Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly being used by academics to address urban health and inequity. While its foundational literature emphasizes CBPR’s role in eschewing the traditional balance of power between communities and institutions, some scholars and grassroots activi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/6/358 |
| _version_ | 1797592597981560832 |
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| author | P. Qasimah Boston Bruce Strouble Aisha Balogun Beto Lugo-Martinez Mildred McClain Mary Miaisha Mitchell Kim Wasserman David Rahn Molly Greenberg Cecilia Garibay |
| author_facet | P. Qasimah Boston Bruce Strouble Aisha Balogun Beto Lugo-Martinez Mildred McClain Mary Miaisha Mitchell Kim Wasserman David Rahn Molly Greenberg Cecilia Garibay |
| author_sort | P. Qasimah Boston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly being used by academics to address urban health and inequity. While its foundational literature emphasizes CBPR’s role in eschewing the traditional balance of power between communities and institutions, some scholars and grassroots activists note that it has not consistently delivered community-led, action-oriented strategies. Here we examine gaps between theory and current practice of CBPR. First, we assess its fundamental practices through social movement theory. Second, we examine narratives from grassroots leaders who have utilized CBPR in their environmental justice efforts. Three key facilitating factors are often cited for authentic applications of CBPR: (1) grounding research within community-specific opportunities for change, (2) collaborating with a strong community partner, and (3) facilitating flexibility in research processes. Building on previous scholarship, we investigate the complexity of CBPR implementation that may dampen its potency as a social change strategy and highlight the need for nuanced and critical application of best practices to suit local contexts. This is accomplished by pairing the theoretical framework with the experiences of four community leaders who are members of the Moving Forward Network (MFN). Narratives from their experiences with partnering with academic institutions speak to how theoretical complexities with CBPR occur in practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:56:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cbb76c61d09c4dd992b137bfbed2e440 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:56:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-cbb76c61d09c4dd992b137bfbed2e4402023-11-18T12:38:00ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602023-06-0112635810.3390/socsci12060358Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice MovementP. Qasimah Boston0Bruce Strouble1Aisha Balogun2Beto Lugo-Martinez3Mildred McClain4Mary Miaisha Mitchell5Kim Wasserman6David Rahn7Molly Greenberg8Cecilia Garibay9Tallahassee Food Network, Tallahassee, FL 32302, USACitizens for a Sustainable Future, Tallahassee, FL 32302, USAMoving Forward Network, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USAClean Air Now, Kansas City, MO 66106, USAHarambee House/Citizens for Environmental Justice, Savannah, GA 31401, USATallahassee Food Network, Tallahassee, FL 32302, USALittle Village Environmental Justice Organization, Chicago, IL 60623, USADepartment of Geography and Atmospheric Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USAMoving Forward Network, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USAMoving Forward Network, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USACommunity-based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly being used by academics to address urban health and inequity. While its foundational literature emphasizes CBPR’s role in eschewing the traditional balance of power between communities and institutions, some scholars and grassroots activists note that it has not consistently delivered community-led, action-oriented strategies. Here we examine gaps between theory and current practice of CBPR. First, we assess its fundamental practices through social movement theory. Second, we examine narratives from grassroots leaders who have utilized CBPR in their environmental justice efforts. Three key facilitating factors are often cited for authentic applications of CBPR: (1) grounding research within community-specific opportunities for change, (2) collaborating with a strong community partner, and (3) facilitating flexibility in research processes. Building on previous scholarship, we investigate the complexity of CBPR implementation that may dampen its potency as a social change strategy and highlight the need for nuanced and critical application of best practices to suit local contexts. This is accomplished by pairing the theoretical framework with the experiences of four community leaders who are members of the Moving Forward Network (MFN). Narratives from their experiences with partnering with academic institutions speak to how theoretical complexities with CBPR occur in practice.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/6/358community-based participatory researchenvironmental justiceequityparticipatory practices |
| spellingShingle | P. Qasimah Boston Bruce Strouble Aisha Balogun Beto Lugo-Martinez Mildred McClain Mary Miaisha Mitchell Kim Wasserman David Rahn Molly Greenberg Cecilia Garibay Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement Social Sciences community-based participatory research environmental justice equity participatory practices |
| title | Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement |
| title_full | Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement |
| title_fullStr | Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement |
| title_short | Community Voices on the Experiences of Community-Based Participatory Research in the Environmental Justice Movement |
| title_sort | community voices on the experiences of community based participatory research in the environmental justice movement |
| topic | community-based participatory research environmental justice equity participatory practices |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/6/358 |
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