An Experiment in Hybridizing Environmental Health Data for Community Empowerment and Policy Reach

• In Event: Real-World Experiments for Knowledge Production

Abstract

Residents in polluted environments often desire relevant science as evidence of their predicament and for advocacy reasons. This can involve wading through highly technical regulatory documents and/or locals collecting DIY data in an attempt to scientifically bolster their claims. However, simply having numerical data does not always translate into practical outcomes and positive policy changes from the citizen’s viewpoint. Recently, with my research team, we tried an experimental approach in a participatory science study we conducted in several French industrial towns. Following the collection of randomized self-reported health data, instead of compiling the epidemiology statistics in a document, we conducted 30+ focus groups with the residents and regional medical professionals to further analyze the data and add context. From an embodied perspective of living in the towns, the local participants were able to make meaning from the statistics arriving at novel hypotheses that my team was able to follow up on with additional epidemiological analyses or further validation in the scientific literature. Then, with key local informants, we assembled the final report that cohesively interwove the qualitative environmental and health data (lived experiences) with the quantitative health outcomes statistics. This collaborative hybridization of numerical and narrative data produced a report where the voices of the local population featured prominently and led to both enhanced ownership and robust understanding of the science by the local people. This, in turn enabled the local population to successfully use their report as a strategic tool for environmental and health-related interventions and policy shifts.

Author

• Barbara Allen, Virginia Tech-National Capital Region Campus