Participatory Approaches with Older Adults

Participatory research with older adults has emerged as a transformative approach in ageing studies, challenging traditional hierarchies and fostering inclusivity. Yet, practices remain fragmented, with varying understandings of participation, ethical quality, and co-research standards. This session aims to bring together contributions that interrogate the conceptual, ethical, and methodological foundations of participatory research. Presentations should address conceptual diversity,ethical frameworks, and tools that enable meaningful engagement with older adults. We will explore the tension in participatory approaches with older adults drawing on comparative, transnational, and reflexive perspectives. The goal is to strengthen methodological rigour while remaining attentive to equity, intersectionality, and the agency of older participants.Collectively, the symposium will highlight pathways toward
more coherent, ethically grounded, and practically applicable participatory practices that advance social innovation, research quality,
and democratic engagement in ageing research.