43: Decolonizing Social Science Methods

This episode features Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer, a queer decolonial scholar from the Southern Cheyenne Nation and an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. She discusses how social science methods can be reshaped to learn from communities and implement this knowledge into practice. Our conversation centers on how evidence mapping and practice-based evidence can address and challenge Western research structures. Dr. BlackDeer discusses these methods and her recent publication, "Evidence Mapping: Interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth Mental Health." Her conclusions reveal that reconnecting Indigenous youth to their culture is a crucial and underutilized intervention to improve mental health.   Episode Transcript: Episode transcript available here     Additional episode transcripts can be found at https://disabilityhealth.jhu.edu/included/episode-transcripts/      Related Links:       Asher BlackDeer, A., & Patterson Silver Wolf, D. A. (2020). Evidence mapping: Interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native youth mental health. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 17(1), 49-62.   https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26408066.2019.1624237     Dr. BlackDeer's website: www.AutumnAsherBlackdeer.com