Promoting justice through community‐based research: International case studies

Abstract

Community‐based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to promoting justice focus on working from the ground up and giving a voice to marginalized communities regarding their concerns, potential solutions, and how to address social justice issues that matter to them. The pursuit of justice is often related to efforts to attain personal as well as collective well‐being. In this paper, we illustrate three exemplars of community psychologists' efforts to promote justice. Within each case study, we discuss the social and community context and examine how the researchers built partnerships and solidarity, developed ways of doing, and approached challenges and solutions. First, we present an example to promote economic justice through an entrepreneurship initiative developed in collaboration with young Black youth with disabilities in the United States. The second case illustrates an effort to promote reproductive justice in collaboration with Roma women and girls in Spain. The third exemplar depicts the use of life stories as a method to raise the voices of displaced, marginalized indigenous women in Peru. Based on these three case studies, we present a synthesis model of social justice. We also discuss implications for future studies emphasizing the importance of engaging community participants in research meaningful ways, developing sustainable partnerships, and decolonizing research.

The imperative to support Black youths in resisting low and limiting expectations

“…For example, a transition program for Black youths with disabilities prevented difficulties in employment, with are common in adults with disabilities (Suarez‐Balcazar et al, 2022). To do so, participants received training about entrepreneurship, developed ideas for a personal business project, and prepared business plans.…”

Fostering and sustaining transnational solidarities for transformative social change: Advancing community psychology research and action

“…Another important contribution by the different papers is the linking across contexts in practice and by adopting theoretical approaches that are attuned to global entanglement, beyond the local nation‐state, and that show various circuits of dispossession and privilege (Fine & Ruglis, 2009) across communities, without flattening how fundamentally difference/place/power matter. Hagelskamp et al (2022), Marinkovic et al (2022), and Suarez‐Balcazar et al (2022) provide examples of transnational participatory and collaborative projects that seek to promote social justice and change that recognizes local and global relationships, the geopolitics of knowledge, and the coloniality of neoliberalism and extractivist economies. These are examples of research solidarities of standing up and with—across national borders.…”

“…They suggest that “the goal of scaling‐up participatory research with children nationally and internationally to gain a better understanding of children's perspectives on different issues affecting their wellbeing and the pathways for action they propose to address them” (p. 308). Suarez‐Balcazar et al (2022) offers a different approach to fostering dialogue about community‐based participatory research in three countries: the United States, Spain, and Peru. Each of these studies shares a commitment to accompany groups in the pursuit of justice, which is often “related to efforts to attain personal as well as collective well‐being” (p. 318).…”

Factors that influence the decision of Peruvian women to become entrepreneurs

“…Another research by Cortés-McPherson (2019) conducted in Latin America and East Asia came up with similar results, he observed that women create their firms to "make a difference," as they are more client-focused than males, ethical in operations, and making a social contribution in addition to pursuing economic goals. As the most significant motivators, Suarez-Balcazar et al, (2022) for greater job-related scheduling flexibility as well as a greater sense of independence and the desire to pursue one's own personal goals (Brush & Cooper, 2012).…”