Emeritus Professor of Citizen Participation, University of Essex Peter Beresford OBE, FAcSS, FRSA (born 1 May 1945) is a British academic, writer, researcher and activist best known for his work in the field of citizen participation and user involvement, areas of study he helped to create and develop.
In 1968 he wrote a dissertation on homeless single people as part of a diploma in social and administrative studies at Barnet House, Oxford University and subsequently did research on vagrancy in Britain.
[6] Between 1975 and 1977 Beresford was lecturer in Social Administration at Lancaster University, but left because of his growing concerns about the non-participatory nature of public policy.
Each of these were participatory projects concerned with advancing the theory, policy and practice of participation through the production of publications, pamphlets and developmental research.
Much of his work has focused on advancing public participation, and the involvement and empowerment of long term users of health and social care.
[14] Beresford's theoretical policy and practical concern has been how disabled people and other long term health and social care service users can be equally involved in society and have an effective voice in their lives.
[15] This focus has resulted in the exploration of new approaches to occupational practice, policy formation, research and evaluation and the political process.
[16] It has also extended to the development of new approaches to epistemology which highlight the role of service users' lived experience as a knowledge source.
His illustrated pamphlet ‘It’s Our Lives’ anticipated subsequent discussion of ‘epistemic injustice’ and highlighted the way in which the devaluing of experiential knowledge added another layer of discrimination to that already facing groups experiencing oppression and marginalization.
[20] In March 2020 Shaping Our Lives was awarded £197,448 by the Big Lottery Community Fund to develop the Inclusive Involvement Movement over four years.