Profiting off community or a profit to the community? A case for re-radicalizing participatory research

This article critically examines the paradoxical position of participatory research within an ever more neoliberal academic system. While participatory research aspires to democratize knowledge production and empower marginalized communities, it is often constrained by the structural realities of academic capitalism. Drawing on the frameworks of Boltanski and Chiapello’s critique of co-optation and Slaughter and Rhoades’ theory of academic capitalism, this article analyzes the possibilities and challenges of participatory research. These theoretical perspectives reveal how participatory research’s emancipatory goals risk being instrumentalized as moral legitimations of institutional practices that reinforce economic logics. Through an exploration of the benefits, risks, and ethical dilemmas inherent in participatory research, the article critiques its susceptibility to tokenism, co-optation, and the pressures of efficiency-driven research. In response, the article advocates for a re-radicalization of participatory research, emphasizing the importance of structural reforms, community-driven funding models, and alternative success metrics that prioritize community impact over academic prestige.