Participatory Research Methods and the Capability Approach: Researching the Housing Dimensions of Squatter Upgrading Initiatives in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

In this chapter, Alexandre Apsan Frediani considers the participatory process used to investigate one particular dimension of well-being—namely, housing in Salvador, Brazil. His work focuses on the methodology applied to investigate a comparative study of the outcomes of two squatter settlement upgrading initiatives. Building on Frediani’s previous work on applying the capability approach, this chapter firstly explains how participation can be used to investigate the meaning and processes of housing. The concept of ‘housing freedom’ is proposed and explored in relation to the findings from the research conducted in the two case-study areas in Salvador. A series of contextualized housing dimensions are revealed as well as aspects constituting each of them, which enables the comparative analysis to be carried out. The chapter then reviews the participatory methodology applied to the study. The methods and research process are described, and Frediani reflects on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the implementation of participatory research methods from a capability perspective. The contribution of this chapter is its innovative and participatory examination of one particular dimension of human development by applying the capability approach to the analysis of ‘housing freedoms’.