What Do We Mean by “Community”? Defining Community for Civically Engaged Research

• In Event: Cutting Edge Community Empowerment through Civically Engaged Research: A Roundtable Discussion and Panel

Abstract

Community is an integral concept for civically engaged research (CER), however, it is also fairly nebulous. As political scientists explore issues relevant to conducting civically engaged research, this article addresses the question, “What is community”? Relying on various social science literatures, including the growing body of scholarship on CER in political science, we clarify key themes to help refine the definition of community for scholars. We hope that articulating the range of communities that may be engaged will help qualitative researchers as they conceptualize their civically engaged research, and that a more precise articulation of community will aid in the operationalization of variables, making CER a more viable research approach for quantitative researchers.

Authors

• Ashley E. Nickels, Kent State University

• Shelly R. Arsneault, California State University, Fullerton

• Matilde Ceron, European University Institute

• Curtis T Kline, Colorado State University

• Nhat-Dang Do, Trinity College