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Adapting to Context in Community‐Based Participatory Research: “Participatory Starting Points” in a Chinese Immigrant Worker Community
Author(s) -
Chang Charlotte,
Salvatore Alicia L.,
Lee Pam Tau,
Liu Shaw San,
Tom Alex T.,
Morales Alvaro,
Baker Robin,
Minkler Meredith
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-012-9565-z
Subject(s) - immigration , context (archaeology) , community based participatory research , citizen journalism , health psychology , sociology , public health , participatory action research , community psychology , public relations , social psychology , psychology , political science , medicine , geography , nursing , anthropology , archaeology , law
Community‐based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly being used to better understand and improve the health of diverse communities. A key strength of this research orientation is its adaptability to community contexts and characteristics. To date, however, few studies explicitly discuss adaptations made to CBPR principles and processes in response to community context and partners’ needs. Using data from our CBPR study, the San Francisco Chinatown Restaurant Worker Health and Safety Project, and drawing from literature on immigrant political incorporation, we examine the links between the contexts of the Chinese immigrant worker community, adaptations made by our collaborative, and study outcomes. In particular, we explore the concepts of contexts of reception and participatory starting points, which may be especially relevant for partnerships with immigrant communities whose members have historically had lower rates of civic and political participation in the US. We discuss contextual findings such as worker partner accounts of language barriers, economic and social marginalization, and civic skills and participation, as well as subsequent adaptations made by the partnership. We also describe the relative effectiveness of these adaptations in yielding equitable participation and building partners’ capacity. We conclude by sharing lessons learned and their implications for CBPR and partnerships with immigrant communities more broadly.