The goal of this course is to introduce students to the theory and practice of Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) with a special focus on addressing community-identified research needs linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). These 17 global goals were adopted by over 170 Nations in 2015 working towards an agenda for action on critical contemporary issues such as climate action, health & well-being, gender justice, sustainable cities and peace for all. Students will become familiar with the UN SDG’s and explore how CBPR can be an important mechanism for bridging diverse and co-created knowledges into local action. The course will also introduce students to related discourses of knowledge democracy, anti-oppressive and Indigenous methodologies through study of the literature, case studies, presentations by community-academic partners, and self-reflection of your own social location.
Students will gain an appreciation of CBPR processes and methods necessary for participating in and facilitating CBPR projects.
Once a week in person on campus, attendance each week during scheduled class time is required. All research activities and community engagement will be a mixture of in-person and online. Please visit our Course Brightspace to find resources, readings and class zoom link (when needed). Classes will include lectures, guest speakers, interactive activities and discussions, as well as group work on projects outside of class time.
The assignments for the course (i.e. ethics assignments, research methods, and final research project) are tailored to provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned to real-life situations. The work will be largely group-focused with some individual and reflective learning. Reciprocity and relational accountability are pillars to CBPR, and therefore working in a way that brings value to our community partners is a priority.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify and describe key theoretical perspectives that have shaped the development and evolution of CBPR
- List and describe the major principles of CBPR
- Discuss key CBPR methodological considerations in partnering with communities, planning for research, data gathering, and dissemination of results
- Understand and be familiar with Indigenous and anti-oppressive research methodologies
- Identify and critically examine the ethical dimensions of CBPR
- Identify and apply the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a local context
- Evaluate the impacts of CBPR
This is an introductory course and is intended to build a strong foundation for students preparing to undertake CBPR. The course is part of the Salish Sea Hub, an exciting new initiative linked to the UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research Knowledge 4 Change Global Consortium. The Salish Sea hub is a partnership between the University of Victoria, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and the Victoria Foundation, offering a unique opportunity to learn and engage on issues of relevance identified by our local community partners.
Undergraduate students (4th-5th year)