INDR 8352 Applied Community Based Participatory Research
The course is focused on the practice and theory of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in support of community health and wellbeing. CBPR is an approach that “embrace[s] collaborative efforts among community, academic, and other stakeholders who gather and use research and data to build on the strengths and priorities of the community for multilevel strategies to improve health and social equity” (Wallerstein et al., 2018, p. 3). CBPR, like other action-oriented and participatory traditions, turns traditional applied research on its head by attempting to decenter the academic researcher—who tends to determine what is asked, what data is gathered, what strategies for change emerge, and even what counts as success. The course is designed to be particularly meaningful to students who are interested in culturally responsive research methodologies, including Action Research. The course will involve field work, exploration of CBPR literature, action experimentation, active dialogue, and co-construction of knowledge.