A Cultural‐Variant Approach to Community‐Based Participatory Research: New Ideas for Family Professionals

• Author: James J. Ponzetti,Jessica Stanley,Tammy L. Henderson,Anne B. Edwards,Aya Shigeto,Chandra Story
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12269
• Published date: 01 October 2017
• Date: 01 October 2017

T L. H Lamar University

A S Nova Southeastern University

J J. P J. University of British Columbia

A B. E Purdue University Northwest

J S University of Oklahoma

C S Oklahoma State University

A Cultural-Variant Approach to Community-Based

Participatory Research: New Ideas for Family

Professionals

The cultural-variant community-based partic-

ipatory research (CV-CBPR) model expands

the traditional community-based participatory

research (CBPR) model and supports the ongo-

ing creation of innovative basic family and

translational science. The CV-CBPR model

supports family professionals using a cultural-

variant perspective that discourages the use of

a decit or pathological lens. It also encourages

inclusive and culture-sensitive practices in all

stages of a project.After a brief review of diverse

types of community or action-research projects

and the nine principles of the traditional

CBPR model, a cultural-variant perspective

and related principles are described. We offer

lessons learned from two project management

experiences: a community-focused, disaster

project with older survivors of Hurricane

Department of Family and Consumer Science, Lamar

University, P.O. 10035, Beaumont, TX 77710 (tammy.

henderson@lamar.edu).

Key Words: Community-based participatory research,

cultural-variant community-based participatory research

model (CV-CBPR), cultural-variant perspective.

Katrina and a CBPR arctic-climate project

with Alaska Native grandparents rearing

grandchildren.

Expanding the traditional community-based par-

ticipatory research (CBPR) model, the cultural-

variant community-based participatory research

(CV-CBPR) model provides a methodology that

fosters socially conscious community engage-

ment. The CV-CBPR model also promotes an

understanding of how sociopolitical, historical,

economic, and contextual factors inuence

individual, family, and community develop-

ment and addresses the intersections of race,

class, gender, age, and other “isms” of society.

The journey toward translational family sci-

ence may be furthered when a cultural-variant

perspective is placed explicitly at the cen-

ter of CBPR methods and applied at every

level of a community-engaged project. The

CV-CBPR model shifts focus away from a mere

conceptualization of cultural competence and

sensitivity toward a more explicit application of

inclusive practices; it institutionalizes respect

Family Relations 66 (October 2017): 629–643 629

DOI:10.1111/fare.12269