The community as informant or collaborator?

Reflection on the Barrow Alcohol Study is important, given the continuing problems associated with behavioral health among Alaska Natives and the desire among leaders of Native and non-Native communities in Alaska to ameliorate the situation (Hensley, 1987; GICCY, 1988; Mohatt, McDiramid & Montoya, 1988; Booker, 1988). The assumptions are that research can provide valuable insights into etiology, prevention, treatment, and epidemiology of behavioral health problems and that such research can guide policy and practice to improve the quality of life for Alaska Natives. However, research within Alaska Native communities will never influence policy and practice if it cannot take place because of distrust engendered by previous research. Foulks (1980) indicates many local scholars believe "that future social research in North Alaska would be jeopardized" if research produces a widespread lack of credibility within a community. I will analyze Foulks' reply by applying a set of parameters for communitybased research from a collaborative and participatory research framework. These principles will point out deficiencies in the analysis of the original research. My analysis is based on the conviction that research must build the capacity of the studied communities to become the researchers of the needs of their own communities. Social research as process has the power to increase the independence and self-determination of the community: individuals become more conscious of themselves, and the community more clearly can differentiate its problems, their causes, and pathways to amelioration. The community can learn of its strengths and define and face its problems, thus becoming empowered and strengthened. However, this process of empowerment can only occur in a participatory research framework in which the research team includes both the experts who are trained in methodology and members of the community. The team becomes a carefully formed partnership based on mutual respect and colleagueship. Through such a process, outside researchers may actually achieve the goals of the research and prevent the alienation between research and the community that Foulks describes so well in his article.