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Autoethnography: Let there be chaos

Hadjiosif, Miltos; Ince, Amelia; Martin, Jennifer

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Authors

Miltos Hadjiosif Miltos.Hadjiosif@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology

Amelia Ince

Jennifer Martin



Abstract

This symposium aims to reach to the edges of our discipline’s awareness in order to shine a light on a neglected research paradigm that has captured our imagination. Autoethnography is an approach to research that seeks to describe and systematically analyse (graphy) personal experience (auto) in order to understand it more deeply and situate it within something broader, like a cultural or sociopolitical context (ethno). Autoethnography is both profoundly personal and explicitly political when it attempts to straddle the psycho-social realms. The researcher is often the sole ‘participant’, whose task is to document and analyse their subjective experiences with an ultimate aim of illuminating something and awakening in readers generative processes that can range from fleeting, visceral reactions all the way to social change.
We will start by sketching out the theoretical territory of this approach and address some of the common questions that arise when doing autoethnography, such as topics, analytic strategies, and ethical issues (Hadjiosif). Then we examine the method’s application to two doctorate research studies. The first (Ince) concerns the experience of Weltschmerz (a German word which roughly translates as ‘world weariness’ or ‘world pain’). The second (Martin) attempts to tease out the therapeutic qualities involved in the art of drag. We hope to conclude the symposium with a lively discussion regarding the purpose of Counselling Psychology research as we attempt to shake the proverbial edge and bring autoethnography closer to the centre of our profession.

Presentation Conference Type Other
Conference Name BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Annual Conference
Start Date Jul 15, 2022
End Date Jul 15, 2022
Deposit Date Jul 24, 2022
Publicly Available Date Jul 26, 2022
Keywords Autoethnography, Weltschmerz, drag, counselling psychology, reflexive research
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9746633
Publisher URL https://www.bps.org.uk/

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