Current Issues in Participatory Research

ANTH 714: Current Issues in Participatory Research

Fall Semester 2023: Thursdays, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. (1st half of semester only)

The Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research (GCPR) invites graduate and professional students at all levels and from all UNC departments, schools, and colleges to enroll in our gateway course, taught this coming fall by GCPR alum and Public Health professor Dr. Dane Emmerling. This one-credit class will meet Thursday evenings weekly during just the first half of the semester. It is designed to introduce students to the methodologies of participatory research and to grow our interdisciplinary community of students, faculty, and community experts who care about ensuring that our research is conducted with, not on, communities. Registration is first come first serve and the course is capped at 24 students.

A required one-credit introductory course entitled Current Issues in Participatory Research is offered each fall semester. This course is taught on a rotating basis by faculty across various departments, so the specific course number will be posted on the website the semester before it is offered. The primary goal of this course is to make students aware of current debates within participatory research, build their ability to converse about approaches and issues, and contribute to the building of a participatory research community on the UNC campus. The second goal is to orient students who are currently enrolled or considering enrolling in the Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research Program. This course serves as a nexus for faculty, community experts, and students involved with participatory research from across campus. A set of readings with an appropriate load for a one-credit course will introduce current approaches and issues. The writings of UNC-CH faculty and community experts will be used for some sessions and those authors will be invited to class on the day that their work is assigned.

In this introductory course, students will be introduced to a variety of disciplinary and methodological approaches to community-engaged research. By focusing on cutting-edge participatory research underway here at UNC, students will begin to map out and become part of the GCPR community. Student work will be individual and collective, designing a participatory research project and strengthening this very community in the process of their learning.

Students are encouraged to take the course for credit in their first year of the Certificate program. Students are encouraged to take part in the GCPR annual welcome reception, workshops, presentations, and other intellectual events throughout the semester and their time in the Certificate program. The intent is for students to continue to remain engaged with faculty and community experts, build cross-sharing among members of the Certificate student cohort, and contribute actively to the community’s co-learning.

*Please note that the course number will change each fall to align with the departments of each instructor. Please contact participatoryresearch@unc.edu if you have any questions or trouble enrolling.