La recherche avec des monstres : contextualisation politique des recherches participatives.

Abstract

The recent rise in the visibility of participatory research has contributed to reshaping its epistemic frameworks. The challenges it faces provide the opportunity to study the power dynamics within research systems. This paper therefore discusses the links between health research, participatory research, and political context. Conducted from the perspective of a service-user/survivor researcher inspired by survivor research, the context analysis is based on a critical approach to user participation in two participatory research projects carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The context is considered in light of the political circumstances, goals, and issues that affect the environment in which participatory research operates. The author argues that the practical, ethical, and methodological challenges of participatory research have less to do with epistemic issues than they do with research’s role as a social practice. By neglecting these political issues in favor of epistemic interrogations, research participates in knowledge subjugation, at the expense of affected communities. Taking into account social power struggles within research highlights the need for the development of research directly carried out by service users.