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Power between evaluator and community: research relationships within New Mexico's healthier communities

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  • Wallerstein, Nina

Abstract

The relationship between evaluators and communities has been changing in the last two decades to a model of research 'with' the community, instead of research 'on' the community. This shift has paralleled increasing community demands for accountability and authority as community participation rhetoric has given way to words such as partnership, collaboration and community empowerment. Despite the rhetoric, there has been little reflection on the problematic and contradictory relationships between communities and researchers, specifically as related to their differing positions of power. This article provides a reflective examination of the contested power dynamics of the research relationship within a participatory evaluation process of the Healthier Communities initiative in New Mexico. An in-depth literature review of the philosophical principles and the complex realities of evaluations based on participatory, community-driven and post-modern inquiry precedes the case study. Without ongoing consideration of power issues, the article argues that evaluation design, implementation and utilization of findings will be compromised.

Suggested Citation

  • Wallerstein, Nina, 1999. "Power between evaluator and community: research relationships within New Mexico's healthier communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 39-53, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:49:y:1999:i:1:p:39-53
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrews, M.L. & Sánchez, V. & Carrillo, C. & Allen-Ananins, B. & Cruz, Y.B., 2014. "Using a participatory evaluation design to create an online data collection and monitoring system for New Mexico's Community Health Councils," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 32-42.
    2. Mikraszewicz, Kathleen & Richmond, Chantelle, 2019. "Paddling the Biigtig: Mino biimadisiwin practiced through canoeing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    3. Julia Díez & Pedro Gullón & María Sandín Vázquez & Belén Álvarez & María Del Prado Martín & María Urtasun & Maite Gamarra & Joel Gittelsohn & Manuel Franco, 2018. "A Community-Driven Approach to Generate Urban Policy Recommendations for Obesity Prevention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Castleden, Heather & Garvin, Theresa & First Nation, Huu-ay-aht, 2008. "Modifying Photovoice for community-based participatory Indigenous research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1393-1405, March.
    5. Hunter Culbong & Ashton Ramirez-Watkins & Shae Anderson & Tiana Culbong & Nikayla Crisp & Glenn Pearson & Ashleigh Lin & Michael Wright, 2023. "“Ngany Kamam, I Speak Truly”: First-Person Accounts of Aboriginal Youth Voices in Mental Health Service Reform," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Laura Jessee Livingston, 2023. "Partnerships in pandemics: tracing power relations in community engaged scholarship in food systems during COVID-19," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 217-229, March.
    7. Okhumode H. Yakubu, 2018. "Delivering Environmental Justice through Environmental Impact Assessment in the United States: The Challenge of Public Participation," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, February.
    8. Kraemer Diaz, Anne E. & Spears Johnson, Chaya R. & Arcury, Thomas A., 2013. "Variation in the interpretation of scientific integrity in community-based participatory health research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 134-142.
    9. Linda Sprague Martinez & Ellin Reisner & Maria Campbell & Doug Brugge, 2017. "Participatory Democracy, Community Organizing and the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) Partnership," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-11, February.
    10. Chung, Kimberly & Lounsbury, David W., 2006. "The role of power, process, and relationships in participatory research for statewide HIV/AIDS programming," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(8), pages 2129-2140, October.
    11. Xenia I. Loizidou & Demetra L. Orthodoxou & Michael I. Loizides & Yannis N. Krestenitis, 2021. "A community-based approach for site-specific policies and solutions on marine litter: the example of Paphos, Cyprus," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 33-44, March.
    12. Blackstock, K.L. & Kelly, G.J. & Horsey, B.L., 2007. "Developing and applying a framework to evaluate participatory research for sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 726-742, February.
    13. Jirmanus, Lara Z. & Ziadee, Micheline & Usta, Jinan, 2021. "Confronting Structural Inequities: The Limits of Participation when Developing a Community Health Intervention with Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).

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