1 2 3 background objectives methods expected results research team The EXPDEM project aims to analyse the reality and political action of concerned groups involved in the promotion of independent living in Spain (a term associate to a worldwide movement of people with disabilities working for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities). Specifically we aim to: objectives Map the reality of such groups Analyse the production of knowledge and expertise Compare their different political strategies Evaluate the pros and cons of these forms of political intervention Identify and develop forms of co-research The formation and proliferation of public hybrid forums where lay people and experts meet in order to seek solutions to public controversies, has become a common feature of our societies. Such forums can take place as an institutional, “top-down”, initiative where participatory mechanisms such as public consultation and consensus conferences are promoted. It can also take the form of social mobilization, “bottom-up” actions as, for example, the politics of self-advocacy groups or the protests of different social movements who call for greater participation in the definition of public policies. ”[...] controversies take place in public spaces that we propose to call hybrid forums—forums because they are open spaces where groups can come together to discuss technical options involving the collective, hybrid because the groups involved and the spokespersons claiming to represent them are heterogeneous, including experts, politicians, technicians, and laypersons who consider themselves involved” (Callon, Lascoumes & Barthe, 2001:18) In the last years, we have conducted research related to citizen participation in public techno-scientific controversies over social care issues in Spain (2008-2011). This stream of research has led us to identify the leading role of expert knowledge and technical devices in the contemporary definition and implementation of services, policies and notions of care, autonomy or dependency. Not surprisingly this has also pointed out the enormous problems and obstacles that lay people, service users and concerned groups have to make their voice heard. methods From June 2013 to June 2014 we will develop a participatory mapping. We will combine tools of modern cartography with participatory methods to represent the knowledge, projects and experience of the groups involved in the promotion of independent living in Spain. From October 2013 to June 2014 we will carry out multiple case studies to find out the different ways of understanding and performing independent lives. We will contrast case studies from the four main sectors involved in this matter: intellectual disability, physical disability, mental health and older people. 1 2 In July 2014 we will organise a participatory workshop to bring several relevant actors together to seek their opinions about the findings of the project and to debate about the pros and cons of the different strategies involved in the promotion of independent living in Spain. 3 expected results This project is part of a coordinated project that aims to compare the mechanisms of top-down participation with those of bottom-up mobilisation by analysing the formation of hybrid forums in which experts and non-experts discuss the difficulties that different collectives have to express their voice in the public arena. The combination of these two dimensions will offer a general diagnostic of participatory experiences and mobilisations of these groups in Spain. It will also reveal the strengths and weakness of both processes, as well as the potential of each one for the promotion of independent living. research team Israel Rodríguez-Giralt (main researcher), Daniel López Gómez (UOC), Agnès Vayreda (UOC), Asun Pie (UOC), Sergi Fàbregues (UOC), Míriam Arenas (UOC), Tomás Sánchez-Criado (UAB), Leonor Cantera (UAB), Francesc Garreta (URL). Pla Nacional 2012-2014: CSO2011-29749-C02-02