Towards a Critical Health Equity Research Stance: Why Epistemology and Methodology Matter More Than Qualitative Methods
Item Type
Author
Abstract
Qualitative methods are not intrinsically progressive. Methods are simply tools to conduct research. Epistemology, the justification of knowledge, shapes methodology and methods, and thus is a vital starting point for a critical health equity research stance, regardless of whether the methods are qualitative, quantitative, or mixed. In line with this premise, I address four themes in this commentary. First, I criticize the ubiquitous and uncritical use of the term health disparities in U.S. public health. Next, I advocate for the increased use of qualitative methodologies—namely, photovoice and critical ethnography—that, pursuant to critical approaches, prioritize dismantling social–structural inequities as a prerequisite to health equity. Thereafter, I discuss epistemological stance and its influence on all aspects of the research process. Finally, I highlight my critical discourse analysis HIV prevention research based on individual interviews and focus groups with Black men, as an example of a critical health equity research approach. © 2017, © 2017 Society for Public Health Education.
Subject
Epistemology
Critical theories
Epistemologies of ignorance
Qualitative methodology
Qualitative methods
Social determinants
Social inequalities
Publication Title
Publication Year
2017
Publication Date
2017
Source
Scopus
License
Physical Description
vol. 44, n. 5, pp. 677-684
Short Title
Towards a Critical Health Equity Research Stance