Feminist Interruptions: Creating Care-ful and Collaborative Community-Based Research with Students

• Main Authors: Kelly Concannon, Laura Finley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth 2014-05-01
• Series: Journal of Feminist Scholarship
• Subjects: community-based research; student-faculty collaboration; critical ethics of care; domestic violence; dating violence; awareness; power; privilege
• Online Access: http://www.jfsonline.org/issue6/articles/concannon/

This article describes a feminist community-based research project involving faculty and student collaboration to evaluate a dating and domestic violence awareness initiative. Using a critical ethics of care that emphasizes relationships and allows for constant reflection about power dynamics, role, positionality, and emotions, the authors reflect on what was learned during the research process. Faculty and student researchers share their perspectives and offer suggestions for future feminist collaborative research projects. Significant lessons learned include ensuring that all are invested from the outset of the project, guaranteeing that student researchers understand why their role is so critical in community-based research, and acknowledging not just faculty power over students but student privilege as well.