The Cultural and Methodological Factors Challenging the Success of the Community-Based Participatory Research Approach When Designing a Study on Adolescents Sexuality in Traditional Society

Abstract

Youth growing up in traditional cultures are split between the messages that they receive on sexuality from their families and those they receive via the internet depicting values of Western culture. The Palestinian-Israeli community, a national, ethnic, and linguistic minority, is an example of this situation. The purpose of this community-based participatory research study is to describe the challenges and lessons learned about launching a community advisory board (CAB) in studies on the taboo topic of adolescent sexuality. Using content analysis, we identified two necessary conditions to convene a CAB on adolescent sexuality in a traditional community: (a) an insider academic researcher, fluent in the native language, able to discuss the linguistic difficulties of sexual terminology and (c) the recruitment of motivated, community activists who were knowledgeable on the topic. The mostly traditional society of Palestinian-Israelis shuns discussions on sexuality; but with these two conditions, the study was a success.

Hope, agency, and adolescents' sexual and reproductive health: A mini review

“…Contextual factors not only play significant roles in shaping the quality, availability, and accessibility of SRH services and programs for AGYW, but also regulates how young people make decisions or enact their agency and constructions of hope (14,17,37). For example, studies show that AGYW's ability to exercise autonomy over their bodies is constrained by traditional, cultural, and religious norms that view publicly expressing sexuality and talking about sex as taboo (38)(39)(40)(41). This was also reported in the literature that formed part of this mini review (27,(31)(32)(33).…”

“…Studies are necessary to also consider how these factors interact to either facilitate or compromise safe SRH practices and access to services amongst adolescents. Recognising the influence of the social environment in examining these interactions is key, given the important roles that culture, religion and traditional norms play in shaping risk and protective SRH behaviours in African contexts (27,(38)(39)(40)(41). Many AGYW are hindered from accessing SRH services due to experiences and fears of being condemned, feeling judged and not being able to engage in open dialogue about sex and sexuality with relatively older health care workers (25,27,42,(44)(45)(46).…”

Levels and sources of adolescents' sexual knowledge in traditional societies: A cross‐sectional study

“…Finally, the intergenerational gap between parents and their children adds a fourth obstacle (Jabareen & Zlotnick, 2021;Mullis et al, 2021).…”

“…The CBPR approach has challenges such as ethical conflicts that arise from being an insider (e.g., a member of the community) and outsider (e.g., being the only researcher with a doctoral degree). Such issues have been explored in depth in another report (Jabareen & Zlotnick, 2021).…”

Shifting Social Norms and Adolescent Girls’ Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Information in a South African Township

“…The cultural background of healthcare providers has been found to influence the way in which care is offered to adolescents ( Yang, 2020 ; Pandey et al, 2019 ). The taboo nature of the topic can also make research a challenge ( Jabareen & Zlotnick, 2021 ).…”