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Reflections on Researcher Identity and Power: The Impact of Positionality on Community Based Participatory Research
Michael Muhammad1, Nina Wallerstein1, Andrew L Sussman1
1University of New Mexico, USA.
Critical Sociology
|July 19, 2016
Summary
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires addressing unequal power dynamics. Integrating academic researcher identity into CBPR is crucial for equitable partnerships and reducing health disparities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology of Science
- Health Equity Research
Background:
- Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) aims to achieve health equity through collaborative partnerships between academic researchers and communities.
- The effectiveness of CBPR principles may be limited by unaddressed power imbalances.
- Understanding the influence of power, privilege, and researcher identity is essential for successful partnering and health disparity outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theorize how core CBPR principles can be realistically applied by identifying and addressing unequal power relations.
- To provide theoretical and empirical perspectives on the impact of researcher identity and team composition on CBPR processes and outcomes.
- To analyze the role of academic researcher identity and positionality in equalizing power within CBPR partnerships.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of seven case studies from a national cross-site CBPR study involving diverse partnerships.
- Self-reflection by a multi-disciplinary research team on their identity and positionality, considering racial, ethnic, and gendered experiences.
- Integration of feminist and post-colonial theories to inform reflections on power dynamics and researcher roles.
Main Results:
- Unequal power relations significantly affect CBPR partnering processes and health disparity outcomes.
- Academic researcher identity and team composition are critical factors influencing the dynamics of CBPR partnerships.
- Self-reflection on identity and positionality can illuminate and help mitigate power imbalances within research teams.
Conclusions:
- Addressing power, privilege, and researcher identity is fundamental for the successful implementation of CBPR.
- Incorporating academic researcher team identity into the CBPR framework is recommended for more equitable power distribution.
- These insights contribute to advancing health equity through more effective and just research collaborations.
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