Citizen Social Science
Image Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills
The Grand Valley State University Social Science Lab (SSL) partners with the Coalition for Community Development (CCD) and the Muskegon Heights Neighborhood Association Council (MHNAC) to advance Citizen Social Science - an approach to community-engaged research that supports residents in documenting, understanding, and shaping the future of their own community.
Citizen Social Science recognizes that community members are experts in their own lived experiences. Rather than conducting research on communities, Citizen Social Science engages residents as partners in the research process, helping to identify local priorities, collect and interpret information, and communicate findings that can inform community development and decision-making.
Building Community Research Capacity
Our partnership began in 2021 with the Citizen Social Science Training Program, which introduced Muskegon Heights residents to qualitative and quantitative research methods, data collection techniques, and community-based inquiry. Participants learned practical skills for documenting neighborhood strengths, challenges, and aspirations while generating information that could support local planning, grant applications, and policy development.
This work has since been published as an open-access resource, providing a model for other communities interested in resident-led, participatory research. Read the publication using the button below.
Current Project: Agri-Roots to Agri-Revival
Our current Citizen Social Science initiative, Agri-Roots to Agri-Revival, uses Photovoice to explore the stories, traditions, and cultural heritage of Muskegon Heights through food.
Participants use photographs, short videos, and conversations with family members, neighbors, and community elders to document the people, places, traditions, and memories that define community life. Together, these stories create a community-driven archive that celebrates local culture while strengthening connections across generations.
Project goals include:
- Preserving the food traditions, histories, and lived experiences of Muskegon Heights residents.
- Encouraging meaningful conversations across generations.
- Amplifying community voices through participant-created photographs, videos, and stories.
- Celebrating the cultural assets that contribute to Muskegon Heights' identity.
- Creating a lasting collection of community stories that can inform future community engagement and revitalization efforts.
Through Citizen Social Science, residents become collaborators in documenting community knowledge and ensuring that local voices remain central to understanding and shaping the future of Muskegon Heights.
Kerri VanderHoff (left, CCD) and Marquis Childers Jr. (right, MHNAC)
Image credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills
Contact
Amanda Buday
Associate Professor of Sociology,
Annis Water Resources Institute
(616)-331-3137
Rebecca Jonas
Assistant Professor of Information Sciences & Technologies