Page 201 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

emancipatory outcomes for the “Mass Trance” paradigm-emic scenario I see current society in.

This approach described in this section reveals a practiced strategy in participatory action learning

and action research (PALAR) that theoretically would foster further development and research. I

will at the close have generated and analyzed data from the written reflections of facilitators and

participants who I interviewed that were part of recent Community Conversation gatherings. The

findings suggest that within this type of engagement action learning, specifically PALAR, can be

used to enable a rich learning experience for anyone attending these CC events through fostering

relationships, building trust, a supportive environment, collaboration, communication and

competence among them. I can relate for myself as someone who contacted these groups for my

study, there have been plenty of new insights from the resultant interactions gained from this

PALAR approach which has been developed further with the support and guidance from my

graduate advisor, I have evolved not only skills, knowledge, confidence and deeper appreciation

of learning opportunities through Community Conversations, but also understanding of the

principles of PALAR that apply not just to the conversation context itself but across all aspects of

learning and living a life that’s meaningful and purposefully enhanced through these interactions.

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