The Ethnography of Caring Networks: Disentangling a Governance Order In-the-Making

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Healthcare Management
• Sociology of Organizations

Background:

• Traditional views perceive networks as fixed governance structures.
• Existing research often overlooks the dynamic and emergent nature of networks in practice.
• Healthcare reforms necessitate a re-evaluation of governance models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To shift focus from networks as static entities to dynamic social phenomena.
• To explore the unfolding of networking in daily governance actions within Dutch healthcare.
• To critically examine the consequences of networking for actors' roles and work.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic fieldwork in Dutch older person and hospital care settings.
• Analysis of everyday governance actions and interactions.
• Qualitative exploration of lived experiences within healthcare networks.

Main Results:

• Networks are dynamic, emerging social phenomena, not just demarcated structures.
• Networking is a continuous, place-based, multi-layered, and multi-purpose process.
• Everyday interactions significantly shape governance and actors' roles in healthcare.

Conclusions:

• A recalibration of network thinking is needed to acknowledge its complexity.
• A critical-pragmatist ('romantic-realist') perspective is essential for understanding messy, real-world networks.
• Networks are constantly evolving governance orders, particularly amidst healthcare reforms.