ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses agroecology as a critical, reflexive social science praxis useful for learning about (and changing) urban agroecosystems. Urban agroecosystems as social-ecological spaces are often explored through participatory action research in which social relations––particularly power relations––are central concerns. This is true whether or not research teams are aware of such dynamics. From our collective experience––usually in teams lucky enough to include both community and university expertise on social relationships––we identified five “lineages” that have influenced our urban political agroecology research. Considering how these lineages enable teams to retain a focus on important social questions as part of their work, we seek to make the social sciences easier to engage for urban agroecology researchers. We also hope to build competency and recognition around the complexity and daunting nature of the colonial, gendered, racialized, and classist power relations embedded in urban agroecologies––both as social and ecological spaces and as sites of research. For urban food cultivation projects to serve the community goals often associated with them, we argue it is important for researchers to expand their research methods toolkits to include: adequate humility about the scope of work possible, respect for knowledge embedded in relationships, and commitment to the challenging politics of truly participatory collaboration.
