On methods, methodologies, and continued colonization of knowledge in the study of "ethnic minorities": Comment on Hall et al. (2016)

Multicultural scholarship continues to reflect unexamined assumptions regarding the exclusive use of natural science methodologies, reliance on dominant Western scientific paradigms, and entrenchment in institutionalized research priorities that privilege efficiency and investigators' career promotion rather than the needs of diverse communities. Current practices in psychological research with ethnic minority groups also may contribute to the potential for epistemological violence, which occurs when scientific investigations are used as a pretext to justify interpretations of data in research with "ethnic minorities" in ways that perpetuate oppression or are lacking in their focus on social action.