Citation

Bowleg L. Health Educ. Behav. 2017; 44(5): 677-684.

Affiliation

The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1090198117728760

PMID

28891342

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.

Language: en

Keywords

critical theories; epistemologies of ignorance; epistemology; qualitative methodology; qualitative methods; social determinants; social inequalities