Epistemology and Methodology of Participatory Research with Older Adults: A Comparison of Four Age-friendly City National Experiences

Myriam Leleu , Mario Paris (1) , Hugo Bertillot (2, 3) , Suzanne Garon (4) , Robert Grabczan , Olivier Masson (5) , Thibauld Moulaert (6) , Damien Vanneste (2, 3)

1 Université de Moncton
2 HADéPaS - Handicap, Autonomie et développement de la participation sociale
3 ETHICS EA 7446 - Experience ; Technology & Human Interactions ; Care & Society :
4 UdeS - Université de Sherbrooke
5 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
6 PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales

The aim of this chapter is to present a comparative approach on participatory methods within four AFCC case studies from different French-speaking contexts.1 First, the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec (Canada) is interested in observing older adults’ participation within the management of cities and the older adults’ organizations involved in AFCC. Second, the Université catholique de Lille (France) leads a research that consists in supporting older adults of a rural territory to analyze by themselves the different dimensions of their own participatory practices, in order to reinforce collective reflexivity and inclusive process. Third, at the Université de Moncton, in New Brunswick (Canada), participatory research seeks to help a French minority community implement an AFCC’s action on community housing for older adults and, in doing so, highlights the challenges of rallying social actors and older adults in a knowledge mobilization process. Fourth, the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium, through the Age-friendly Wallonia project, challenges the development of a collective conscience and the potential for social change through the empowerment of older adults. Then, a researcher from the Université Grenoble Alpes (France) examines the relationships between these AFCC experiences to highlight common challenges and opportunities through such a rare international comparison.

Mots clés: ageing; participatory research; age-friendly cities and communities; international comparison

Domaines: Sociologie; Gériatrie et gérontologie

Myriam Leleu, Mario Paris, Hugo Bertillot, Suzanne Garon, Robert Grabczan, et al.. Epistemology and Methodology of Participatory Research with Older Adults: A Comparison of Four Age-friendly City National Experiences. Routledge. Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Approaches in Ageing Research, 1, Routledge, pp.419-434, 2023, 9781003254829. ⟨10.4324/9781003254829-39⟩. ⟨hal-04191357⟩