Submitted by Michael Mascarenhas on
How can environmental justice research uplift desire-centered narratives fueled by Community-Based Participatory research (CBPR). Much of the research of environmental justice scholarship has taken the form of what Eve Tuck has called "damaged centered research." In damaged-centered research, Tuck writes, one of the major activities is to document pain or loss in a community or social group. DCR uses theories of "historical exploitation, domination, and colonization to explain contemporary brokenness, such as poverty, poor health, and low literacy." While important for understanding the particular context of exploitation and harm, CDR can also pathologize certain groups and their behaviors. This research project shifts the research focuse to examine community centerd
This research project examines the sucesses of local environmental justice groups in the East Bay. The research asks what lessons can be learned from local environemental justice groups efforts and the CBPR environmental justice work that they conduct. The research also examines how can academic institutions, like UC Berkeley, thoughtfully engage with communities doing CBPR?
Students will examine the literature on environmental justice, CBPR, and damaged-centered research. Students will reach out to local EJ groups, like Center for a Better Environment, to collaborate on activities of movement building and activism to assess how CBPR is successfully cultivated in community. Students will write up a report and paper for publication with the PI.