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American journal of community psychology
Dec, 2024;74 (3-4): 236-248.

"My resistance melts away": The role of mindfulness in supporting participatory researchers' efforts to share power with youth co-researchers.

Gio Iacono, Caitlin Elsaesser, C L Dominique Courts
Author Information
  1. Gio Iacono: School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. ORCID
  2. Caitlin Elsaesser: School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. ORCID
  3. C L Dominique Courts: School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
PMID: 38959292 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12760

Abstract

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) is an approach widely utilized in various social science disciplines (e.g., community psychology, social work, public health), which requires researchers to share power with youth co-researchers and to collaborate across identities to work equitably. Understanding what approaches and practices support YPAR adult facilitators' ability to share power is a vital area of knowledge that can support greater freedom in how researchers approach YPAR. Mindfulness offers a powerful set of tools for adult researchers to track their reactions and equitably collaborate with youth co-researchers. Drawing on insights from our youth participatory research, the present study employed a collaborative autoethnography to integrate our unique experiences as YPAR facilitators. We reflected on a core research question: How does mindfulness inform and support our YPAR work? Two major themes emerged that relate to power-sharing in YPAR: (1) Mindfulness supports our ability to overcome barriers to being present in facilitating YPAR groups; (2) Facilitator presence fosters deeper connection with youth co-researchers and stronger collaboration. Mindfulness can provide researchers a holistic, strengths-based approach in youth collaboration, and may also provide skillful tools for researchers to counter the pressures of White supremacy culture in academia.

Keywords

mindfulness power���sharing youth participatory action research

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MeSH Term

Humans
Mindfulness
Community-Based Participatory Research
Adolescent
Research Personnel
Cooperative Behavior
Female
Male
Power, Psychological
Anthropology, Cultural
Adult
Journal Article

Word Cloud

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