Community-Based Research: Genealogy and Prospects

Abstract

Community-based research (CBR) entails a different relationship between the research subject and the professional researcher than is customary in mainstream social science. People in the community, once subject to classification, experimentation, and regulation, are now viewed as owners of skills, knowledge, and expertise that may be useful to researchers and policy-makers. One variant of this approach is known as community-based participatory research (CBPR), which foregrounds the direct participation of the community and advocates an equal partnership between the professional researcher and the community subjects now redefined as “coresearchers.” More recently, there has been emphasis on the mainstreaming of community research (CR), which is not directed at the empowerment of communities but is, rather, seen as a methodological tool often deployed to reach difficult-to-access populations through dedicated community researchers.