1. Researchers Behind Policy Development: Comparing ‘Age-Friendly Cities’ Models in Quebec and Wallonia.
- Author
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Moulaert, Thibauld and Garon, Suzanne
- Subjects
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HEALTH planning , *HYPOTHESIS , *ACTION research , *COMPARATIVE studies , *GERIATRICS , *CASE studies , *METROPOLITAN areas , *POLICY sciences , *PUBLIC relations , *REFLECTION (Philosophy) , *RESEARCH funding , *SOCIOLOGY , *KNOWLEDGE management , *OCCUPATIONAL roles , *SOCIAL context , *RESEARCH personnel - 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 forpraxis, through knowledge transfer as an ongoing public dialogue. Based on this comparison, the article concludes with a twofold use ofpraxis: 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? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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