OKAY! I'm up next for #PAScholarStrike! Were going to talk about one of my favorite topics: research methods. And how our views on "research" and "rigor" create massive inequities in thd academy, research endeavors, and policy efforts. Follow here! #ScholarStrike https://twitter.com/SeanMcC_PA/status/1303666951370280960

Historically, research efforts have not only been shaped by race, class, religion and politics- theyve actively been used to further marginalize minority communities. Social science research in the 20th/21st centuries has taken a different, also worrisome turn: a focus on "rigor"

What this word does not convey are the values behind assumptions about what is and is not considered "difficult, complex, scientific research." Particularly, sense making has been seen as a soft research effort, lacking objectivity and loaded with biases #PAScholarStrike

The biases tied to highly postivist, quantitative research- which relies on assumptions about the social world and the role of the researcher- are rarely questioned. But the expertise of lived experience is considered value-less #PAScholarStrike

In the field of public affairs, especially, we need to reconsider these assumptions. And the ways they ERASE and ACTIVELY HARM minority communities. Not a single MPA grad should leave their program without a complete knowledge of the Tuskeegee syphillis trial #PAScholarStrike

Students and grads should leave our programs with a deep understanding of how DANGEROUS research that is disconnected from our collective humanity truly is. We should be preparing future public and nonprofit employees to make sense of experiences not ignore them #PAScholarStrike

We can do this in a few ways:
1) adapt @naspaa core competencies to reflect/standardize this
2) create a standing committee within @napawash to further this effort
3) Have more explicit comversations about this at our @naspaa and @ASPANational conferences #PAScholarStrike

Because here's what happens if we dont train our MPAs and PhDs to adopt himan centric approaches to research: we fail our organizations and communities.
We place people in positions thst are increasingly research heavy without the skills to do inclusive research #PAScholarStrike

*human

What do human centric methods look like? It is interpretive in nature. It includes ethnographies, story telling analysis, critical studies, constructivist analysis, visual analyses etc. How much of this sort of research is published in our top journals? #PAScholarStrike

Thats why I'm striking. Because our human centric scholarship continues to not only be underdeveloped in pedagogy but ignored in print. And the impact is ALWAYS overwhelmingly felt by already marginalized communities. #PAScholarStrike

Whos voices make it into the classroom? Whos readings are considered "essential" to the feild? What do our syllabi look like? We cont to choose works that are limited by methodological choices that do not center racial and social justice in the research effort. #PAScholarStrike

But thd ultimate impact does not end with how we do research or how we train students. Its felt when that research is disseminated, when its applied in the feild, when our students go out and act on the findings of these studies. #PAScholarStrike

How many public and nonprofit leaders continue to deny the inequities tied to rsce, class, and gender? Far too many to count. Why? Because we continue to dismiss these in the research they are exposed to. Or we adopt them as simplistic variables. #PAScholarStrike

We need to do better. But we also need to unlearn what we've done incorrectly. We need to rethink what sampling, operationalization, and generalizability should look like in socially/racially equitable PA research #PAScholarStrike

Sampling: We dont always know the parameters of studies that human centric- we cant always come to a research effort knowing exactly who or what will make up our sampling frame. In fact, we need to be open to learning that, based on what communities tell us. #PAScholarStrike

Operationalization: We have to be very certain we are measuring what we say we are measuring. This means critically questioning our assumptions and the value laden words we adopt. Again, we need to look to communities to teach us. #PAScholarStrike

Lastly, our focus on generalizability can lead many to want to erase the specific elements of communities that make them unique. THIS IS ERASURE. It is damaging and also bad research. We should seek out analytical generalizability instead #PAScholarStrike

This leads us back to "rigor," often defined as lack of bias and the use of specific tools. Lets stop pretending that white, male, upper class researchers/research efforts are bias-free. BIAS EXISTS EVERYWHERE. Not admiting *that* is the true threat to rigor. #PAScholarStrike

Our communities are diverse. Our research efforts must reflect this. We must see research as a way to better understand the institutions and the people they serve- not as an opportunity to collect a bunch of data points and through them in a model #PAScholarStrike

*public institutions

*throw :)

My time here is almost done, so before I hand this over, I'll add that a few journals and PA leaders are prioritizing this work! Notably @PAQuarterly and ATP with @StaciwithaZ as its leader are investing heavily in this work. LOOK FOR AND CITE THIS WORK #PAScholarStrike

Others are dedicated to this work as well. Obviously the wonderful @urbanrambl_ @SheRambl @SeanMcC_PA and so many other have dedicated incalcuable amounts of time, resources, and labor to this endeavor. They are an inspiration to the rest of us. #PAScholarStrike

I'm handing this off to @meganehatch now, to discuss diversifying our syllabi. Thanks for following along all! Stay strong and build communities. We're always better together. #PAScholarStrike