A Social Justice Framework for Application of Critical Research Methodologies

1
A Social Justice Framework for Application of
Critical Research Methodologies

• Bharat Mehra
• School of Information Sciences, University of
  Tennessee
• E-mail bmehra_at_utk.edu
• URL http//www.sis.utk.edu/people/faculty/mehra
• Date 2 April, 2007

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Agenda

• Select Critical Research Considerations
• Past Research
• A Social Justice Framework
• One Current Research Project Community Action on
  Behalf of LBGTQ Populations
• Team activity Your application of the social
  justice framework to a topic/project of your
  choice

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Critical Research

• Assumes that social reality is historically
  constituted and that it is produced and
  reproduced by people
• Recognizes that peoples ability to consciously
  act to change their social and economic
  circumstances is constrained by various forms of
  social, cultural and political domination
• Acknowledges that the main task of research is
  one of social critique, whereby the restrictive
  and alienating conditions of the status quo are
  brought to light, questioned, and changed
• Jurgen Habermas of the Frankfurt School

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Critical Research Considerations

• Working with underserved populations Critical
  theory recognizes perspectives of all
  stakeholders in different situations and this
  includes points of view of the under-represented
  in order to do justice to a diversity of
  socially defined perspectives while providing a
  grounding for the evaluation of controversial
  problems (Endres, 1996, 24).
• Reflective process to question traditional
  understandings and scrutinize existing values,
  practices, ideological frameworks, and processes
  (Kellner, 1989 Habermas, 1993 Froomkin, 2003).

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Past Research
Under-represented Population Research Context Information Context Method of Research
Minority residents East St. Louis Building geographic information systems Mapping citys cultural and physical fabric Use of IT in community technology centers Participatory design Service learning Action research Community networking
Low-income individuals Small Business Owners Prairienet Community Network in East-Central Illinois Technology training Building culturally relevant online content Action research Community networking
Local African-American women SisterNet, a group of activist Black women Health information and services Participatory action research Community networking
Sexual minorities Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Computer-mediated communication and use of online resources for action-oriented change in their everyday lives Content analysis Socially grounded methods
Puerto Rican community Chicagos Paseo Boricua neighborhood Development of a community library as a symbol of cultural identity Service learning Action research Community networking
International teaching assistants UIUC Glocal use of the Internet to fulfill their diasporic needs Mixed quantitative and qualitative methods
International doctoral students GSLIS, UIUC Building a model of their experiences for internationalizing implications in LIS education Qualitative methods Participant observation Content analysis
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Critical Research Considerations

• Change agency and empowerment Elicit suggestions
  for improvements to make peoples experiences
  better Bring a change in socio-economic and
  sociopolitical realties by helping people help
  themselves (Mehra, 2006a)

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Methods Participatory Action Research

• Challenge traditional definitions of knowledge
  Democratization of the knowledge process in which
  the people who are usually considered research
  subjects become part of the research process as
  researchers analyzing their own experiences
  (Mehra, 2006b)
• Emphasis on social justice and social equity via
  action to change imbalances in distribution of
  resources, information, and power (Stoecker
  Bonacich, 1992)

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Qualitative Research Methods Action Research

• AR aims to contribute both to the practical
  concerns of people in an immediate problematic
  situation and to the goals of social science by
  joint collaboration within a mutually acceptable
  ethical framework (Rapoport, 1970, p. 499)
• AR is a valid research method in applied fields,
  provides outcome-based results, and suggests
  direction for change (Kemmis McTaggart, 1988)
• AR is closely ties to interpretive inquiry hence
  traditional criteria to evaluate rigor in
  experimental researchobjectivity, reliability,
  validity, and generalizabilityare inappropriate,
  and AR researchers may establish trustworthiness
  of their study by reporting on credibility,
  transferability, dependability, and
  confirmability (Stringer, 1999).

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Critical Research Considerations

• Democratic and participative ideologies
• Equal participation of disenfranchised users
• Learning in collaboration
• Community inquiry into participants everyday
  experiences
• Online-offline convergences
• Use of mixed methods
• Situated nature of applications and concrete
  outcomes
• Promoting inclusiveness Outreach in planning and
  policy implementation

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Social Justice Considerations 

• Mehra, B., Albright, K. S., Rioux, K. (2006).
  A Practical Framework for Social Justice Research
  in the Information Professions. Proceedings of
  the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society
  for Information Science Technology 2006
  Information Realities Shaping the Digital Future
  For All. Volume 43. poster/short paper
• Recognize traditionally identified marginalized
  as equals who are experts in knowing their own
  situations/realities
•  
• Develop equitable partnerships in LIS to empower
  people to make changes in their everyday
  circumstances
•  
• Discard labels that minimize peoples experiences
  and identify all project participants as
  community researchers

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Social Justice Goal in LIS Research

• Contextualize LIS work in the everyday
  experiences of society's "marginalized" in ways
  that make a difference in their socio-economic
  and socio-political experiences of
  marginalization
• Recognize the diverse potential of LIS work for
  bringing real change in people's lives
• Begin to re-examine LIS scholarship, practice,
  and relevance to emerging social contexts of the
  21st century
• Identify and explore a range of "how to" methods
  and approaches in LIS that may build upon the
  existing and perhaps limited measures of social
  justice outcomes and impacts.

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Key Social Justice Elements

• An underserved population Identifies which group
  (or individuals) we are working with.
• The information (communication) need Presents an
  asset-based approach that recognizes the
  strengths of various stakeholders (including the
  identified marginalized) it goes beyond a
  deficit approach traditionally adopted in LIS
  research and helps to develop a service plan that
  taps into existing strengths embedded in the
  project.
• Methodologies Examines research approaches used
  in the process of engaging with the study
  population.
• Outcomes What are the tangible and intangible
  changes that have occurred in the lives of the
  targeted individuals before and after getting
  involved in the project?
• Assessment and evaluation Did the original need
  that motivated the interaction get addressed? How
  effective were the strategies that were adopted
  to address the original issue?
• Others Identify others that may be specific to
  particular projects.

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RESEARCH QUESTION How can information and
communication professionals bring about social
change that transforms marginalized peoples
lives and makes a difference in their experiences?
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Key Social Justice Elements in LIS  
Element Illustrative Study 1 Illustrative Study 2 Illustrative Study 3
Population Uganda organizations Population in rural Pennsylvania with low library access use levels Sexual minorities (LGBTQ individuals) in East Tennessee
Information need HIV/AIDS info Basic health information about diseases (cancer, diabetes) and local health services Information support services for individual, social, legal/political representation
Research methodology Interviews Survey research Grounded theory methods (i.e., interviews) Participatory action research Qualitative interviews Community mobilization
Achievement of outcomes (in progress) Catalog of information types Changes in levels of knowledge, attitudes, behaviors regarding health local health resources services Changes in policies, information seeking opportunities, safety, provision of culturally relevant materials, health support facilities, curriculum planning, traditional library information services
Assessment Correlation between organization type information that is disseminated On-going On-going
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Theoretical Principles

• Fairness and equity in social relationships Do
  the projects reflect upon making various
  experiences more equitable for specific
  underserved individuals or populations?
• Empowerment How is the interaction changing the
  ways social conditions were before and after the
  interaction for different individuals involved in
  the project? How is their perception about their
  role in determining the course of their lives
  changed as a result of their project
  participation?
• Economic, political, social, cultural, and
  environmental impacts How is the interaction
  changing the ways things are at these levels
  before and after the interaction?

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Theoretical Principles

• Community building and community development
  Building equitable partnerships and
  collaborations within and across the academy with
  local, national and international communities to
  promote social equity and social justice for
  individual, social, and community empowerment of
  the disenfranchised.
• Diversity, multiplicity, and democracy Varied
  and participative involvement in decision-making.
• Everyday information needs How does the project
  change how everyday information needs of the
  disenfranchised get met?
• Community informatics Exploring the role and the
  application of information and communication
  technologies (ICTs) to empower and enable local
  and global communities to meet their goals and
  aspirations.

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Social Justice Principles in Illustraive Studies
 
  SJ Principles   Illustrative Study 1   Illustrative Study 2   Illustrative Study 3
Fairness/equity in social relationships Serving those infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS Outreach to underserved populations in a rural environment Individual, social, legal/political representation for sexual minorities
Empowerment Individual Providing individuals with information to prevent or treat HIV/AIDS Informing individuals about health issues local health resources and services Perception of social acceptance availability of information support services
Empowerment Economic, political, social, cultural, environmental impacts Goal to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS Goal to contribute in improving healthcare in the community Equitable policy development, formalized recognition/representation, improved information support services
Community building Within the academy Collaboration between government, NGOs, community-based faith-based organizations Collaboration between researchers in IS, public health, nursing, pharmacy, etc. Partnerships between IS professionals other progressive units networking between (earlier isolated) LGBT faculty/student/staff
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Social Justice Principles in Illustraive Studies
  SJ Principles Illustrative Study 1   Illustrative Study 2   Illustrative Study 3
Community building Beyond the academy Organizational sharing of HIV/AIDS information Collaboration between citizens, healthcare providers, librarians, support groups, etc. Community LGBT ally groups/individuals across the university/community
Diversity, multiplicity, democracy Coordination of organizations at all levels of public private sector involved in HIV/AIDs information Determination of underserved users needsGoal expanding community participation improving access to information Creating visibility mobilization to propel change in support of LGBT people/issues via building ally networks participative collaborations
Everyday information needs HIV/AIDS information Basic health information Needs related to individual respect, social equality, and adequate representation for sexual minorities
Community informatics Dissemination of HIV/AIDS information using culturally appropriate technologies and formats (e.g., drama, radio) Public library systems use of kiosks in non-library settings to deliver basic health information to a population that does not typically use library resources Development of web campus/community information support services to tackle ignorance provide effective information support services
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Current Research

1. Campus Climate and Community Action for the
   Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and
   Questioning (LGBTQ) Community at the University
   of Tennessee (with Donna Braquet, Librarian, UT
   Hodges Library)
2. How can the University of Tennessee Improve its
   Information Support Services for African-American
   Students to Increase Enrollment, Retention, and
   Develop Minority Student Leadership? Case
   Perspectives of African-American Graduate
   Students (with Cheryl Ann Lambert, Ph. D.
   Student, UT School of Advertising and Public
   Relations)
3. Information Support Services for International
   Graduate Students at the University of Tennessee
   (with Dania Bilal, Associate Professor, SIS)

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• INTRODUCTION Let us begin with general
  introductions. This is completely optional.
  Please tell us only what you are comfortable
  sharing about yourself and/or your GLBTQ-related
  experiences at the University of Tennessee.
• CAMPUS CLIMATE COMFORT LEVEL Overall, how
  comfortable are you with the campus climate at
  UTK for sexual minorities? Prompt Why are you
  so comfortable or not so comfortable?.
• UNIVERSITY POLICY PLAN AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT
  What are some areas of development in a
  university policy plan that you may want to
  propose to bring about institutional change of
  support for GLBTQ individuals on campus? Prompt
  Have you been affected by UTK policies or lack of
  policies?
• PERSONAL SAFETY How can the university become
  safer for GLBTQ individuals? Prompts What is
  your perception of safety on campus? Describe any
  incidents that you are aware of where personal
  safety of a GLBTQ individual was challenged? How
  can there be improvements in the following
  Response to assaults? Training of officers?
  Information reporting and information awareness
  of campus hate crimes?.

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES How can the
  university improve its health and support
  services for GLBTQ individuals on campus?
  Prompts How can the university improve its
  health and support services in areas of
  counseling, health information dissemination,
  student/staff organizations, and safe space
  programs.
• CURRICULUM AND PLANNING How can the university
  improve its curriculum and programming for
  support of GLBTQ individuals? Prompts
  integration throughout the curriculum focused
  specialization courses campus sponsored
  programs and support of research initiatives.
• POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT How can
  the university improve its institutional
  commitment to promote a positive experience for
  GLBTQ individuals on campus? Prompts
  discrimination coverage of harassment at new
  student/employee orientation equal benefits
  health and housing and campus initiatives such
  as advisory council and task force.

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• IMPROVEMENTS Is there anything else that would
  make life for GLBTQ individuals at UT better?
  What can the university do to make life at UT a
  more positive experience for GLBTQ individuals?
• INFORMATION SEEKING DURING THE COMING OUT
  PROCESS Think back to when you came out or
  perhaps a friends experiences of coming out.
  Within a few years, can you state the year when
  you/your friend began the coming out process?
• During the stage when you were starting to
  recognize that you may not be heterosexual
• What types of information did you seek?
• Where did you seek this information? (Internet,
  bookstore, friends, library, support group, etc.)
• What type of information was most helpful?
• What type of information would have been helpful?

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• When you first started coming out to other
  queers/starting friendships with other queers
• How did you find other queers?
• What type of information did you seek?
• Where did you seek it?
• What would have been helpful during this time?
• When you were preparing to come out to close
  friends and family
• After coming out
• How could libraries/librarians help during the
  coming out process?

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES
• Awareness of Library Resources
• How aware are you of the UT Librarys GLBTQ
  related resources (books, films, journals,
  magazines)?
• Resource Use
• How important do you think having access to GLBTQ
  related library resources is?
• Have there been any instances where you have
  needed or used GLBTQ library resources? (personal
  use, class use?)
• How easy or difficult are they to find? What
  types of resources did you use?
• Evaluation of Library Resources
• How would you evaluate the Librarys GLBTQ
  related resources?
• In which GLBTQ related areas do you think the
  Library is most lacking, most adequate?
• How can the Library improve awareness and use of
  GLBT resources?

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• Awareness of Library Reference Service
• How aware are you of the Library staffs ability
  to help with finding information on GLBTQ related
  topics?
• Reference Use
• Do you think the ability to ask GLBTQ related
  questions at the Library is important? Have there
  been any instances when you asked a GLBTQ related
  question?
• Evaluation of Library Reference Service
• What has been your experience with asking GLBTQ
  related questions at the Library?
• How comfortable or uncomfortable would you feel
  asking a GLBTQ-related question? If you havent
  asked a question, how do you think GLBTQ related
  questions would be handled by library staff?
• What would make you feel more comfortable? How
  would you feel most comfortable asking GLBTQ
  related questions (in person, by phone, via chat
  or e-mail)?
• How can the UT Library improve services for GLBTQ
  individuals? What can the UT Libraries do to
  improve the standing of GLBTQ individuals on
  campus?

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Campus Climate for the GLBTQ Community

• Mehra, B., Braquet, D. (2007).
  Information-Seeking Behaviors during Queer
  Youth Coming Out Experiences. In M. K. Chelton
  C. Cool (eds.), Youth Information Seeking
  Behaviors Contexts, Theories, Models and Issues
  (pp. 93-131). Toronto, Canada Scarecrow Press.
• Mehra, B., Braquet, D. (2006). A Queer
  Manifesto of Interventions for Libraries to Come
  Out of the Closet! A Study of Queer Youth
  Experiences during the Coming Out Process,
  Library and Information Science Research
  Electronic Journal, Volume 16, Issue 1 (March
  2006).
• Braquet, D., Mehra, B. (2006). Contextualizing
  Internet Use Practices of the Cyber-Queer
  Empowering Information Realities in Everyday
  Life. Proceedings of the 69th Annual Meeting of
  the American Society for Information Science
  Technology 2006 Information Realities Shaping
  the Digital Future For All. Volume 43.
  poster/short paper.
• Mehra, B., Braquet, D. (in press). Library and
  Information Science Professionals as Community
  Action Researchers in an Academic Setting Top
  Ten Directions to Further Institutional Change
  for People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and
  Gender Identities, Library Trends.
• Mehra, B., Albright, K. S., Rioux, K. (2006). A
  Practical Framework for Social Justice Research
  in the Information Professions. Proceedings of
  the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Society
  for Information Science Technology 2006
  Information Realities Shaping the Digital Future
  For All. Volume 43. poster/short paper.
  (secondary focus).
• Mehra, B., Srinivasan, R. (under review). The
  Library-Community Convergence Framework for
  Community Action A New Role of the Library as a
  Catalyst of Social Change, Libri International
  Journal of Libraries and Information Services.
  (secondary focus).

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Community Action Research Agenda

• Findings from qualitative studies and action
  research include
• Typical barriers/challenges faced by local LGBTQ
  individuals towards self-fulfillment and social
  empowerment
• Top ten prioritized community actions of what we
  need to do and how do we do it for furthering
  acceptance of LGBTQ people
• Current directions of progress made in the UTK
  academic environment over a period of 2 years

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• What efforts can be made to promote progressive
  institutional changes on behalf of LGBTQ people?

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Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change
No. Barriers/Challenges What We Need To Do
1. Social isolation and lack of awareness of LGBTQ people Use social and digital technologies to build connections between LGBTQ people
2. No formalized support and institutional protection Gain institutional commitment for legal and political/social protection
3. Lack of political representation Active participation in political lobbying and building political support networks
4. Conservative climate breeds hatred and contempt Develop safe space programs and sensitivity training in various areas
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Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change
No. Barriers/Challenges What We Need To Do
5. Cloak of invisibility surrounding LGBTQ concerns and negative stereotyping Create visibility and awareness of LGBT issues via active programming, hosting of events, and activity planning
6. Inadequate information support services and no awareness of existing resources Develop accurate and fair LGBTQ information resources and collections and promote visibility by proactive advertising
7. Lack of coverage of LGBT materials in courses and curriculum Create specialized courses that specifically focus on LGBTQ materials and cover LGBTQ issues in all relevant courses
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Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change
No. Barriers/Challenges What We Need To Do
8. Lack of provision of adequate and fair services to LGBTQ needs Create formalized channels of communication and information flow between LGBTQ individuals and the administration
9. Perceived negative backlash or repercussions in academic setting Take actions against discrimination to project signals that any sort of prejudice will not be tolerated
10. Isolated disconnected efforts in LGBT advocacy Coordinate between isolated LGBT advocacy efforts
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What are the specific actions we are taking as
LIS community action researchers in the
University of Tennessee?
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Using social/digital technologies to build
connections between LGBTQ and allies

• Informal/formal networking has helped us develop
  contacts, communicate, and collaborate with
  allies and support agencies. These include
• UT LGBT faculty, staff, and students members of
  local LGBT community-based groups and social
  justice agencies and members of the UTs Office
  of Equity and Diversity (OED) and Diversity
  Council
• We created a listserv LGBTANet in August 2005
  that has helped in information sharing,
  communication exchange, and building
  institutional memory for LGBTQ individuals and
  allies (URL http//listserv.utk.edu/archives/lgbt
  anet.html).

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Seeking institutional commitment for legal,
political, and social protection

• Chancellor Crabtrees encouraging response during
  our first meeting in December 2005 and his e-mail
  confirmation (received on December 8, 2005) that
  UT President John Petersen had authorized the
  inclusion of sexual orientation in a welcoming
  statement attached to the UT non-discrimination
  policy
• Our involvement in procedural steps following
  administrative protocols
• Reaching a consensus amongst local LGBTQ
  members/allies in identifying a new name
  Commission for LGBT representative of current
  national trends
• Developing initial Bylaws of the Commission for
  LGBT People in consultation with members of the
  UTs Diversity Council
• Creating a volunteer list of 16 UT LGBT people
  who were willing to serve on the board of the
  future Commission for LGBT People
• Participating in the first organizational meeting
  of the Commission on 12 December 2006, and
  meeting with the Chancellor on 9 January 2007

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Participating in political lobbying and building
political support networks
We collaborated with LGBTQ allies in preparing
pro-LGBTQ resolution statements and refining
vocabulary constructs representing sexual
minorities in a city ordinance non-discrimination
clause that were presented and discussed during
focus group and individual meetings in fall 2005
with local Councilmen Bob Becker and Chris
Woodhull
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Developing safe space programs and sensitivity
training

• In OEDs Diversity Experience Workshop (DEW)
  Advisory Group, we have partnered with
  faculty/staff/students across campus to identify
  appropriate content on LGBTQ needs
• We developed information for the workshops that
  focus on LGBTQ as special populations as well
  as represent LGBTQ issues in general workshops on
  diversity
• Workshop components are being delivered during
  various events on campus (new student/faculty
  orientations, forums in fraternities/sororities,
  and departmental diversity evaluation sessions)

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Creating awareness of LGBTQ issues via active
programming and hosting of events
We planned and participated in a workshop (18
April, 2006) sponsored by the community-based
GLBTQ Task Force Against Domestic Violence on
educational training for service providers in
public agencies such as the police force, health
services, counseling centers, and social work
agencies to provide effective services to meet
the needs of LGBTQ people
38

Developing accurate and fair LGBTQ information
resources

• The Diversity News Channel
• (http//www.lib.utk.edu/news/diversity/archives/g
  lbt/), hosted on the UTK library server,
  presents current information about LGBTQ
  happenings and programs
• The UTK librarys Cultural Corner (offline and
  online) (http//www.lib.utk.edu/diversity/culturec
  orner/springlist-06.html) is an effort to
  demarcate a visible physical and virtual space
  on LBGTQ issues of contemporary relevance
• The recent compilation of the Gay, Lesbian,
  Bisexual, Transgender Resource Guide
  (http//www.lib.utk.edu/refs/glbt.htmllocal)
  provides
• online access to local LGBTQ resources and
  services

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Teaching IS 592 titled Race, Gender, and
Sexuality in the Information Professions during
spring 2005 provided me opportunities for
understanding the campus climate on issues
related to sexual orientation from a deeper
perspectiveDuring the 2007 spring semester,
students in the course are partnering with the
East Tennessee LGBT Youth Project to assess and
evaluate child welfare and juvenile justice
programs, library and social support service
providers, and secondary school systems based on
discussions with LGBT youth
Creating specialized courses that specifically
focus on LGBTQ materials
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Thank you for your attention.

• Questions and Comments?
• Team activity Your application of the social
  justice framework to a topic/project of your
  choice