Study explores challenges, opportunities of community participatory research

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an innovative approach that establishes a connection between academic researchers and community partners to collaborate on project development. Unlike traditional research, which often treats people as mere subjects without agency, CBPR involves the active engagement and input of community members, making it a cooperative process.

A recent study conducted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and its collaborators examines the implementation of CBPR in a project focused on criminal justice reform in Cincinnati. While a previous paper discussed the project’s results, the current study delves into the process, identifying challenges and offering suggestions for future research.

“While CBPR has been praised for its benefits, such as power sharing and community involvement in research projects, there is limited information available about the challenges associated with this approach, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like criminal justice, race, power, and privilege. We aim to explore these constructs more deeply and emphasize the importance of acknowledging and addressing the challenges right from the start and throughout the project,” said Ebony Ruhland, lead author of the paper and associate professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University.

The study was based on the Reclaiming Safety framework, a project designed to promote social justice reform in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Cincinnati. The researchers collaborated with local community educators and organizers for this project, which received support from the Ohio Transformation Fund.

The initial plan was to recruit participants through town hall meetings, but these events saw minimal attendance. As a result, the researchers had to modify their strategy and turned to radio announcements and email invitations to recruit participants for round table discussions and focus groups.

“Some community members may have felt that they had already talked about these issues numerous times without seeing any real change, so they questioned the relevance of participating again, even though we were approaching it differently,” noted Jacinda K. Dariotis, co-principal investigator on the study and a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

Throughout the project, the researchers heavily relied on community organizers and their existing networks. Community leaders play a crucial role in CBPR as they can facilitate connections and gain the trust of community members. However, there is also the potential for community leaders to exert a disproportionate influence on the project.

In the Reclaiming Safety project, the agenda was shaped by one influential community organizer whose primary focus was on the police and police-community relationships. Consequently, the project shifted its focus towards these topics.

“Community participatory research is an iterative process, and it is important to follow the community’s lead while also balancing academic obligations and meeting grant requirements. We deferred to the community leader to a large extent, but this is not unique to projects of this nature,” Ruhland explained.

This highlights the need to define who represents the community and ensure the recruitment of a diverse group of participants. The community is not a monolithic entity, and one community leader cannot speak for everyone. However, reaching certain segments of the community can prove challenging. For example, this project struggled to attract younger participants, and when one youth attended a roundtable discussion, their perspective was quickly disregarded by older, more experienced activists.

Furthermore, the intersection of power, position, and identity among academics and community partners adds complexity to the process. Constructs such as race, class, gender, and privilege influence perceptions and interactions. The researchers stress the importance of acknowledging and addressing these constructs throughout the project.

Despite the challenges, CBPR remains the best approach for collaborative projects and is worth the effort, according to Dariotis. “This work is incredibly challenging and time-consuming, and it often lacks sufficient resources. However, we should strive to expand beyond established networks and connections and build more diverse teams,” she said.

Ruhland added, “In our paper, we offer constructive criticism of CBPR, but our intention is to foster critical reflection. If projects can incorporate participatory research, they should. Despite the challenges, it is one of the most effective methods with significant benefits. By shedding light on the issues we encountered, we hope to help other projects avoid similar problems.”

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