Knowledge production in participatory grief research: A dialogical theoretical approach

In this article, we explore how knowledge is co-constructed in a participatory grief research project. The empirical data comprise audio recordings of nine three-hour meetings, summaries of meetings, and the project outcome, i.e., an expanded version of the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (DPM). The aim of this article is to examine how dialogical dynamics shaped knowledge production in a participatory grief research project and to contribute to the development of participatory methods in bereavement research. Through a dialogical approach to participatory knowledge production as the analytical lens, we identified moments of tension and relational engagement in the group dialogues and examined how certain grief experiences came to be included as outcomes while others did not. We present two examples to illustrate how different dialogical processes either facilitated or hindered the recognition and inclusion of diverse grief experiences in the expanded DPM. Our findings underscore the importance of relational engagement, openness to diverse perspectives, and willingness to revisit silenced contributions. We reflect on how these processes may shape participatory knowledge production and suggest ways to support even more inclusive and reflexive dialogues in participatory grief research.