Community engagement and participatory approaches play an increasingly important role in public health research but their significance for participating individuals or communities, and ethical implementation of such practices, are not well understood in settings characterised by inequality. The primary aim of this project is therefore to develop a multi-perspective understanding of community engagement in the context of ongoing public health research in Soweto, South Africa, and to explore appropriate, feasible and meaningful community engagement and participatory research approaches in this setting. A multi-method, interdisciplinary social scientific approach comprising participatory research approaches, relationship-building, piloting of community engagement events and activities, and exploratory qualitative research into the experiences and expectations attached to community engagement will be utilised. The project will thus inform best practices for meaningful and ethical community engagement in future public health research and interventions in South Africa. In addition, through collaboration with and mentoring of junior research staff, the project will contribute to further development of qualitative and participatory research capacity in the host research unit.

2022