Complexities of Negotiating Power When Re-Constructing Stories About Lone Mothers

Abstract

Building social inclusion was the primary theoretical and practice goal of a group of researcher/academics who partnered with lone mother research assistants in participatory action research. One outcome was the creation of a video recording that was based on a day in the life of a lone mother receiving income support. The work of creating and sharing the video recording became the lightning rod that focused the partners’ attention on the complexities of negotiating power in the well-intentioned but problematic struggle to reconstruct stories about lone mothers. The distinct voices of individual authors are honored in this shared story about our journey.