The Foundations of CBPR

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Two distinct traditions -that of Kurt Lewin, who coined the term action research, and that of Paulo
Freire, who develop “emancipator research” -stand out as having influenced CBPR (…) In 1970, Paulo
Freire, the Brazilian educator, changed the power dynamics in research by depicting the researcher as
facilitator and catalyst rather than director in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As Freire noted,
knowledge is connected to power -but whose power? Knowledge does not only emanate from
academia; rather, “people” also create and possess knowledge. This perspective shifts the concept of
research from one in which the community is a laboratory for investigation to one in which community
members not only participle in the inquiry process but also contribute their own knowledge. Freire
framed the concept of “popular education” and argued that the teacher must be open to learning from
the student. This colearning process based on emancipator conceptions has greatly influenced the use
of CBPR approaches.

The Foundations of CBPR

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Two distinct traditions -that of Kurt Lewin, who coined the term action research, and that of Paulo
Freire, who develop “emancipator research” -stand out as having influenced CBPR (…) In 1970, Paulo
Freire, the Brazilian educator, changed the power dynamics in research by depicting the researcher as
facilitator and catalyst rather than director in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As Freire noted,
knowledge is connected to power -but whose power? Knowledge does not only emanate from
academia; rather, “people” also create and possess knowledge. This perspective shifts the concept of
research from one in which the community is a laboratory for investigation to one in which community
members not only participle in the inquiry process but also contribute their own knowledge. Freire
framed the concept of “popular education” and argued that the teacher must be open to learning from
the student. This colearning process based on emancipator conceptions has greatly influenced the use
of CBPR approaches.

The Foundations of CBPR

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

In 1970, Paulo Freire, the Brazilian educator, changed the power dynamics in research by depicting the
researcher as facilitator and catalyst rather than director in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As
Freire noted, knowledge is connected to power -but whose power? Knowledge does not only emanate
from academia; rather, “people” also create and possess knowledge. This perspective shifts the concept
of research from one in which the community is a laboratory for investigation to one in which
community members not only participle in the inquiry process but also contribute their own knowledge.
Freire framed the concept of “popular education” and argued that the teacher must be open to learning
from the student. This colearning process based on emancipator conceptions has greatly influenced the
use of CBPR approaches.
Los fundamentos de CBPR

Investigación participativa basada en la comunidad (CBPR)

En 1970, Paulo Freire, el educador brasileño, cambió la dinámica de poder en la investigación al

presentar al investigador como facilitador y catalizador en lugar de director, en su libro, Pedagogía del
oprimido. Como señaló Freire, el conocimiento está conectado al poder, pero ¿el poder de quién? El
conocimiento no solo emana de la academia; más bien, son las "personas" quienes también crean y
poseen ya saberes y conocimientos. Esta perspectiva cambia el concepto de investigación de una mirada
que ve a la comunidad como un laboratorio para la investigación a otra en el que los integrantes de la
comunidad no solo participan en el proceso de investigación, sino que también contribuyen con su
propio saber y conocimiento. Freire enmarcó el concepto de “educación popular” y argumentó que el
maestro debe estar abierto a aprender del estudiante. Este proceso de coaprendizaje basado en
concepciones emancipadoras ha influido enormemente en el uso de enfoques CBPR.