[Cbrnet] Next step in our CBR discussion

[randy.stoecker at utoledo.edu]

Hi everyone.  I hope you enjoyed or survived (depending on your 
perspective) the holiday season.  I want to move our discussion to 
the next question.  Below are the themes I see coming from our 
discussion so far (I added "funding," which came up in two recent 
posts -- If you wish to add any themes, please do so as soon as 
possible).

The next issue is to what extent these themes represent unmet 
needs.  Are there currently adequate opportunities to get technical 
assistance in doing CBR, collaborate across sites, share 
information with other CBR practitioners, use CBR to create 
change, provide mutual support, and get funding for CBR?  If so, 
what are those resources and how can people access them?

Our responses to these questions will then form the outline for our 
work at the February 7-8 meeting.

Randy

*********THEMES*************

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

~share resources and strategies for training researchers of every 
level on how to conduct their research in a collaborative manner.  

~learning new, innovative organizing and research methods from 
other folks.  

~technical assistance  

~provide a community of people I could refer others to for 
assistance either by phone or email or perhaps a campus visit or 
workshop presentation.  

**********************************  

COLLABORATION

~provide opportunities to undertake larger projects through 
collaboration with other researchers.  

~reach out to existing national organizations, non-profits and 
funders that represent or support local/state/regional organizations 
in specific issue areas or types of local organizations  

*******************************

INFORMATION SHARING

~play the critical role in basic information sharing, but also in 
pushing our work into new areas.  

~distinquish itself by being truly representative of our full 
constituency -- faculty, staff, students, and community partners 
from all parts of the country and all types of institutions, 
backgrounds, interests, etc.  

~more printed and web-based resources  

~giving more visibility to our efforts.  


***********************************

CREATING CHANGE

~enabling us all to learn from each other and ultimately increase 
the potential of CBR to bring about grass root changes in local 
communities and ultimately broader social change. 

~move institutional 'support' to fuller institutionalization 

~establish ongoing links among CBR projects in multiple areas as a 
way of creating a model of grassroots-anchored regional or national 
policy research
 

************************************

SUPPORT GROUP

~maintain somehow the personal, friendly, supportive culture  

~support systems for students as they go through the CBR process,  

~support group  

~having people to talk to who understand the issues.

******************************

FUNDING

~the amount of funding that is available for research is inadequate 
for the amount of work involved in collaboration and partnership.

~support for our work is fragile