools (mapping, calendars) created with local materials, bypassing the need for literacy.
• PLA is the evolved form of PRA. It drops the word "Rural" (as it works equally well in urban slums) and adds "Action" to emphasize that the ultimate goal of the participatory learning process is not just to gather data, but to mobilize the community to take concrete action to solve the problems they just identified.