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Using walking interviews to enhance research relations with people with dementia: methodological insights from an empirical study conducted in England

Using walking interviews to enhance research relations with people with dementia: methodological insights from an empirical study conducted in England
Using walking interviews to enhance research relations with people with dementia: methodological insights from an empirical study conducted in England

Ethical research practice requires inclusionary approaches that enable people to contribute as fully as possible. Not enough is yet known about the impacts of dementia on daily life, however, people with dementia may find inclusion in research challenging, as the ‘cognitive load’ required may be overwhelming. When responding is difficult, others may contribute and the voice of people with dementia may be diminished. In this paper, the method of walking interviews is reflected on following a study that examined the acceptability and usefulness of Global Positions Systems (GPS). Attention is drawn to an observation of the contributions people with dementia made whilst out walking with the researchers. When out walking, people with dementia used the environment as sensory prompts to start conversations, and these discussions shaped research data, and enabled people with dementia to raise concerns about the impacts of dementia, their futures and what they feared for themselves and their families. The challenges that people with dementia faced in negotiating everyday practices were visible. The person with dementia showed the researcher around their neighbourhood, and this significantly changed the interview dynamic and positioned people with dementia as leading the interaction.

Dementia, citizenship, participation, qualitative study, walking interviews
1749-6535
432-442
Brannelly, Tula
c37a8667-d2f6-4455-ba06-cb8bb1637d6a
Bartlett, Ruth
b059d54d-9431-43a8-9d1d-19d35ab57ac3
Brannelly, Tula
c37a8667-d2f6-4455-ba06-cb8bb1637d6a
Bartlett, Ruth
b059d54d-9431-43a8-9d1d-19d35ab57ac3

Brannelly, Tula and Bartlett, Ruth (2020) Using walking interviews to enhance research relations with people with dementia: methodological insights from an empirical study conducted in England. Ethics and Social Welfare, 14 (4), 432-442. (doi:10.1080/17496535.2020.1839115).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Ethical research practice requires inclusionary approaches that enable people to contribute as fully as possible. Not enough is yet known about the impacts of dementia on daily life, however, people with dementia may find inclusion in research challenging, as the ‘cognitive load’ required may be overwhelming. When responding is difficult, others may contribute and the voice of people with dementia may be diminished. In this paper, the method of walking interviews is reflected on following a study that examined the acceptability and usefulness of Global Positions Systems (GPS). Attention is drawn to an observation of the contributions people with dementia made whilst out walking with the researchers. When out walking, people with dementia used the environment as sensory prompts to start conversations, and these discussions shaped research data, and enabled people with dementia to raise concerns about the impacts of dementia, their futures and what they feared for themselves and their families. The challenges that people with dementia faced in negotiating everyday practices were visible. The person with dementia showed the researcher around their neighbourhood, and this significantly changed the interview dynamic and positioned people with dementia as leading the interaction.

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Using Walking Interviews to Enhance Research Relations with People with Dementia - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 31 October 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 4 November 2020
Published date: December 2020
Keywords: Dementia, citizenship, participation, qualitative study, walking interviews

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 446250
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/446250
ISSN: 1749-6535
PURE UUID: 4e16bbc5-4afd-4995-b492-d5411dce5c77
ORCID for Ruth Bartlett: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3412-2300

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 01 Feb 2021 17:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:10

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Contributors

Author: Tula Brannelly
Author: Ruth Bartlett ORCID iD

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