Class Descriptions

Community Engaged Research with Indigenous Communities

SW677

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	None

Pathway Associations

Community Change	Elective
Global
Interpersonal Practice
Mgmt & Leadership
Policy & Political
Program Evaluation	Elective (Host)
Older Adults
Children & Families

Course Description

Indigenous communities in the U.S. are unique in their status as sovereign nations. This unique status creates particular opportunities and limitations for doing research. The course will identify different levels of engagement with Indigeous communities for developing and implementing research within them. Students will consider the underlying values, ethics, commitments, mutual respect and relationships from which these inquiry efforts are built and extended.

Objectives

1. Understand how research has been experienced by various Indigenous communities, historical and current
2. Identify levels of engagement used with Ingeneous communities for the purpose of knowledge development, including the advantages and disadvantages
3. Understand and apply ethical standards of research and evaluation practice, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities.
4. Critique research studies conducted with Indigenous communities, including collection methods, sampling, norming populations, analysis plans, and who was included in the interpretation of results.
5. Learn how to enter and exit a community with respect.

Design

The course will use multiple pedagogical methods: short lectures, short videos, participatory discussions, written assignments, student presentations, and small group experiential exercises. Guest speakers may be invited to address special topics.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.