Ethnic Minority Inclusion in Well-Being Research: Beyond Widening Participation

Abstract

AbstractThis commentary paper welcomes calls for widening participation amongst ethnic minorities in research that aims to understand well-being. However, we demonstrate how a history of exclusion in the daily routines of communities render such calls limited in their ability to address inclusion fully. The absence of ethnic minorities from spaces and dialogues that define what constitutes good well-being is highlighted. We use life-courses that align with Western norms as an example to develop our arguments. Overall, exclusion is rooted in colonial histories and the discrimination experienced by ethnic minorities during day-to-day, routine living. Additionally, relational ontologies of well-being are overwhelmed by individualised constructs. We outline how the suppression of marginalised values in everyday spaces and activities has limited meaning-making in relation to well-being amongst ethnic minority individuals and groups. We characterise this marginalisation as an epistemic injustice in defining well-being. In our conclusions, we call for dialogues and developments in critical race theory (CRT) to be considered in research commissioning processes. Spaces and dialogues that are owned and shaped by ethnic minorities should be supported before we can widen participation in well-being research meaningfully. Values that are practised and developed in such spaces can then contribute to how communities define well-being and the appropriate ways in which it can be studied. It should be acknowledged that we use the term ethnic minority throughout this paper for brevity. The diverse experiences and perspectives that this term covers should be engaged with when considering the recommendations that we make.