Aims: People living with dementia experience discourse, which malignantly positions them within society. An Appreciative Inquiry approach was used by people living with dementia to inform a mechanism of change to positively influence the discourse of family members/carers, healthcare workers and lay people.
Methods: Appreciative Inquiry was adapted as the research methodology to support democratic social research and action when considering positioning theory in the discourse about people living with dementia. A cohort of four people living with young onset dementia worked through three phases of Appreciative Inquiry (Discovery, Dream and Design) and the outcome was presented to three natural discussion groups. Discourse data was analysed using positioning theory and thematic analysis to assess whether desirable change had occurred.
Results: People living with dementia were empowered to identify the requirements for positive verbal positioning using three phases of Appreciative Inquiry. An original positioning theory framework was developed for the analysis of discrete discourse in relation to this ‘ideal’ positioning. Other societal groups were directly influenced by the outcomes of the Appreciative Inquiry, resulting in more positive discourse concerning people living with dementia.
Conclusions: Appreciative Inquiry can be reconfigured to involve different participants across phases, retaining its generative and transformative potential, without foregoing its underpinning principles. People living with dementia can successfully complete an Appreciative Inquiry exercise with outcomes that have the power to transform the discourse of other members of society. Social action can be influenced by people living with dementia using this adaptation of the Appreciative Inquiry methodology.