Emancipatory approaches in couples' intervention research

Abstract

A lack of diversity exists in couples research with an overrepresentation of white, middle to upper income couples. Additionally, researchers often do not reflect the study sample, particularly when studying underrepresented minority and historically marginalized (URM‐HM) populations. Emancipatory research practices focus on language, processes, and practices to ensure that researchers and the research they conduct honor and contribute to the empowerment of the URM‐HM research participants. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss five critical considerations with recommendations for emancipatory research practices for including couples from URM‐HM populations. The aim is to provide a framework for researchers to critically reflect on their work with URM‐HM populations. The research practices include: (a) research positionality and reflexivity; (b) understanding of the population being served; (c) power and empowerment; (d) accountability, voice, and participant engagement; and (e) research that benefits URM‐HM populations and challenges the systems that perpetuate inequities. Additionally, we present practical strategies to implement these five considerations based on our own experiences conducting community‐effectiveness studies with low‐income and diverse couples.

A special section: Recruiting and retaining couples from underrepresented backgrounds in intervention research

“…There is a maxim in advertising that you need to present material seven times in seven different ways for people to act on what you are offering. Along these lines, researchers cannot just passively recruit, they need to use more active community outreach methods as well (Daire et al, 2023;Tseng et al, 2023;Whitton et al, 2023;Williamson et al, 2023). However, each method might have different implications for success and retention in the program; for example, Williamson et al (2023) present intriguing data here suggesting that men may respond differently than women to certain strategies, which again argues that when recruiting couples having multiple strategies and multiple touchpoints is even more necessary.…”

“…As a result, this dearth of specifics about recruitment keeps us from knowing what strategies work best for whom and thus perpetuates the lack of representation in our samples. Daire et al (2023) contributed a theoretical paper that synthesized existing literature and applied it to couple intervention research. This paper addresses important, difficult, and emotionally complex questions regarding equity and justice that relationship education researchers need to ask themselves as they design and implement their studies.…”

“…In this way, couples provide valuable information for the development of the intervention. As involved members of the research process, couples should be compensated for their time as part of the project, not just incentivized as participants (Daire et al, 2023;Whitton et al, 2023;Williamson et al, 2023). 4.…”

“…Carefully think through what participants will experience in every physical aspect of the program, from recruitment materials and websites, as described above, to the physical location and decoration of where the services are delivered (e.g., Whitton et al, 2023). Consultations from the very beginning of the project with community partners and participants can provide valuable recommendations along these lines (e.g., Daire et al, 2023). These considerations are physical manifestations of welcome and inclusion: if couples feel welcomed and included, and find your program helpful, they will not only regularly attend your program but they may also become your best recruiters.…”

“…Overcoming barriers. Once you have worked with your community partners to identify barriers to accessing interventions, consider partnering with other community organizations if you do not have the resources to solve these alone (e.g., Daire et al, 2023). These barriers usually include logistical challenges such as food, child care, and transportation (e.g., Tseng et al, 2023), and there are community agencies that can help with these issues.…”