Understanding ‘context’ in realist evaluation and synthesis

Abstract

Context is a key concept in developing realist causal explanations but its conceptualisation has received comparatively less attention. We conducted a review to explore how context is conceptualised within realist reviews and evaluations. We purposively selected 40 studies to examine: How is context defined? And how is context operationalised in the findings? We identified two key 'narratives' in the way context was conceptualised: 1) Context as observable features (space, place, people, things) that triggered or blocked the intervention; assuming that context operates at one moment in time and sets in motion a chain reaction of events. 2) Context as the relational and dynamic features that shaped the mechanisms through which the intervention works; assuming that context operates in a dynamic, emergent way over time at multiple different levels of the social system. These two context narratives have different implications for the design, goals and impact of realist reviews and evaluations.

Conceptualizing Context and Intervention as a System in Implementation Science: Learning From Complexity Theory Comment on "Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-country Analysis"

“…9 Thus, it looks at what the system does rather than what it is. 5 Where applied in implementation science, complexity theory offers valuable insights: triggers for stimulating change, necessity of feedback loops, time, as well as the added value of conceptualization of context as complex system to further our understanding of these processes. 6 Employing an Organic View on the Intervention -Context Dyad Developing or adapting and implementing a (complex) intervention cannot happen without changing the way we conceptualize context.…”

How to phrase critical realist interview questions in applied social science research

“…Furthermore, Porter (2015) argues that realist evaluation conflates structure, culture, and agency as part of the CMO. The relation between conditions and mechanisms causes confusion amongst realist evaluators and is still debated (Marchal et al 2012;Greenhalgh and Manzano 2021). In contrast, the model discussed here, maintains the ontological dualities between the social entities of structure, culture, and agency and how their emergent, powerful properties influence each other in recurring cycles governed by underlying causal mechanisms.…”

A Pluralistic Perspective on Research in Psychotherapy: Harnessing Passion, Difference and Dialogue to Promote Justice and Relevance

“…On the whole, the type of knowledge that academic researchers bring to the inquiry process is more focused on theoretical perspectives, whereas the knowledge and interest of community-based stakeholders are more focused on the specific local context with which they are familiar. Greenhalgh and Manzano (2021) discuss the ways in which attention to context can enhance the practical relevance of research.…”