Decolonizing (?) Research Through a Community-University Partnership

• In Event: 28.089 - MTCC Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 28.089-3 - Shifting Partnerships and Priorities for Organizing

Abstract

“Grounding Roots” is a community-based collaborative education and workforce development program. It aims to build social, cognitive and food justice through sustainable urban agriculture and horticulture by engaging intergenerational communities of practice. Drawing upon Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s framework of decolonizing methodologies, this exploratory case study examined ways in which a Community-University partnership engaged in decolonizing work through research and practice, as well as how the partnership served to preserve colonizing practices. Implications from this work highlight the need for researchers doing community-based work to enact community-driven agendas that prioritize self-determination and justice; to facilitate distributed leadership in collaboration with community members; and to produce research and work that is worthwhile to the community.

Authors

• Illana C. Livstrom, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Amy Smith, University of Minnesota

• Mary Rogers, University of Minnesota