Critically reflexive dialogue and praxis: Academic/practitioner reflections throughout a formative evaluation of Circles^® USA

ABSTRACT

Reflections about the use of critically reflexive praxis by academic/practitioners are offered based on a case study of a formative evaluation of Circles^® USA, a nonprofit organization coordinating initiatives across the U.S. working to move families out of poverty. Critically reflexive praxis is theorized as featuring several themes including acknowledging different levels of context, critical dialogue with collaborators, engaging cultural difference and intersectionalities, problematizing power relations and relationships among researchers and collaborators, and occurring throughout the research project. Examples of critical dialogic reflexivity and navigating common tensions that emerge throughout such community engagement projects are detailed during three phases: planning and design; fieldwork and interviews; and outcomes, applications, and implications.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic–practitioner partnerships
• critical reflexivity praxis
• poverty
• Circles^® USA
• formative evaluation

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Scott Miller and acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all affiliated with Circles^® USA working to move families out of poverty.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.