2-017 - Leveraging Community- and Practitioner-Research Partnerships to Advance Equity and Justice in Developmental Science

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

In this symposium, we examine the doing of developmental science using an equity and justice lens by highlighting 4 distinct examples of community- and practitioner-research partnership models (CPRPM) addressing prominent social issues confronting young people in today’s society: economic inequality, environmental decay, unsafe school experiences for LGBTQ youth, and children’s experiences of bullying and victimization. CPRPMs are problem focused and solution driven. A pragmatic approach to scientific inquiry, CPRPMs involve researchers working collaboratively with practitioners and organizations engaged in the on-the-ground work in the communities of interest. When successful, CPRPMs can both advance developmental theory and positively impact and improve the lives of young people.

The four papers in this symposium describe and discuss the process of engaging in CPRPM research at a community, school, state, or national level. The papers articulate: 1) a clinical partnership model involving researchers and elementary school teachers designing, implementing, and evaluating an inquiry-based curriculum unit focused on wealth and poverty; 2) a scholar-practice collaboration documenting changes in urban adolescents’ notions of environmental stewardship after participating in an environmental learning-action partnership between schools and community organizations; 3) a university-community organization partnership project that examines how to prepare and build capacity of key constituents (e.g., parents, school personnel) to advocate for and institute inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) school policies and practices, and 4) PREVNet – Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network – a national network of researchers and partners (e.g., youth-serving organizations, governments) collaborating to prevent bullying and promote healthy relationships among children and youth.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Chair

• Rashmita S. Mistry, University of California, Los Angeles

Individual Presentations

• Elementary School Students’ Learning About Economic Inequality: Insights from a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership - Presenting Author: Rashmita S. Mistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Lindsey Nenadal, UCLA, Department of Education; Non-Presenting Author: Katherine M Griffin, University of California, Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Taylor Hazelbaker, UCLA

• Practical Theories: Developing Children’s Environmental Stewardship Skills and Identities - Presenting Author: Erin Gallay, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Non-Presenting Author: Morgan Smallwood, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Non-Presenting Author: Alisa Pykett, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Non-Presenting Author: Constance Flanagan, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Non-Presenting Author: Ethan Lowenstein, Director, Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS), Eastern Michigan University

• Synergy in/and Tension: Community-Partnership Research for LGBTQ Youth - Presenting Author: Stephen T. Russell, University of Texas at Austin; Non-Presenting Author: Meg D. Bishop, University of Texas at Austin; Non-Presenting Author: Salvatore Ioverno, University of Texas at Austin

• Engaging Partners to Promote Relationships and Eliminate Violence - Presenting Author: Joanne Cummings, Queen’s University; Presenting Author: Debra Pepler, York University; Non-Presenting Author: Wendy Craig, Queen’s University