Ethics and Complex Realities of Knowledge Mobilization from Community-Based Participatory Research with Marginalized Communities

Background and Purpose

One of the important aspects of community-based participatory research (CBPR) is to link research findings to community/social change.  It has been pointed out, however, that there are many challenges in actually ensuring that actions for social change be taken as part of the CPBR projects. Chief among these difficulties may be the lack of funding for the action phase of CBPR projects. Without research grants to support the efforts, the university-based researchers may be pressured to focus more on publishing in academic journals and applying for federal grans, rather than staying involved in communities to ensure changes even though these actual changes may or may not happen due to various circumstances, or even they do, it may take years to get there. Another kind of difficulty has to do with what we mean by a “community”.  Any “community” would have multiple voices in them, and these voices may disagree with each other about the messages to be highlighted as part of the research results. In some cases, some community members may even reject broadcasting certain aspects of research findings as doing so may further marginalize their community.  Firm and ongoing efforts to understanding various kinds of oppressions that underlie these challenges cannot be overemphasized. What are researchers to do in facing the ethical dilemma of being faithful to the “community” as well as being a fair researcher in these situations?  This roundtable session will draw from actual CBPR examples and focus on ethics, politics and complex realities of negotiating what research findings to be mobilized and used as a social action agenda.

Methods

The presenters will first share their examples of successful actions borne out of their CBPR projects (e.g., contribution to creating a new human rights policy denouncing discrimination against immigrants in employment). Next, the presenters will discuss how the knowledge mobilized were negotiated when community members may disagree with each other or with the researchers about what results to be made public.  Such examples of research include (1) research with an ethnic group with a large proportion of new immigrants, (2) people who have experienced homelessness, and (3) racially diverse low-income communities. As examples (2) and (3) are arts-based research projects following CBPR principles, we will also discuss special considerations for ethics when art is involved.

Results and Implications

We will discuss the intricate nature of knowledge mobilization for social change out of CBPR projects when the interests of marginalized “community” may vary within. Racism, classism, sexism and various intersecting oppressions are critical considerations in putting research findings in contexts. For example, community members may have different opinions about prioritizing one finding over another.  This discussion will serve as a forum to solicit participants’ experiences of ethical dilemmas of CBPR and to discuss solutions and strategies used to address these dilemmas. At the end of the roundtable, the speakers will summarize the discussion with the special attention paid to the implications for CBPR with marginalized communities.