5.2 Research Justice

Just as we talked about how power shapes language in Module 2, we want to spend some time in this module considering how: a) power has historically structured researchers’ and participants’ experiences of research; and b) research justice represents an alternative framework for setting up research practices that is grounded in community expertise and need.

In the opening chapter of An Introduction to Research Justice [PDF], a guide published by DataCenter, the authors lay out some of the problems associated with the power structures historically embedded in research models and some of the hope for the future of research centered on communities:

The concept of Research Justice begins with a single question: Who defines and controls knowledge production? Politically dominant institutions are not only dominant in policymaking, they are also dominant in the knowledge production that informs policymaking.

There is an inequity in the way research is practiced in the world. Community knowledge and people’s direct experiences with day-to-day injustices get dismissed by decision-makers. Yet, knowledge produced by mainstream institutions through scientific means is often seen as legitimate, regardless of whether it reflects the community’s truths and realities.

As a result, traditionally marginalized groups — such as poor communities of color and Indigenous communities — experience challenges when confronting power structures to achieve institutional change. Their voices are silenced and their access to mainstream knowledge is limited, often leaving people disempowered and unable to recognize their own expertise in the problems facing their community. At DataCenter, we call this ‘research oppression.’

Here are just some of the many ways we experience and witness this reality which we refer to as ‘research oppression’ in marginalized communities.

Little to no access to information from academic and governmental institutions because of language limitations, cost, and privatization of information;

Little to no control over the means of their own knowledge production;

Communities portrayed or represented negatively through biased lens;

Community knowledge is not recognized as a legitimate source of information. Community voices are dismissed as “anecdotal” or “biased;”

To fully harness the power of Research Justice, we must heal from internalized ‘research oppression’ — by fully reconciling its consequences on our communities, our families, and ourselves. When people are unable to recognize their own expertise and begin to internalize dominant messages, they feel disempowered and unable to challenge power. Empowering communities to build and recognize their own expertise is an essential part of challenging research oppression. Research Justice is achieved when communities reclaim and access all forms of knowledge to affect change. The balance of power is restored between community voices and those of institutions.

Consider Together

To further your knowledge about how historical research practices continue to affect contemporary outcomes, watch “The US medical system is still haunted by slavery” [Website] (Content Warning: discussions of medical racism, maternal mortality):

As you watch, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are examples in the video of how systems of oppression shape academic research?
• What are the legacies of those examples today?
• How might being aware of this example of medical racism shape approaches currently so that doctors can begin addressing the Black maternal mortality crisis?