ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by discussing the nature of knowledge and the relationship between the concepts of power and knowledge. Different forms of knowledge have varying levels of value in society. Some are more likely to be accepted and believed and have more influence over people’s lives. For instance, many powerful forms of knowledge in western society are linked to particular occupational or professional groups, leading some commentators to argue that knowledge and power are intimately related. The importance of harnessing lay information about illness is being recognised by the government through the expert patient programme, in which people with chronic illnesses help others by passing on their lay knowledge. The hierarchy of knowledge — or the value placed on one type of knowledge or another — is best seen on those occasions when lay knowledge challenges more formalised and institutionalised knowledge.
