Community-based Participatory Research: Principles, Processes and Practices

SBS 501 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

SBS 501
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is an approach to research that ground practitioners in long-term commitments to co-develop research with community partners, and to build from community strengths and priorities for the purposes of translating research into policy or system-change actions that improve health and health equity (Wallerstein, 2020).
This 2.5 credit seminar course is designed to introduce the principles, processes and practices of CBPR. The course will trace the theoretical roots of participatory and action research traditions and provide students with foundational understanding of the guiding principles and strategies of CBPR, the ethical considerations involved in this approach, and practices that are integral for participating effectively in CBPR. The course focuses on taking a critical stance toward dominant narratives of knowledge production and explores asset-centered approaches and appreciation for multiple ways of knowing to inform the research process. Through discussion based learning, critical reflection and engagement with academic and community guest speakers, students will learn to critically incorporate participatory approaches and frameworks into their public health research and practice.

We want to be clear: CBPR is an approach to research that grounds practitioners in long-term commitments to co-develop research with community partners. SBS 501 emphasizes raising self-awareness and reconsidering held assumptions about research through the practice of critical reflection. We believe this foundational practice is necessary for preparing to engage in participatory research with community partners. This course is not focused on the hands-on application of research methods, qualitative or quantitative, with community partners. SBS 551 (Spring 2) is designed to serve as the applied component for SBS 501 and builds on the foundational guiding principles, strategies and ethical considerations of participatory and action-oriented research.

Registration by instructor permission only: By January 22, 2027, interested students must request instructor permission in my.harvard and write a brief explanation about their interest in taking this course. Please limit to 3-4 sentences only and submit through my.harvard (not as email to the Instructor).