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Democratising Measurement: or Why Thick Concepts Call for Coproduction

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Fabian, M 

Abstract

jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pThick concepts, namely those concepts that describe and evaluate simultaneously, present a challenge to science. Since science does not have a monopoly on value judgments, what is responsible research involving such concepts? Using measurement of wellbeing as an example, we first present the options open to researchers wishing to study phenomena denoted by such concepts. We argue that while it is possible to treat these concepts as technical terms, or to make the relevant value judgment in-house, the responsible thing to do, especially in the context of public policy, is to make this value judgment through a legitimate political process that includes all the stakeholders of this research. We then develop a participatory model of measurement based on the ideal of co-production. To show that this model is feasible and realistic, we illustrate it with a case study of co-production of a concept of thriving conducted by the authors in collaboration with a UK anti-poverty charity Turn2us.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

Paper in General Philosophy of Science, Thick concepts, Wellbeing, Measurement, Coproduction, Values in science

Journal Title

European Journal for Philosophy of Science

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1879-4912
1879-4920

Volume Title

12

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
ESRC (ES/T005556/1)