Community Engaged Research in the Caribbean

Faculteit—

NiveauBachelor

Studiejaar2026-2027

Beschrijving

Course goals

After completing the course students are able to

discuss the place of the Caribbean in global history;
communicate about key themes and issues concerning small island developing states in the Caribbean region;
communicate about key themes and interconnected issues relevant to sustainable development in Caribbean societies;
articulate the potential of trans- and interdisciplinary approaches for meeting societal challenges;
articulate differences between traditional and community-based research approaches and evaluate the potential each offers for their own projects;
communicate about the use of methodology for addressing specific questions;
use secondary sources to prepare for conducting empirical research with primary sources

Relationship between assessment and learning goals

Description of assignment	Assesses which learning goals?
Participation, Reading/discussion reflection Peer evaluation, project proposal Pitch presentation, project proposal Project proposal	1, 2, 3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5 5, 6, 7 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Content

This module is required for students selected for participation in the Field Research Aruba programme, but it is also of interest to students curious about the potential of community-based research for addressing sustainable development in other contexts in the Caribbean. The module prepares students for doing projects in Aruba that are informed by principles of community-based research, an approach that is well-suited for research addressing the challenges faced by societies undergoing the process of decolonization. This approach involves collaboration with societal stakeholders, increasing the chances that the knowledge created can be used locally.

Addressing the challenges that Caribbean islands like Aruba face requires contextual understanding of the wider Caribbean and its socioeconomic and cultural history. First, the module addresses the factors that have shaped the current situation in island societies. Aruba, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, faces challenges related to governance, economy, culture, education, public health, climate, environment, biodiversity, and political relations with neighboring states and its former colonial power. The urgency of the sustainable development goals is particular pressing in a small society like Aruba. The module also helps students consider what kinds of research are relevant; focus is placed on the areas of interest identified by students during the selection for the Field Research Aruba programme.

Format
Through reading, discussion, guest lectures, interviews and reflection, students learn to apply their academic and cultural competence to working out how they can carry out a project in cooperation with students and faculty at University of Aruba and with other stakeholders in Aruba. The final assignment for the course is a proposal that serves as the basis for the project that they plan to carry out.

Schedule
This course is taught during the last five weeks of the semester (= start of UU blok 2) in evening and weekend timeslots.

Registration
UCU and UU students selected for the UCU in Aruba programme have priority placement in this preparatory module. The course coordinator arranges the registration of all known participants.

For other students: Any student who still needs this module to supplement a previously completed 5 ec methods course, can sign up through ucu.curriculum@uu.nl (cc tutor) at least one week before the start of the module. This goes for student who completed UCACCMET2J, UCACCMET23 or UCACCMET25.

Reviews0 reviews

Nog geen reviews voor dit vak. Wees de eerste!

Heb jij dit vak gevolgd?

Deel je ervaring met toekomstige studenten. Inloggen met je Universiteit Utrecht mailadres duurt één minuut.

Schrijf een review