Dialectical critical realism, action research, and social work

Stan Houston interprets and re-configures Roy Bhaskar’s meta-theory of a dialectical critical realism (CR) with an emphasis on absence as a transformative power. Re-working the meta-theory into a six-step sequence, and with the aid of a concrete example based on realistic fiction, the chapter shows how dialectical CR can ground emancipatory action research and practical social work with a transformational potential. This reflects a development from ‘first wave’ to ‘second wave’ CR with the application and processes of human emancipation in mind. The example used is based on the film The Old Oak, directed by Ken Loach. It concerns immigration and ‘the fortress mentality’ that often results. The example indicates how an action research project may contribute to transcending powerful mechanisms upholding racism and, for example, via face-to-face events, to unleash positive generative mechanisms of class solidarity.