Can we Build on Social Movement Theories to Develop and Improve Community‐Based Participatory Research? A Framework Synthesis Review

• Published in: American journal of community psychology 2017-06, Vol.59 (3-4), p.333-362
• Main Authors: Tremblay, Marie‐Claude, Martin, Debbie H., Macaulay, Ann C., Pluye, Pierre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; Collective action; Community; Community action; Community change; Community Participation; Community research; Community-Based Participatory Research - methods; Community-Institutional Relations; Community‐based participatory research; Empirical Review; Empirical Reviews; Health Promotion; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Mobilization; Participatory research; Process evaluation; Program Development; Program evaluation; Psychology, Social; Social activism; Social Justice; Social Mobility; Social movements; Social Theory; Tests
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12142

A long‐standing challenge in community‐based participatory research (CBPR) has been to anchor practice and evaluation in a relevant and comprehensive theoretical framework of community change. This study describes the development of a multidimensional conceptual framework that builds on social movement theories to identify key components of CBPR processes. Framework synthesis was used as a general literature search and analysis strategy. An initial conceptual framework was developed from the theoretical literature on social movement. A literature search performed to identify illustrative CBPR projects yielded 635 potentially relevant documents, from which eight projects (corresponding to 58 publications) were retained after record and full‐text screening. Framework synthesis was used to code and organize data from these projects, ultimately providing a refined framework. The final conceptual framework maps key concepts of CBPR mobilization processes, such as the pivotal role of the partnership; resources and opportunities as necessary components feeding the partnership's development; the importance of framing processes; and a tight alignment between the cause (partnership's goal), the collective action strategy, and the system changes targeted. The revised framework provides a context‐specific model to generate a new, innovative understanding of CBPR mobilization processes, drawing on existing theoretical foundations. Highlights Based on framework synthesis, we propose a conceptual framework to understand CBPR processes. Drawing on social movement theories, this framework emphasizes: – The central and catalytic role of the partnership in the mobilization process; –Framing processes, i.e., construction of shared interpretation of the partnership's goal and action; –Resources and opportunities as necessary components feeding the partnership's development. Our framework provides innovative insights for the implementation and evaluation of CBPR.