Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 528-548 |
| Journal | Action research |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2019 |
Cite this
}
Participatory action research to enhance the collective involvement of residents in elderly care: About power, dialogue and understanding. / Woelders, Susan; Abma, Tineke.
In: Action research, Vol. 17, No. 4, 01.12.2019, p. 528-548.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Participatory action research to enhance the collective involvement of residents in elderly care: About power, dialogue and understanding
AU - Woelders, Susan
AU - Abma, Tineke
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - The collective involvement of patients and clients in health care organizations is valued in our Western society. In practice, giving form to this involvement seems to be a complex process. In this paper we present our learning experiences with a process of enhancing the involvement of older people in a residential care home in the Netherlands, by using a participatory action research approach, called PARTNER. This approach is inspired by responsive evaluation and developed for the context of long-term care. We use concepts of Habermas’ theory to understand what happens when trying to create communicative spaces through dialogue. Our learning history shows that the involvement of residents is not an easy task, because power issues are at stake. System values seem to dominate the lifeworld and expert knowledge seems to be more valued than expressed emotions and narratives of residents. Researchers who use participatory action research must be aware of these issues of power, often hidden in language and discourse. Dialogue can be a vehicle to enhance mutual understanding, when attention is paid to underlying values, assumptions and meanings of all people. Then, the gap between system and lifeworld can be bridged and communicative spaces can be opened up.
AB - The collective involvement of patients and clients in health care organizations is valued in our Western society. In practice, giving form to this involvement seems to be a complex process. In this paper we present our learning experiences with a process of enhancing the involvement of older people in a residential care home in the Netherlands, by using a participatory action research approach, called PARTNER. This approach is inspired by responsive evaluation and developed for the context of long-term care. We use concepts of Habermas’ theory to understand what happens when trying to create communicative spaces through dialogue. Our learning history shows that the involvement of residents is not an easy task, because power issues are at stake. System values seem to dominate the lifeworld and expert knowledge seems to be more valued than expressed emotions and narratives of residents. Researchers who use participatory action research must be aware of these issues of power, often hidden in language and discourse. Dialogue can be a vehicle to enhance mutual understanding, when attention is paid to underlying values, assumptions and meanings of all people. Then, the gap between system and lifeworld can be bridged and communicative spaces can be opened up.
KW - Collective involvement
KW - communicative spaces
KW - dialogue
KW - participatory action research
KW - power
KW - responsive evaluation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063328869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1476750319837330
DO - 10.1177/1476750319837330
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 528
EP - 548
JO - Action research
JF - Action research
SN - 1476-7503
IS - 4
ER -