Researchers behind policy developments: comparing ‘Age friendly cities’ models in Quebec and Wallonia
(2015) Journal of Social Work Practice — Vol. 29, n° 1, p. 23-35 (2015)
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- Abstract
- Based on a reflexive method, this article explores the roles of researchers behind Age-Friendly Cities and Environments. Referring to Michael Burawoy's division of sociological work (professional, critical, policy and public sociology), it is structured around the international comparison of two empirical case studies: Walloon region (Belgium) and Quebec (a province of Canada). While the first case shows some difficulties faced by a limited policy sociology perspective with little room for research, the latter presents a more developed public sociology approach with larger involvement from research. If both cases started with policy links, the latter presents a special interest for praxis, through knowledge transfer as an ongoing public dialogue. Based on this comparison, the article concludes with a twofold use of praxis: on one side – knowledge in action – a public sociology position offers an original perspective on what AFC/AFE may mean and produce to avoid a limited field of actions focusing only on some stakeholders or advocates for older people. On the other side – action in knowledge – policy and public sociology question professional and critical sociology facing AFC/AFE programmes: is a purely academic knowledge of such a programme epistemologically realistic or should it necessarily be empirically fuelled?
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Citations
Moulaert, T., & Garon, S. (2015). Researchers behind policy developments: comparing ‘Age friendly cities’ models in Quebec and Wallonia. Journal of Social Work Practice, 29(1), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2014.993946 (Original work published 2015)