COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH
An Introduction for FacultyPresented by Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski
Community Involvement Center, Co-DirectorWeber State University
for
Teaching Learning ForumSeptember 17, 2007
A presentation developed by the National Community-Based Research Networking Initiative
CBR: AN OVERVIEW
◘ What is CBR?◘ Principles of Practice◘ How does it differ from traditional research?
◘ Why do CBR?◘ Pedagogical Methods ◘ Benefits & Challenges◘ What It Takes◘ Examples of CBR at WSU◘ Resources
CBR: WHAT IS IT?
◘ A collaborative, participatory research process that embraces:
Research• Community has information needs• Campus partners have research tools and resources
Education• Community has valuable local knowledge & experience
• Campus partners have theoretical and large scale perspectives
Action• Build organizational and community capacity• Effect policy change
“CBR is a partnership of students, faculty, and community members who collaboratively engage in research with the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or affecting social change” (Strand, et al., 2003).
DefinitionCBR:
• CBR is a collaborative enterprise between researchers and community members.
• CBR involves the democratization of knowledge
• CBR has as its goal social action and social change for the purpose of achieving social justice (Strand et al., 2003: p. 8).
CBR: Principles of CBR
• research with and for the community.
• community partners should be working with students and professors at every stage in the research process.
CBR: Collaboration
• knowledge brought to the project by all partners involved is equally valued
• multiple research methods are used
• user friendly approaches to the dissemination of knowledge are provided
• conventional assumptions about knowledge itself are challenged
CBR: Democratization of Knowledge
• produce information that can be used to bring about needed change
• findings of the research or the process itself might contribute to social change
CBR: Social Change for Social Justice
Traditional CBR Goal of Research Advance Address
knowledge socialneed advancement
Source of Question Existing workCommunity
identifiedneed
Designer/Researcher Trained Trained researcher
researcher + students + comm.
partner
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
Traditional CBRResearcher Outside CollaboratorRole expert
Role of None or RA PartnersStudents
Role of Subject to be Knowledgeable
Community studied partner
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
Traditional CBRRelationship of Short-term Long-Researcher & & detached term +
Participants connectedand multi-faceted
Measure of value Acceptance by Usefulness to
of the research academic peers partners (as well as
publish)
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
Traditional CBRMethodology Conform to Conform toCriteria/ rigor rigorMethods
Objectivity & Open to positivistic new info.
Researcher Flexibilitycontrol
Quantitative Mixed
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
Traditional CBRBeneficiaries Researcher,
Researcher,Field students,
&community
“Owner” of ResearcherResearcher,
Research students, &
community
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
Traditional CBRPresentation & Articles, Articles,Dissemination Conference Conferenceof Findings presentation, presentation,
Books/Chapter Books/chapter
Reports,Public
meeting,Art
work/media
CBR: Vs. Traditional Research
CBR: WHY DO IT?
◘ Complex social problems ill-suited
to “outside expert” research alone
◘ Impact community capacity ◘ Build long-term relationship with community partners
◘ Effective method of teaching and learning for all participants
◘ The ultimate form of service-learning?
• The quality of service-learning is enhanced through CBR in that it offers the most opportunities for:– collaboration– direct application of course content – potential for social change
CBR: Ultimate S-L Experience
CBR: PEDAGOGICAL METHODS
◘ Course-based options model
◘ CBR-based semester courses
◘ Long-term, course-based projects
◘ Interdisciplinary, multi-course collaborative projects
CBR: BENEFITS◘ Community
Access to faculty expertiseOrganizational capacity buildingPolicy change
◘ Students Develop new skills Improve existing skills Connect classroom learning with real-world application
◘ Faculty Enhanced teaching credentials New venues for publishing and presenting Positively impact students and community
CBR: CHALLENGES
◘ Unpredictability
◘ Calendar conflicts
◘ Role confusion
◘ Participant compensation/ recognition
CBR: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
◘ Time
◘ Long-term vision
◘ Communication
◘ Flexibility
◘ Willingness to develop research process with community input
CBR: Examples at WSU
◘ Lauren Fowler, Psychology
◘ Bryan Dorsey, Geography
CBR: RESOURCES
◘ National Community-Based Research Networking Initiative www.cbrnet.org
◘ CBR Course and Project Database www.bonner.org/campus/cbr/profiles.taf
◘Campus-Community Partnerships for Health www.ccph.info◘ Community-Based Research & Higher Education: Principles & Practices Strand, Marullo, Cutforth, et. al.
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