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Short Abstract

Citizen Social Science (CSS) engages “hard-to-reach” groups through participatory research. Drawing on projects by OpenSystems (Barcelona) with youth, migrants, and people with mental health problems, this work highlights inclusive strategies and challenges of sustaining community ties.

Abstract

Citizen Social Science (CSS), defined as participatory research co-designed and directly driven by citizen groups united by a shared social concern, is closely linked to the challenge of engaging “hard-to-reach” groups. These shared concerns often reflect underlying social inequalities or vulnerabilities, which may stem from socioeconomic conditions in specific neighborhoods, shared health issues, or the marginalization of groups based on age, gender, or migrant status.

This presentation examines CSS practical approaches developed and implemented since 2012 by the OpenSystems research group, based in Barcelona.

Over the years, OpenSystems has collaborated with several youth communities that are often underrepresented in citizen science initiatives, including students in segregated schools or in special education programs, residents of sheltered homes, and young people engaged in NGO-led social programs. Successful approaches require an adaptation to the specificities of each neighborhood and to find ways on acknowledging and potentiating the youths’ soft skills, but the arising complexities may challenge the CSS projects implementation in these contexts.

Other OS projects engaged adults, including people with mental health problems and their families, women in prison and migrant communities. In these cases, participants lived experiences were placed at the center of the research, situated in welcoming and inclusive community spaces. The main challenges encountered were linked to the difficulty of creating and sustaining strong connections with the communities. The knowledge co-production effort is a slow process that requires time and a careful management of expectations, thus being another challenging aspect in CSS projects.