Public Health, Humanities and Magical Realism: A Creative-Relational Approach to Researching Human Experience (Routledge Studies in Public Health)

This book calls for a re-conceptualisation of the public health evidence-base to include crucial forms of creative and relational data about people’s lived experiences that cannot be accessed through the biomedical approach to generating and using evidence. Drawing from the author’s ethical, ontological and epistemological dilemmas when studying controversial topics, and methodological evaluation framework to measure impacts of creative community engagement, the book argues that traditional methodologies and conceptualisations of evidence have the potential to exacerbate health inequalities by excluding and misrepresenting minorities. Fantastical realities based on ‘truthful’ research findings are intertwined with traditional public health approaches through artistic engagement with so-called ‘hard-to-reach’ groups. Working with their (sur)real life stories, the author reflects on how the population’s breadth is inadequately reflected which threatens validity and generalisability in public health research and decision making. Through different ways of knowing (epistemology) and different ways of being (ontology), this book shows how to design studies, make recommendations and adapt services that are aligned with views and experiences of those living on the margins and beyond. As such, it is an essential read for public health researchers and students. This book calls for a reconceptualisation of the public health evidence base to include crucial forms of creative and relational data about people’s lived and felt experiences that cannot be accessed through the biomedical approach to generating and using evidence. Drawing from the author’s ethical, ontological, and epistemological dilemmas when studying controversial topics and methodological evaluation framework to measure impacts of creative community engagement, the book argues that traditional methodologies and conceptualisations of evidence have the potential to exacerbate health inequalities by excluding and misrepresenting minorities. Fantastical realities based on “truthful” research findings are intertwined with traditional public health approaches through artistic engagement with so-called hard-to-reach groups. Working with their (sur)real life stories, the author reflects on how the population’s breadth is inadequately reflected, which threatens validity and generalisability in public health research and decision-making. Through different ways of knowing (epistemology) and different ways of being (ontology), this book shows how to design studies, make recommendations, and adapt services that are aligned with views and experiences of those living on the margins and beyond. As such, it is an essential read for public health researchers and students. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Time moves forward, it never moves back 10 Time moves back 11 List of Figures 13 List of Table 14 1 What’s real and unreal in public health? 16 1.1 Statement of aims 32 1.1.1 What is my book about? 32 2 Emergence – the gap between two epistemic bubbles 41 2.1 Emergence – the gap between two epistemic bubbles 61 2.2 Measuring Humanity – a methodological minefield 62 2.3 What’s real and unreal in public health? 62 2.4 Foreword (for TCV report) – June 2018 67 Dr Marisa de Andrade – PI for Measuring Humanity, School of Health in Social Science, Centre for Creative-Relational Inquiry, University of Edinburgh 67 3 Measuring Humanity – a methodological mine(mind)field 81 3.1 Emergence – the gap between two epistemic bubbles 83 3.2 Uncomfortable competing truths 85 4 Knowledge is power 127 4.1 Knowledge is power 129 4.1.1 Analysis and ethics 132 4.1.2 A methodological mess 132 4.1.3 Sensemaking and meaning making 133 4.1.4 Meaning in life, agency, and “choice" 135 4.1.5 Real versus ideal 136 4.1.6 Problems versus solutions 137 4.1.7 Trust versus mistrust 139 4.1.8 Lunch: the finger food situation 139 4.2 Discussion 140 5 Can you hear me? 144 5.1 Thinking with abduction 150 5.1.1 Introduction 150 5.1.2 Measuring emotions in complex systems 151 5.1.3 Methods 153 5.1.4 Findings 155 Limitations of self-reported emotions 155 Same emotion, different emotional experience 157 Subjective emotional experiences, trauma, and the system 157 Creative interventions for emotion regulation and coping 158 5.1.5 Discussion 160 5.2 Thinking with magical realism 161 6 Convergence – accepting our differences 177 Public Health, Humanities and Magical Realism: A Creative-Relational Approach to Researching Human Experience 184 Index 189 "objectivity;,evidence;,validity;,truth;,health,humanities;,arts-informed,methods;,creative,methods;,magical,realism;,ontology,(reality);,epistemology,(knowledge);,tobacco,control;,electronic,cigarettes,(e-cigarettes);,health,inequalities" objectivity; evidence; validity; truth; health humanities; arts-informed methods; creative methods; magical realism; ontology (reality); epistemology (knowledge); tobacco control; electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes); health inequalities