Community Concerns about Research
As researchers, we commonly view research as a "social good," an activity that contributes directly to better understanding, expanded levels of knowledge, and social improvement. Indeed, there is remarkably little debate among researchers about the ultimate value of research. While researchers may question the value of particular methodologies or even certain lines of inquiry, the basic research enterprize is not in question or up for discussion. However, communities, especially those that have been subjected to social disadvantage, poverty, discrimination, and external domination, often have a very different view of research than do researchers. In particular, they may object to being the subjects of research, even research that is said by the researcher to be in their best interests. Certain communities (e.g., some Native American nations) have even banned external research or established committees to serve as gatekeepers of research access. This "research backlash" reflects the fact that communities may feel themselves to be over-researched and under-served. The result is not just community opposition to this or that research project or to any particular researcher but criticism of the entire research enterprise as alien, self-serving for researchers, valueless to or inaccessible to the communities that are studied, and exploitive of community good-will. This attitude is expressed well in the biting lyrics of Jimmy Curtis and Floyd Westerman's ballad called "Here Comes the Anthros," a musical indictment of the history of relations between both cultural anthropology and archeology researchers and American Indians. In short, researchers need to take careful consideration of community concerns about research, including past experiences with research. Further, they must learn to work closely with communities at all stages in the research process, beginning with gaining approval for and community involvement in research initiatives. It may not always be clear to researchers how to initiate and maintain trusting community relations or how to structure research so that it truly strenthens communities in their effort to address their health and social problems.
The CR Core will be working to address these issues through a series of collaborative workshops. For more information, please contact Leif Mitchell. |
 |
|
