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Ethics in Ethics in University-University-Community Community

Partnerships: Partnerships: Understanding the Impact of Understanding the Impact of

Intergroup ConflictIntergroup Conflict

Susan L. StaggsSusan L. Staggsstaggss@uwstout.edu

“Collaboration necessarily includes conflicts, not all of which can be easily resolved.” (Isenberg,

Loomis, Humphreys, & Maton, 2004; p. 126)

Participatory ApproachParticipatory Approach

University-Community partnerships are most often “participatory” in nature. collaborative approach that equitably collaborative approach that equitably

involves all partners in the research involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique process and recognizes the unique strengths that each bringsstrengths that each brings

begins with a topic of importance to the begins with a topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action to achieve social knowledge with action to achieve social change change (Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, 2006)(Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, 2006)

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Participatory ApproachParticipatory Approach

Usually includes two major groupsuniversity facultycommunity members

practitioners from government, schools, mental health clinics, etc.,

Study participants, e.g., residents of a low-income neighborhood, people trying to quit smoking

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Relevance to Ethics at Relevance to Ethics at StoutStout

Polytechnic, sustainability, community Polytechnic, sustainability, community focus, e.g., Discovery Centerfocus, e.g., Discovery Center service learning, participatory research, service learning, participatory research,

university-business and university-nonprofit university-business and university-nonprofit projectsprojects

BUT university faculty and BUT university faculty and administration embedded in UW-System administration embedded in UW-System legal and policy structurelegal and policy structure Dictates actions that may be at odds with Dictates actions that may be at odds with

participatory ethicsparticipatory ethics

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PA is a blessing and a cursePA is a blessing and a curse

Blessing – brings together diverse Blessing – brings together diverse groups to solve complex social groups to solve complex social problemsproblems

Curse - for the same reasonCurse - for the same reason

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Unique working Unique working environment because…environment because…

History of exploitation by academicsHistory of exploitation by academics drive-by data collectiondrive-by data collection

Academics from historically dominant groups, Academics from historically dominant groups, community members from historically community members from historically marginalized groups - race, class issuesmarginalized groups - race, class issues

Academics reluctant to make trade-offs Academics reluctant to make trade-offs between scientific rigor and community between scientific rigor and community usefulnessusefulness

Academics know things in different ways than Academics know things in different ways than community memberscommunity members White researchers in black communitiesWhite researchers in black communities

““Community psychologists with attitude” – Roderick Community psychologists with attitude” – Roderick WattsWatts

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Why Study the Participatory Why Study the Participatory Approach?Approach?

Don’t know much about how it Don’t know much about how it worksworks

Federal mandateFederal mandate CDC named research on participatory CDC named research on participatory

approach as key future public health approach as key future public health research priorityresearch priority

Research mandateResearch mandate Participatory approachParticipatory approach

““at a place where rhetoric prevails and at a place where rhetoric prevails and little evidence exists”little evidence exists”

Relations Among Relations Among Collaborators (RAC) Collaborators (RAC)

StudyStudyBrief web survey of members Brief web survey of members

of Participatory Approach of Participatory Approach listservelistserve

Good cross-section of people Good cross-section of people who work on and are who work on and are interested in participatory interested in participatory projectsprojects

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235 people235 people Academic members = 125Academic members = 125 Community members = 110Community members = 110

Academics from public health, Academics from public health, psychology, social work fieldspsychology, social work fields

Community members largely from Community members largely from government and community social government and community social service organizationsservice organizations NOT representative of non-professional NOT representative of non-professional

members of participatory projectsmembers of participatory projects

Relations Among Relations Among Collaborators (RAC) Collaborators (RAC)

StudyStudy

What Factors are What Factors are Associated with Associated with

Intergroup Threat?Intergroup Threat?

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• Academic• PractitionerDemograph

ic

Role

Academic ingroup – practitioner outgroupPractitioner outgroup – academic ingroup

Control threat Control threat - control of major project activities by the other group

Value threat Value threat – believing that your values are different from the values of the other group

Anxiety threat Anxiety threat - feeling anxiety when interacting with the other group

Image threat Image threat – having negative mental images of the other group

Intergroup Threat(social psych integrated threat theory (Stephan & Stephan, 2000): ingroups

and outgroups)

•Race•Age•Experience with PR

•Federal funding•large

Project

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Threat MeasuresThreat Measures

Control threat itemsControl threat items: Outgroup is:: Outgroup is: in control of recruitment, in control of financesin control of recruitment, in control of finances

Value threat itemsValue threat items: How different or similar : How different or similar are your thoughts, feelings, and action are your thoughts, feelings, and action compared to the thoughts, feelings, and actions compared to the thoughts, feelings, and actions of Outgroup partners on each of the following: of Outgroup partners on each of the following:

professional values, personal values, beliefs about professional values, personal values, beliefs about the community the project is supposed to helpthe community the project is supposed to help

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Threat MeasuresThreat Measures Anxiety threat itemsAnxiety threat items: How would you feel if you : How would you feel if you

attended a meeting where you were the only attended a meeting where you were the only ingroup partner? ingroup partner?

troubled, at ease, safe, awkwardtroubled, at ease, safe, awkward

Image threat itemsImage threat items: How favorable are each of the : How favorable are each of the following traits? What percentage of outgroup following traits? What percentage of outgroup partners do you think have each of the following partners do you think have each of the following traits?traits?

intelligent, prejudiced, willing to compromise, trustworthyintelligent, prejudiced, willing to compromise, trustworthy

What is Associated with What is Associated with Intergroup Threat?Intergroup Threat?

Role-based Role-based Practitioners experience less control Practitioners experience less control

threat than academics (not as threat than academics (not as impacted by failure as academics??)impacted by failure as academics??)

BUT experience more value, anxiety, BUT experience more value, anxiety, and image threat from academicsand image threat from academics see values and beliefs as different see values and beliefs as different

whereas academics see them as similarwhereas academics see them as similar experience anxiety during interactionsexperience anxiety during interactions have more negative images of have more negative images of

academics than academics have of themacademics than academics have of them

What is Associated with What is Associated with Intergroup Threat?Intergroup Threat?

Demographic-basedDemographic-based Partners of color with white outgroups Partners of color with white outgroups

experience more anxiety during experience more anxiety during interactions and have more negative interactions and have more negative images than other race x outgroup race images than other race x outgroup race combinationscombinations

Partners of color with outgroups of color Partners of color with outgroups of color experience more threat to their worldviews experience more threat to their worldviews from outgroups who are also of colorfrom outgroups who are also of color

Older respondents and those less Older respondents and those less experienced with PR harbor more negative experienced with PR harbor more negative images of outgroup membersimages of outgroup members

What is Associated with What is Associated with Intergroup Threat?Intergroup Threat?

Project-BasedProject-BasedMore control threat on federally More control threat on federally

funded project than on privately funded project than on privately funded or non-federal funded or non-federal government funding (more high-government funding (more high-profile if fail?)profile if fail?)

Large projects (over 50 ppl) had Large projects (over 50 ppl) had less control threat than small- or less control threat than small- or medium-sized projects (lack of medium-sized projects (lack of sustained, substantive contact?)sustained, substantive contact?)

What Factors are What Factors are Associated with Associated with

Organizational Conflict?Organizational Conflict?

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•Control•Value•Anxiety•Image

Demographic

Role

Intergroup Threat

Organizational

ConflictProject

Organizational Conflict Organizational Conflict MeasuresMeasures

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Rate your agreement or disagreement with the Rate your agreement or disagreement with the following statementsfollowing statements leaders frequently shared experience and expertiseleaders frequently shared experience and expertise great deal of personality clashgreat deal of personality clash great deal of disagreement about the operational great deal of disagreement about the operational

decisions of the projectdecisions of the project

What is Associated with What is Associated with Organizational Conflict?Organizational Conflict?

No role, demographic, or project No role, demographic, or project associationsassociations

Control and anxiety threat Control and anxiety threat associated with increased conflictassociated with increased conflict

Value threats are associated with Value threats are associated with decreased conflict for practitioners decreased conflict for practitioners (avoidance?) and increased conflict (avoidance?) and increased conflict for academics (stakes are higher?)for academics (stakes are higher?)

Qualitative Data To Be Qualitative Data To Be Used in InterpretationUsed in Interpretation

Academic thoughts on barriers to Academic thoughts on barriers to good intergroup relations:good intergroup relations: ““Different agendas and lack of respect Different agendas and lack of respect

for community partners by for community partners by academicians....”academicians....”

““Lack of support by university to allow Lack of support by university to allow time for faculty to do extra work time for faculty to do extra work required in PR”required in PR”

““Different goals and perspectives”Different goals and perspectives”19

Qualitative Data To Be Qualitative Data To Be Used in InterpretationUsed in Interpretation

Practitioner thoughts on barriers Practitioner thoughts on barriers to good intergroup relations:to good intergroup relations: ““Political unwillingness based on Political unwillingness based on

institutional values of white institutional values of white educational systems as the ultimate educational systems as the ultimate beings of power”beings of power”

““Paternalistic attitudes”Paternalistic attitudes” ““Academics not understanding real-Academics not understanding real-

world limitations” world limitations” 20

What Can We Do to What Can We Do to Reduce Control and Reduce Control and

Value Threats? Value Threats? (Nyden, 2003)(Nyden, 2003) Acknowledge existence formally before Acknowledge existence formally before

start of project, then: start of project, then: Collaboratively develop power-sharing and Collaboratively develop power-sharing and

data-sharing agreementsdata-sharing agreements Engage in trust-building exercisesEngage in trust-building exercises Obtain community approval of publications Obtain community approval of publications Train community members on data collection Train community members on data collection

protocolprotocol Revise university policies to incorporate PR-Revise university policies to incorporate PR-

friendly policy changes in funding and friendly policy changes in funding and promotion/tenure criteriapromotion/tenure criteria

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What Can We Do About What Can We Do About Intergroup Anxiety? Intergroup Anxiety?

(e.g., Israel et al., 1998; Metzler et al., 2003; Schultz, Israel, & (e.g., Israel et al., 1998; Metzler et al., 2003; Schultz, Israel, & Lantz, 2003)Lantz, 2003)

Acknowledge existence formally Acknowledge existence formally before start of project, then: before start of project, then: Engage in meta-dialogue and open Engage in meta-dialogue and open

communicationcommunication Use boundary spanners (e.g., Use boundary spanners (e.g.,

researchers of color) wiselyresearchers of color) wisely Implement formal conflict Implement formal conflict

identification and resolution identification and resolution processes processes

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What Can We Do About What Can We Do About Image Threat? Image Threat?

(e.g., Gray et al., 2000; Miller & Shinn, 2005; Naylor et al., 2002; (e.g., Gray et al., 2000; Miller & Shinn, 2005; Naylor et al., 2002; Nichols et al., 2002)Nichols et al., 2002)

Train faculty on the history of Train faculty on the history of exploitative community research and exploitative community research and the value of community inputthe value of community input

Work with community organizations Work with community organizations to build their capacity (e.g., don’t just to build their capacity (e.g., don’t just partner with them to achieve teaching partner with them to achieve teaching and research goals) and research goals)

Implement trust-building mechanisms Implement trust-building mechanisms such as open communicationsuch as open communication

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Recommended Resources

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (http://www.ccph.info/) Community-Engaged Scholarship Review,

Promotion and Tenure Packet Ensuring Community-Level Research

Protections Faculty Toolkit for Service Learning in

Higher Education Developing and Sustaining Community-Based

Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum