Online Program

328657
Using boundary-work to understand the dynamics of community-based participatory research


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Pornsak Chandanabhumma, MPH, Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Background: Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) has been advocated as an approach to eliminate health disparities among communities of color.  Yet, when the key principles of CBPR are followed, implementation issues related to participation and power sharing among CBPR partners may still occur. With origins in sociology, boundary-work describes the creation of symbolic characteristics to draw boundaries between social groups.  The purpose of this systematic review is to apply the elements of boundary-work to explain issues of academic-community participation in CBPR.

Methods: Systematic review of literature focused on CBPR project implementation was conducted on major databases, including PubMed and Science Direct.  Key search words included: CBPR, implementation, academic, community, and participation.  Commonly identified issues were classified according to the processes and functions of boundary-work. 

Results: The systematic review identified three key issues related to academic-community participation in CBPR 1) unintended exclusion of stakeholders from the symbolic domains of research and of community 2) shifting boundaries of tasks and responsibilities among CBPR partners to protect institutional autonomy 3) delineation of culture-centered boundaries to advance community priorities and values. 

Conclusion: Increased attention to boundary-work may help understand implementation challenges in CBPR.  The proliferation of boundaries that distinguishes the domains of research from that of the community may complicate the working relationship among CBPR stakeholders.  On the other hand, the production of community-centered moral boundaries may help CBPR partners resolve ethical dilemmas in CBPR.  Future studies should further examine how perceptions of symbolic boundary affect partnership processes and outcomes.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Explain the dynamics of academic-community participation in community-based participatory research using the concept of boundary-work

Keyword(s): Community-Based Research (CBPR), Theory

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a PhD student with previous research involvement on a national study of federally funded community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects. My research interests involve the relationships between race, culture, and intervention outcomes in CBPR.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.