Ist PRA in der Postmoderne angekommen?

Abstract

Abstract

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a participatory planning method with a long history in community development in the less developed countries. In recent years, PRA approaches have also been promoted for participatory development planning in postmodern rural societies of the industrialised countries with functioning democratic institutions, mainly Switzerland, UK and Germany. This paper asks whether or not PRA is an appropriate instrument for participatory community development in postmodern societies with functioning local democratic institutions. The paper argues that the prospects for PRA are constrained by five key factors: (1) the sustainability of the process, (2) the costs of participation, (3) the economics of participation, (4) the negotiation process in participation and (5) the impact radius of PRA. It is essential to keep expectations about what PRA can or cannot offer realistic in order to avoid common mistakes undertaken in applying PRA in the less developed countries. PRA can be an innovative approach of incorporatingpeople in the development process, if the local governance institutions themselves understand PRA as an instrument of modern, client-oriented planning. Nevertheless, PRA is not able to adequately address many of the structural problems of postmodern rural societies.