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Striving towards inclusive research: an example of participatory action research with older lesbians and gay men
- Author:
- FENGE Lee-Ann
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 40(3), April 2010, pp.878-894.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper sets out to explore the implications of participatory action research as a method of encouraging older people from minority groups to have a voice in defining knowledge, theory and practice about their lives. Recent policy in Britain has promoted the recognition of diversity of experience in later life and the importance of working with older people as equal partners. At the same time, notions of partnership and service user involvement in both research and practice development are now firmly established within health and social care practice. Despite this, the needs of older lesbians and gay men are still very much invisible within mainstream policy and practice. Participatory action research approaches seek to address issues of power, politics and empowerment and therefore offers an inclusive method of working with marginalised and excluded voices. The paper reports on a case study, the Gay and Grey project, which enabled up to 20 older lesbian and gay men volunteers in Dorset, England to engage in research about their experiences of social exclusion and marginalisation and to inform local agencies about their needs. The paper reviews the cycle of research using 6 principles for working with disempowered groups. The paradoxes involved in participatory research are explored, including issues of inclusiveness and exclusivity, and the possibility of untold truths.
Lifting the lid on sexuality and ageing: the experiences of volunteer researchers
- Authors:
- FENGE Lee-Ann, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Qualitative Social Work, 8(4), December 2009, pp.509-524.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article offers ‘insider perspectives’ on participatory action research (PAR) by exploring the reflective narratives of older volunteer researchers who were involved in a participatory action research project into the needs, experiences and aspirations of older lesbian women and gay men (OLGs) living in Dorset, England. It explores in their own words the experiences of being a volunteer researcher on a project that explored the marginalised identities of older lesbians and gay men. In this article the volunteers offer narrative reflections on their involvement in this project, and what it meant to them. The tensions in participatory action research will be explored in terms of the different expectations of stake-holders in the research. Consideration will be given to what can be learnt from the narratives of volunteer researchers, and the issues of inclusivity within marginalised voices.
Gay and Pleasant Land? Exploring sexuality, ageing and rurality in a multi-method, performative project
- Authors:
- FENGE Lee-Ann, JONES Kip
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 42(2), 2012, pp.300-317.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper considers how issues such as social exclusion and discrimination may impact upon older lesbians and gay men living in rural communities. It presents a discussion of a research project that is taking place as one part of the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme. The Gay and Pleasant Land? project is a multi-method project aiming to explore sexuality, ageing and rurality in the south-west of England and Wales. This paper considers the challenges of attempting to elicit the views and experiences of marginalised groups of older people using a range of different methods. The methods used in the project include visual ethnography, focus groups and interviews using the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM). The findings of the project are being used in the development and production of a short, professionally made film. It is envisaged that this film will be used as a dissemination tool. Performative Social Science methods and its philosophical grounding in Relational Aesthetics have formed the bedrock of the project and are fundamental to its participatory approach. Implications for research with marginalised groups in rural communities are discussed, alongside a consideration of multi-methods and the use of tools from the within social work research.
Hidden lives: the importance of recognising the needs and experiences of older lesbians and gay men within healthcare practice
- Authors:
- FENGE Lee-Ann, HICKS Christina
- Journal article citation:
- Diversity in Health and Care, 8(3), 2011, pp.147-154.
- Publisher:
- Radcliffe Publishing
There is a relative lack of information about older lesbians and gay men living in the UK, a consequent lack of awareness and training around diversity in ageing and the risk of discrimination on grounds of age and sexual orientation by care providers. The authors believe that the provision of respectful, compassionate, accessible healthcare is as important to LGBT people as it is to anyone else. They suggest that healthcare practitioners need a greater understanding of the experiences of older gay men and lesbians if their diverse needs are to be met. This paper discusses the findings of a participative research project involving older (age 50+) lesbians and gay men living in the South-West of England. The Gay and Grey project analysed 91 responses to a quantitative questionnaire and 30 qualitative interviews. Key themes include issues of 'coming out', disclosing identities and concerns about heterosexism in care. These are discussed in terms of the need to adopt a more person-centred approach within healthcare that promotes an emphasis on valuing individual identity and diversity.
Empowering older volunteers: learning to research
- Author:
- FENGE Lee-Ann
- Journal article citation:
- Research Policy and Planning, 24(1), 2006, pp.13-23.
- Publisher:
- Social Services Research Group
This article reports on a United Kingdom Open College Network (OCN) accredited training course in Community Survey Research for older people involved in community based research activities. It was funded through Older and Bolder, an initiative of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) in England and Wales, and was developed by Bournemouth University in collaboration with Bournemouth and Poole College. The course was offered to older volunteers at Help and Care, a voluntary sector agency working with older people and their carers in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. It was felt that these volunteers might be interested in attending a structured programme on Community Research, which could be accredited by the OCN, which would assist them in their voluntary roles particularly in terms of research and service evaluation. By the end of the eight-week course participants appeared enthused about learning and engaging in future research. Issues raised by this pilot project are discussed, particularly in terms of funding future schemes.