Week 6: Reading Blog - Danielle I.

The article, Ethical Challenges for the “Outside” Researcher in Community-Based Participatory Research analyzes the usefulness of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and the possible ethical dilemmas that may arise from this approach to research.  CBPR does not refer to one research approach specifically, but rather a type of discipline in regards to research and the way that certain research types can work collaboratively.  The fundamental principles are as follows:

• ·      The research is participated in by members of the community.


• ·      It engages community members equally.


• ·      It utilizes colearning between community members and researchers.


• ·      It involves developing systems and building community capacities.


• ·      It empowers participants by giving them increased control in their lives.


• ·      It balances research and action.

The primary function of CBPR is that it focuses on empowerment at the individual, organizational, and community levels and participation at these levels by community members is essential to success.  Another important aspect of CBPR is the deconstruction of power through knowledge, or the idea that knowledge should not be gained only through social capital, but rather that everyone should have access to community based knowledge.  The article then addresses four specific concerns.

The first section addresses the role that the community must play in selecting an issue.  The article states that while the focus of CBPR is community involvement, it is often a member of a privileged and educated majority group that is deciding which topics are relevant to be investigated.  While the skills in planning and community organizing that this individual will undoubtedly bring are essential, it is still important for this person or group to determine if the issue is of real concern to the community involved.  The article then stresses the importance of a liaison in the community who can help introduce key stakeholders and help gauge whether or not the community actually cares.  However, this part of the process also has ethical dilemmas, one being the issue of determining the concerns of the community, as this process can be internally divisive.

The next section of the article addresses the possibility of insider-outsider tensions and the power dynamics that can arise.  This is often the case when the researchers are predominantly white and the community is predominantly a low income community of color.  Another issue besides that of race is the idea that the researchers may be working for reasons other than to benefit the community.  For example, community members may perceive the researcher’s position in the community as a way to earn more money or as a way to get published.  The article states that the only way to potentially combat these problems is to engage in open and honest dialogue about the issues at hand.

The next issue the article discusses is the idea of cultural humility, that is the idea that each of us needs to be aware of the potential biases present at three levels.  The first level is the institutional level, or the idea that racism can be manifested through power and material access.  The second level is the personally mediated level, or the idea of perpetuating stereotypes.  Finally, the third level is the internalized level, or a person’s acceptance of negative messages about people in their own group.  As researchers, it is important to be aware of oppression at all three of these levels in the hopes of combatting it and having more meaningful community interaction.

Finally, the article addresses the idea that the people participating in community change through CBPR need to be the people impacted by the change.  It argues that the key financial stakeholders are often speakers for the communities, but are likely the last ones affected by the changes to the community.  It is important that we find the people that are most likely to be impacted and foster their voices.

To be honest, I wish I had read this article before my group started researching the Lemay community.  The idea that we would come in as privileged, upper educated people who would not necessarily be seen as helpful just did not occur to me.  I also had not realized that the people who we perceived to be the key stakeholders in the community, that is the people in power, are not necessarily the true stakeholders for the community.  This leads me to believe that in order to effectively assess this community, I have to talk to the individuals who are impacted by policies, and not just the individuals making them.

How do you think you can make yourself more approachable to the members of your assigned community?  What do you think of the possible impacts your position of power could have on your ability to work with a community?  How do you plan on compensating for this?  How do you plan on dealing with individuals who do not want assistance or help?