Stevens-Uninsky Maya, Gallant Najuwa, Chatting Tashreeq, DiLiberto Deborah D, de Souza Russell, Mbuagbaw Lawrence
Department of Global Health, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Freedom Park, Cape Town, South Africa.
Int J Equity Health. 2025 Jun 5;24(1):165. doi: 10.1186/s12939-025-02539-7.
Decolonized research methodologies aim to challenge existing power structures and amplify community voices, yet there is little guidance on their practical application. This study documents the methodological process, adaptations, and outcomes of applying decolonized research methods in a qualitative exploratory study on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Freedom Park, South Africa.
This study is a methods documentation of lessons learned in an exploratory study. We applied a decolonized methodology, which incorporated elements of PAR, Indigenous, and co-design research approaches, engaging a Community Advisory Committee to collaboratively design research and data collection methods.
We used the research processes of this study to demonstrate how decolonized methodologies can be applied and integrated into research. The Community Advisory Committee's involvement resulted in a unique adaptation of body mapping that was culturally relevant, and prioritized anonymity, community context, and participant comfort. The research process emphasized reciprocity, non-hierarchical collaboration, and collective knowledge production, challenging traditional Western research paradigms. Participants were highly engaged, and the adapted method facilitated open discussions on sexual and reproductive health topics that might otherwise be stigmatized.
This study illustrates how decolonized methodologies can be effectively implemented through community co-design, centering local knowledge while addressing power imbalances in research. The findings highlight the importance of self-determination in research design and the potential for adapted participatory methods to enhance data validity and community impact. Future research should continue to explore and document practical applications of decolonized methodologies to inform ethical and contextually appropriate research practices.
去殖民化研究方法旨在挑战现有的权力结构并放大社区声音，但在其实际应用方面几乎没有指导。本研究记录了在南非自由公园进行的一项关于青少年性与生殖健康的定性探索性研究中应用去殖民化研究方法的方法过程、调整和结果。
本研究是一项探索性研究中经验教训的方法记录。我们应用了一种去殖民化方法，该方法融合了参与式行动研究（PAR）、本土研究和协同设计研究方法的元素，让社区咨询委员会共同设计研究和数据收集方法。
我们利用本研究的过程来展示如何应用去殖民化方法并将其整合到研究中。社区咨询委员会的参与导致了对身体绘图的独特调整，这种调整具有文化相关性，并优先考虑匿名性、社区背景和参与者的舒适度。研究过程强调互惠、非等级制合作和集体知识生产，挑战了传统的西方研究范式。参与者高度投入，调整后的方法促进了关于性与生殖健康话题的开放讨论，否则这些话题可能会受到污名化。
本研究说明了如何通过社区协同设计有效地实施去殖民化方法，以地方知识为中心，同时解决研究中的权力不平衡问题。研究结果强调了研究设计中自决的重要性，以及调整后的参与式方法在提高数据有效性和社区影响方面的潜力。未来的研究应继续探索和记录去殖民化方法的实际应用，以为符合伦理和因地制宜的研究实践提供参考。
