In a neo-liberal era concerned with discourses of responsible individualism and the ‘selfie’, there is an increased interest in personal lives and experiences. In contemporary life, the personal is understood to be political and these ideas cut across both the social sciences and humanities. This handbook is specifically concerned with auto/biography, which sits within the field of narrative, complementing biographical and life history research. Some of the contributors emphasise the place of narrative in the construction of auto/biography, whilst others disrupt the perceived boundaries between the individual and the social, the self and the other. The collection has nine sections: creativity and collaboration; families and relationships; epistolary lives; geography; madness; prison lives; professional lives; ‘race’; and social justice and disability. They illustrate the inter- and multi-disciplinary nature of auto/biography as a field. Each section features an introduction from a section editor, many of whom are established researchers and/or members of the British Sociological Association (BSA) Auto/Biography study group. The handbook provided the reader with cutting-edge research from authors at different stages in their careers, and will appeal to those with an interest in auto/biography, auto-ethnography, epistolary traditions, lived experiences, narrative analysis, the arts, education, politics, philosophy, history, personal life, reflexivity, research in practice and the sociology of the everyday.
Author(s): Julie M. Parsons, Anne Chappell
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 714
Tags: Research Methodology
Foreword......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Introduction......Page 11
Contents......Page 22
Notes on Contributors......Page 26
List of Figures......Page 38
List of Tables......Page 40
Introduction......Page 41
Anne: An Auto/Biographical Approach......Page 48
Julie: Auto/Biography and Reflexivity......Page 50
Auto/Biography and Arts-Based Practices......Page 54
Conclusion......Page 55
References......Page 56
Part I Creativity and Collaboration......Page 62
A Cone Shell......Page 70
Becoming and Being a Doctor......Page 71
The End......Page 76
Rehabilitation and Recovery......Page 78
Reflecting on Auto/Biography......Page 82
Conclusion......Page 83
References......Page 84
Flat Tyre......Page 86
Silences......Page 87
Success......Page 88
The Man at Number 26......Page 89
Shock......Page 94
Telling the Untellable......Page 95
‘Fruit Flies’......Page 96
Reflections......Page 98
References......Page 100
Introducing Our (Academic) Selves......Page 102
Deborah—The Tattoo Project: Creating a Digital Archive for Commemorative Tattoos......Page 105
Gayle: Doing Griefwork Through Fiction and Memoir......Page 108
Deborah and Gayle: Stepford Academics......Page 109
Conclusion (Doing It Differently)......Page 114
References......Page 117
Part II Families and Relationships: Auto/Biography and Family—A Natural Affinity? David Morgan......Page 122
Introduction......Page 135
Biographical Methods: A Little History......Page 136
Life Story and Narrative Methods......Page 138
Grandfather and Son: An Intergenerational Case Study......Page 141
Life Histories......Page 142
Life Stories......Page 144
Discussion and Conclusion......Page 150
References......Page 153
Housing as a Sociological Question......Page 156
The Context of Post-Soviet Housing in Russia......Page 157
The Research Project and Empirical Data......Page 159
Features of the Survey Data, the Experience of Piloting and the Scale of the Types of Housing......Page 160
Biographical Interviews: From ‘Own’ Field Materials to the Work with Secondary Data......Page 163
Housing Inequality of 45–50-Year-Olds, Based on the Material of Biographical Interviews......Page 166
The Housing Problems of 25–30-Year-Olds, Based on the Material of the Biographical Interviews......Page 169
Class and Gender: Housing Inequalities in the Optics of the Biographical Interviews......Page 171
Conclusion......Page 174
References......Page 176
Introduction......Page 179
The Family Narrative as Relational and Internalised......Page 180
Family Narratives in the Trajectory of Individual Lives......Page 185
Family Narrative as Distributed Auto/Biographical Knowledge......Page 188
Conclusion......Page 191
References......Page 192
Part III Epistolary Lives: Fragments, Sensibility, Assemblages in Auto/Biographical Research......Page 193
Introduction: Letters, Auto/Biography and the Course of Things......Page 201
Mary Moffat Letters......Page 203
Voss Family Letters......Page 207
Robert White’s Letters to Robert Godlonton......Page 210
The Writing Laboratory and the Scriptural Economy......Page 214
Conclusion: The Business of ‘I’, ‘You’ and ‘We’......Page 216
References......Page 218
Introduction......Page 220
People and Historical Context......Page 221
Letters and Correspondences......Page 225
Snapshots of Everyday Life......Page 227
The Grand Narrative and the Personal Storyline......Page 230
Multiple Auto/Biographies and Different Experiences......Page 231
Gendered Writing......Page 233
Conclusion......Page 237
References......Page 238
10 Auto/Pathographies in situ: ‘Dying of Melancholy’ in Nineteenth-Century Greece......Page 241
Letters as Distinct Narratives of Life......Page 244
The Shackles of Biology and the All-Encompassing Symptomatology......Page 247
Sofia Schliemann (1852–1932): I Am Dying of Melancholy......Page 250
Marigo Makka (182[?]–1877): Whenever I Get Sad, I Feel so Wiped Out......Page 252
The Specialists’ View......Page 254
Voicing Disorderly Emotional States......Page 255
Conclusion......Page 257
References......Page 259
Part IV Geography Matters: Spatiality and Auto/Biography John Barker and Emma Wainwright......Page 262
Introduction......Page 274
Conceptualising Care......Page 275
Theorising Space, Time and Care......Page 277
Situating the Research......Page 280
Vignette One: Space, Time, Rhythms and Auto/Biography......Page 282
Vignette Two: Identity, Auto/Biography and ‘Coming Out’ as Carer......Page 285
Vignette Three: Auto/Biography and Longer-Term Narratives of Care and Study......Page 287
Conclusion......Page 289
References......Page 291
Introduction......Page 296
Social Housing and Local Welfare Intervention......Page 299
Welfare Reform and Financial Capability......Page 300
Researching Social Housing......Page 302
Auto/Biographical Narratives of Welfare......Page 305
Encounter and Relationality......Page 308
Conclusion: Emplacements and Displacements......Page 312
References......Page 314
I Thought… I Saw… I Heard…......Page 318
Introduction......Page 320
My Doctoral Research: Making Sense of Nature......Page 323
I Thought…......Page 325
I Saw…......Page 326
Navigating the Moral and Ethical Tensions......Page 327
Storied Approaches in Research and the Place of Auto/Biographical Ethnography......Page 328
Transdisciplinary Research......Page 329
Conclusion: Bringing This to a Close......Page 333
References......Page 334
Part V Madness, Dys-order and Autist/Biography: Auto/Biographical Challenges to Psychiatric Dominance Kay Inckle......Page 337
Introduction......Page 346
A History of Autist/Biography......Page 347
Theory of Mind......Page 348
Autistic Autobiography as Anomaly......Page 350
Autistic Autobiography as a Diagnostic Document......Page 351
Autistic Autobiography and Functioning (or Faking): Not Like My Child/Student......Page 354
Self-Narrating Zoo Exhibits......Page 357
Theory of Mind Returns......Page 358
Autistic People Writing Ourselves Reflected, or Reading for Representation......Page 359
Autistic Expertise......Page 361
Turnabout’s Fair Play......Page 362
Intentionally Politicised Narratives: Public Rhetoric......Page 364
References......Page 366
Introduction......Page 371
Where Does It Begin?......Page 374
Mary and Liam Some Years Later......Page 376
Hospital No. 1......Page 377
Mary and Liam......Page 378
Mary, Liam and Brid: A Homecoming Scene......Page 381
Bríd’s Diary......Page 383
Mary and Liam: After Family Therapy......Page 384
Bríd: No More Than......Page 388
Liam: Breaking Bridges......Page 390
Some Inconclusive Conclusions......Page 391
Bríd: This Is What I Have Learned......Page 393
References......Page 394
16 [R]evolving Towards Mad: Spinning Away from the Psy/Spy-Complex Through Auto/Biography......Page 398
Allusions to the Litritchuh......Page 416
Part VI Prison Lives Dennis Smith......Page 418
Introduction......Page 423
A Glance at the End Game......Page 424
Public Successes and Private Costs......Page 425
How the Favoured Son Became a Rebel......Page 429
How the Rebel Became a Prisoner......Page 432
How the Prisoner Became the President......Page 434
Conclusion......Page 438
References......Page 439
Introduction......Page 443
Antonio and Giulia......Page 445
Sterilisation of the Heart......Page 447
Moving Towards a Crisis......Page 453
Aftermath......Page 457
Conclusion......Page 459
References......Page 460
19 Bobby Sands: Prison and the Formation of a Leader......Page 461
References......Page 483
Part VII Professional Lives Jenny Byrne......Page 484
Introduction......Page 495
Bildung and Auto/Biography......Page 496
The Research Context......Page 499
The Researcher and the Researched......Page 502
Re-analysing the Professional Identity of Two Academics......Page 503
George......Page 504
Harold......Page 506
Irene......Page 507
Bildung and Educational Auto/Biography in the Formation of Professional Lives......Page 509
Conclusion......Page 512
References......Page 513
The Changing Landscape: New Public Management and Teaching in England......Page 516
Research Aims and Approach......Page 518
Early Challenges to Occupational Professionalism......Page 520
Learning How to Comply Through the Demands of Organisational Professionalism......Page 522
The Strengthening of Organisational Professionalism Through Performative Practices......Page 524
Recognising the Importance of Organisational Survival: Teaching to the Test......Page 528
The Newly Qualified Teacher: Opportunities for Occupational Professionalism?......Page 529
Conclusion......Page 534
References......Page 535
Introduction......Page 539
The Millennial Generation......Page 540
Kate......Page 542
Alice......Page 543
Stories of Professional Life......Page 544
Conclusion......Page 557
References......Page 558
Part VIII ‘Race’ and Cultural Difference Geraldine Brown......Page 561
Introduction......Page 567
Institutional Racism and UK Higher Education......Page 568
My Story......Page 571
Episode 1—1965–70—Infant School Age 5–9......Page 572
Episode 2—1972–1976: 13–16—Secondary School, Alienation and Resistance......Page 574
Anti-deportation Protest Outside Armly Prison, Leeds—Aged 16......Page 575
Academic Activist—Late 20s to Present—Decolonising the Curriculum......Page 576
Developing a Pedagogy of Liberation......Page 579
Breaking a Culture of Silence......Page 581
Conclusion—Towards a New World View......Page 582
References......Page 583
24 Raging Against the Dying of the Light......Page 585
Introduction......Page 601
The Importance of Creating Space for the Voices of Young Black Men......Page 602
Engaging with Black Young Men’s ‘Realities’......Page 604
Practical Theological and Interdisciplinary Considerations......Page 607
Faith, Religion and Spirituality Considerations in Desistance......Page 610
Problematisation of BYM......Page 612
Bringing Hope’s Faith-Based Approach to Humanising Black Young Men......Page 615
Conclusion......Page 619
References......Page 620
Part IX Social Justice and Disability: Voices from the Inside Chrissie Rogers......Page 623
Introduction......Page 632
A Sociological Imagination—Looking Back, Moving Forward......Page 633
Resisting Socio-Political Death......Page 636
The Project—Care-Less Spaces: Prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Their Families......Page 639
Ethical Considerations......Page 640
Sociologically Speaking......Page 641
Auto/Biographically Speaking......Page 643
Auto/Biography and Research Reflections—Gaining and Maintaining Access in the Field......Page 644
Conclusion......Page 650
References......Page 651
Introduction......Page 655
Co-constructed Auto/Biographies in Contested Spaces: The Ethics of Ownership......Page 656
Mothering at the Margins of Care-Less Space: The Research......Page 657
Reflective Methods......Page 658
Relational Ethics in ‘Insider’ Research: Negotiating Consent......Page 659
Worlds Apart......Page 663
Letting Him Choose? Hearing Luqman......Page 667
Imagining Opportunities for Social Justice?......Page 672
Conclusion......Page 674
References......Page 675
Introduction......Page 679
Auto/Biographical and Autism Context......Page 680
Eight Days: A Hybrid Identity......Page 683
Normalisation: What Is This Thing?......Page 690
The Consequences of Covering......Page 692
Conclusion......Page 697
References......Page 698
Index......Page 703
