Take a short walk on any college campus and you surely will notice where the footfall of students has worn pathways between, around, and even directly parallel to paved sidewalks (see images below). These paths typically present as convenient shortcuts emerging overtime as vegetation is gradually trod down when pedestrians “vote with their feet” about where they wish to tread…and where they wish not to.
These deliberate, circumventing paths deviating from more official walkways have many names. The Dutch refer to them as olifantenpad or “elephant paths”; in Japan they are kemonomichi; city planners often refer to them as “desire paths.” Other common names include social trails, pirate paths, desire lanes, and my personal favorite: free-will trails.
No matter which creative term you choose, they all represent the same phenomenon: where established designs have failed to connect and align with human behavior. They are a true representation of grassroots movement (pun intended), indicating not only the tensions between the natural and the built environment, but the yearnings of the community.
During a recent community advisory board meeting Jason and I led for the Pepper Center Development Project, community members were asked what came to mind when they heard the word “research.” The hour-long conversation that ensued was enlightening and profound, as board members shared traumatic personal experiences, commiserated about their collective mistrust of research and medicine, and routinely drew attention to the disconnect between the needs of communities and the actions and motivations of academia.
From this perspective, the concept of community-engaged research shares a striking parallel with the concept of "free-will trails” and “desire paths" – those well-trodden trails that emerge organically on landscapes, carved by the collective footsteps of people seeking the most direct or convenient routes. Just as these paths arise from the lived experiences and practical needs of pedestrians, community-engaged research is shaped and guided by the perspectives, priorities, and real-world contexts of the communities it serves.
In traditional top-down research approaches, investigators often impose predetermined paths – theoretical frameworks and methodologies that may fail to align with the actual terrain of community realities. These prescribed routes – though they may yield groundbreaking advances in science and health – can lead researchers astray, resulting in misguided efforts and ineffective solutions. Conversely, community-engaged research embraces the organic wisdom of desire paths, allowing the voices and experiences of community members to blaze the trail.
Like desire paths that meander around artificial barriers and navigate the most direct routes, community-engaged research adapts and evolves to circumvent systemic obstacles and find the most meaningful pathways to achieve better health outcomes. By involving community stakeholders from the outset, researchers gain invaluable insights into the unique obstacles, cultural nuances, and contextual factors that shape health behaviors and experiences – insights that would otherwise remain obscured by academic abstractions.
Furthermore, just as desire paths are reinforced and solidified by continuous use, community-engaged research builds trust and fosters ownership through sustained collaboration and shared decision-making. The more community members contribute to shaping the research agenda and co-creating solutions, the more invested they become in the process, and the more likely those solutions are to take root and endure.
In essence, community-engaged research harnesses the power of communities, allowing the lived experiences and practical needs of communities to chart the course towards meaningful health improvements. By following these well-trodden “trails” forged by the collective footsteps of those we seek to serve, we increase the likelihood of arriving at our destination – a world where scientific progress and community empowerment intersect, paving the way for more equitable and sustainable health transformations.
Community engagement, in my opinion, is the beating heart of health research – a lifeblood that pumps vital knowledge, perspectives, and trust into the veins of scientific inquiry. Without the active involvement of the communities we seek to understand and serve, our efforts risk becoming sterile exercises, divorced from the rich tapestry of lived experiences that shape health outcomes.
True progress in health research demands a bidirectional flow of information, a reciprocal exchange between researchers and the people whose lives they aim to improve. By engaging communities as partners, we gain invaluable insights into the unique challenges, priorities, and cultural contexts that influence health behaviors and outcomes. This collaboration fosters a deeper understanding of the intricate web of social, economic, and environmental factors that intertwine with biological mechanisms, painting a more holistic picture of health and disease.
Moreover, community engagement is a powerful catalyst for trust – a precious commodity in a world where historically marginalized groups have all too often been exploited or neglected by the scientific establishment. When we actively involve communities in the research process, from conceptualization to dissemination, we demonstrate our commitment to ethical practices, shared decision-making, and respect for diverse perspectives. This trust is the foundation upon which meaningful change can be built, paving the way for more effective interventions, better health outcomes, and a more equitable distribution of the benefits of scientific progress.
In the end, community engagement is not merely a box to be checked or a token gesture; it is a transformative force that elevates health research from a disconnected endeavor to a collaborative pursuit of knowledge and well-being. By embracing the voices, experiences, and aspirations of the communities we serve, we chart a course towards a future where scientific advancement and human dignity walk hand in hand, along the same path, leaving no one behind.
Whether you consider yourself a community-engaged researcher or not, principles of community engagement can be built into various aspects of research in numerous ways, even if your project already is underway. Below are some ways to integrate community-engaged principles into various phases of research design and implementation: