Closer to home: the case for experiential participation in health reform

This article describes partial results from a case study of community participation in "New Directions for a Healthy B.C.", a now-abandoned health reform policy. For this study, focus groups were conducted to explore the perspectives of traditionally under-represented citizens in understanding reasons for nonparticipation and to identify strategies for fostering participation in the health reform process. The findings indicate that participating in traditional ways- committee meetings, public fora, completing surveys--was not relevant to the realities of these individuals. Yet, rather than merely refusing to be involved, focus group members extended an invitation for health planning group members to experience their daily lives; an idea that is referred to in the literature as 'experiential participation.' In order to foster broad-based participation in community health initiatives, the findings from this study argue for a new understanding of, and appreciation for what actually constitutes participation.