Cornish, Flora and Gillespie, Alex (2009) A pragmatist approach to the problem of knowledge in health psychology. Journal of health psychology, 14 (6). pp. 800-809. ISSN 1359-1053
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Abstract
The multiplicity of forms of health-related knowledge, including biomedical knowledge, lay knowledge and critical constructionist knowledge, raises challenges for health researchers. On one hand, there is a demand for a pluralist acceptance of the variety of health-related knowledge. On the other, the need to improve health calls for action, and thus for choices between opposing forms of knowledge. The present article proposes a pragmatist approach to this epistemological problem. According to pragmatism, knowledge is a tool for action and as such it should be evaluated according to whether it serves our desired interests. We identify implications for research methodology and the choice of research goals.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Official URL: | http://hpq.sagepub.com/ |
| Additional Information: | © 2009 SAGE Publications |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | epistemology, lay knowledge, medical knowledge, methodology, pragmatism |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Sets: | Departments > Social Psychology |
| Rights: | http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/rights/LSERO.htm |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/38701/ |
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