Dear Larry,
I think that is a fair point. As you indicate there have been loads of ways to try and collectively describe people who need to make use of health and social care services for example, and all are likely to fall short of how people would choose to describe themselves. I think Shaping Our Lives definition is very helpful however. Picking up on your point about rationing, they also include in their definition those who may no longer be entitled to access services:
http://www.shapingourlives.org.uk/definitions.html
It would be good for this to be raised at the conference in a workshop perhaps.
We are deliberately informing a wide range of 'user' groups about the conference and would appreciate information about the conference being passed on to all who may be interested but not necessarily currently accessing services.
Best wishes.
Phil
PS I'll never hear the term stakeholder in quite the same way again! Thanks for that.
________________________________
From: Larry Arnold [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tue 22/07/2008 20:56
To: Cotterell Phil; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Critical perspectives on user involvement conference
Of course this notion of the "user" is in itself a patronising, a stigmatising definition of what if
they are providers, company or charity representatives are called "stakeholders". Not that I like
stakeholder any more, remind me of Buffy the vampire slayer :)
Nah users, consumers, bull, perhaps part of this conference could be to discuss the terminology and
to see if something better can't come of it.
The biggest scandal of all is that the majority of people who ought to be inputing are those who are
not service users simply because the decline and the rationing of services has marginalised them
beyond any official recognition at all.
As for me I have as as many labels and titles as a supermarket shelf, past my sell by date might be
one of them :)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil
> Cotterell
> Sent: 22 July 2008 15:00
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Critical perspectives on user involvement conference
>
> I hope you don't mind me using the list to inform you about a
> one day conference taking a critical look at user
> involvement. Service user involvement is now official policy
> - what are the consequences of this? Has it lost its radical
> edge? Has it made a real difference? What has happened to
> autonomous user groups? Is there an expectation that users
> MUST get involved? The conference will address these and
> other questions from the perspective both of user activists,
> and researchers and others who study user movements and user
> involvement.
>
> The conference is on 24th April 2009 at Hove Town Hall, East Sussex.
> Speakers will draw on experience from the disability
> movement, mental health service users, older women's
> participation, and from involving people with learning
> difficulties in research.
>
> We would like to hear from you if you are interested in
> contributing to a workshop at the conference. Full details
> about the conference and information on how to make a
> proposal to contribute can be found below.
>
> http://www.brighton.ac.uk/sass/research/conferences/
>
> Alternatively enquiries should be directed to Sallie White:
> Health and Social Policy Research Centre, University of
> Brighton, Falmer, Brighton,
> BN1 9PH
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Tel: 01273 643480
>
> ________________End of message________________
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