'Bringing back respect': the role of participatory action research in transferring knowledge from an Aboriginal men's group to youth programs.
OBJECTIVE
This case study describes the efforts of an Aboriginal men's group to facilitate and support the empowerment of young people in their community. It is part of a broader participatory action research (PAR) study of men's groups.


METHODS
Data was derived from quarterly reflective PAR sessions with men's and youth workers and steering committee members, interviews with workers, and focus groups with young people. The data was coded and categorized, with five themes identified.


RESULTS
Key opportunities and challenges related to building staff capacity, engaging young people, giving voice to young people and reconciling diverse community views. Emerging outcomes included young people's definition of vision and values, social cohesion, personal achievements and recognition. The youth projects also resulted in local employment, improvements in workforce capacity and proposals to extend the empowerment model in Yarrabah and transfer it to another community.


CONCLUSIONS
PAR frameworks provide a useful tool for facilitating and sustaining empowerment outcomes. They can be used to support the transfer of knowledge and skills from one Aboriginal community group to another.
McCalman
Janya
J
School of Indigenous Australian Studies, James Cook University, Smithfield, QLD, Australia. Janya.mccalman@jcu.edu.au
Tsey
Komla
K
Baird
Bradley
B
Connolly
Brian
B
Baird
Leslie
L
Jackson
Rita
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D012106:Research