Critical perspectives on ‘consumer involvement’ in health research Epistemological dissonance and the know-do gap

• Published in: Journal of sociology (Melbourne, Vic.) Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 63 - 82
• Main Authors: Ward, Paul R., Thompson, Jill, Barber, Rosemary, Armitage, Christopher J., Boote, Jonathan D., Cooper, Cindy L., Jones, Georgina L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.03.2010; Sage Publications; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Citizen participation; Consumer behavior; Consumerism; Consumers; Economic behaviour. Consumption; Economic sociology; Epistemology; Health care; Health Research; Health services; Knowledge; Medical research; Organization of research; Participation; Production consumption relationship; Professionalization; Research ethics; Research Subjects; Researcher Subject Relations; Researchers; Social research; Social services; Sociology; Sociology of economy and development; Sociology of knowledge and ethics; Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture; Sociology of science; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK; consumer involvement in research; epistemology; consumerism; lay knowledge; commodification; professionalization; Ethics; Qualitative Analysis; Consumer; Health; Profit; Medical Research
• ISSN: 1440-7833; 1741-2978
• DOI: 10.1177/1440783309351771

Researchers in the area of health and social care (both in Australia and internationally) are encouraged to involve consumers throughout the research process, often on ethical, political and methodological grounds, or simply as ‘good practice’. This article presents findings from a qualitative study in the UK of researchers’ experiences and views of consumer involvement in health research. Two main themes are presented. First, we explore the ‘know—do gap’ which relates to the tensions between researchers’ perceptions of the potential benefits of, and their actual practices in relation to, consumer involvement. Second, we focus on one of the reasons for this ‘know—do gap’, namely epistemological dissonance. Findings are linked to issues around consumerism in research, lay/professional knowledges, the (re)production of professional and consumer identities and the maintenance of boundaries between consumers and researchers.