A new Constitution for the Critical Physiotherapy Network
Over the last 12 months we have been working on a Constitution that will help define the work of the Critical Physiotherapy Network in the coming years.
Because we aspire to be 'a positive force for an otherwise physiotherapy,' there is a degree to which we have tried to think outside conventional ways of thinking and doing. Some of the language in our Constitution reflects that.
Words like 'alterity' and 'otherness' are used, and there are phrases that talk about 'thinking against the grain.' Some of these words and phrases are provocative and are used deliberately to prompt us to think and practice differently. In each case, though, they are used to open a space to think differently, and so are meant as positive statements of disruption rather than negative statements of cynicism.
Early drafts of the text were worked on by Exec members in November last year and were debated by the wider network in February. The extensive feedback we received was discussion at an Exec meeting in March. An overarching 'purpose' statement was then added, and a final version was signed off by the Exec in June.
This is what it says:
The CPN is an international collaborative network of critically-informed academics, clinicians and researchers who draw on the health sciences, social sciences and the humanities to explore, challenge and develop physiotherapy theory and practice
The 'objects' of the Network are as follows:
The Critical Physiotherapy Network will strive to challenge contemporary physiotherapy theory and practice by:
Actively exploring the world beyond the current boundaries of physiotherapy practice and thought
Challenging physiotherapy to critically examine its position on alterity and otherness, abnormality, deviance, difference and disability
Recognising and problematising power asymmetries inherent in physiotherapy practice, particularly where they marginalize some groups at the expense of others
Developing a culture and appreciation for the exploration of all views that deviate from conventional thought and practice in physiotherapy
Actively embracing ideas that promote thinking against the grain/challenging in physiotherapy
Being open to a plurality of ideas, practices, objects, systems and structures that challenge contemporary physiotherapy practice and thought
Promoting critically-informed thinking, encouraging ideas from diverse disciplines uncommon in mainstream physiotherapy, including anthropology, the arts, cultural studies, critical theory, education, geography, historiography, humanities, linguistics, philosophy, politics, sociology and others
Providing a space for ideas that promote a more positive, diverse and inclusive future for the profession
The Critical Physiotherapy Network was formed from a desire to challenge and reform physiotherapy practice and thinking. The Network is founded on the belief that the physical therapies can make a much more valuable and significant contribution to the lives of people today than the historically and socially self-imposed limits on the profession currently allow. The Network has been made possible by a growing sense that a critical mass of physiotherapists are eager to challenge contemporary physiotherapy theory and practice and work towards a more positive, inclusive, critical future for the profession. The group will appeal to people with an interest in the practice of physiotherapy, including people who are not practising physiotherapists. We seek to encourage contributions from academics, clinicians, educators, researchers and students, and anyone who can help us achieve the objects set out above.
Purpose
The Critical Physiotherapy Network (the Network) is a membership-based organisation created to develop and promote a positive critique of physiotherapy practice.
The Network is for physiotherapists and others who have an interest in the reform of the profession.
The constitution seeks to acknowledge the profession’s heritage but attempts to define a space in which it is possible for members to develop, critically examine, and share new opportunities for the profession in the future.
We believe that the future of the profession lies in a diversity of approaches and with a variety of different communities of need.
Rather than being afraid of change, difference, or ‘otherness,’ we look to these things for inspiration and ways to respond to the many challenges of contemporary healthcare.
Our critical approach embraces a wide variety of philosophies, methodologies and theoretical approaches.
We embrace constructivist, interpretivist, critical and postmodern philosophies and have members with interests in anthropology, the arts, cultural studies, economics, education, history, politics and sociology.
Our starting point is a critical approach to physiotherapy’s longstanding affinity with biomechanical, biomedical and positivist thinking.
We believe that creativity involves thinking against the conventional wisdom - deliberately asking why do we think this way, practice these things in these ways.
We believe in creating a safe, supportive community where people can develop, explore and share ideas that may be controversial or unsettling to mainstream and orthodox practice.
Because we are an organisation of members from 28 countries, we did not want to have our constitution written only for English speakers, and so, with the help of a host of Network members, we translated the Constitution into 10 other languages (Afrikaans, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Māori, Portuguese, Spanish, Xhosa and Zulu), with more hopefully to follow.
A huge thank you goes out to Ricky Bell, Carmen Caeiro, Simon Kirkegaard, Petro van der Merwe, Veronika Mezzanotte, Jens Olesen, Anna Rajala, Michael Rowe and Jenny Setchell for their hard work translating these for us.
Full pdf versions of the Constitution in all 11 languages is available here.