Personal Essays in Social Science

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2019) | Viewed by 40787

Special Issue Editors

School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4223, Australia
Interests: women in academia; social services; child protection; race and ethnic relations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4223, Australia
Interests: ethical decision making; e-professionalism and social media; ethical activism; ethical literacy; professional conduct; professional ethics; social work practice
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social science gives value to qualitative research, emic/insider perspectives, and participatory action; knowledge- and truth-seeking tools that concurrently strive to use the privileged power of academia responsibly. But what happens when the researcher is the participant? Is there now just too much subjectivity? Can there be such a thing? And if so, is the personal essay of an academic reflecting on their own experiences an opinion that science should reject as invalid? If it does this, why is it doing this? Whose truth do we really value? Who is a real knowledge-bearer?

If you have wondered why the ‘personal opinions’ or ‘comments’ sections of scholarly journals are small, and wished they gave more value to your voice as both a person and professional at the same time, then this Special Issue invites your submission of a full-length personal essay. It is dedicated to the belief that “our feelings are our most genuine paths to knowledge” (Audre Lorde). It does not value the truth (objectivity), a truth (subjectivity), but truth (authenticity).

The peer-review process will (i) vet for pro hate-speech and self-harm; while such things may be your authentic truth, articles that aim to address social issues in an ethical manner will be accepted for publication; (ii) check for accuracy, so that false claims such as generating ‘new’ knowledge are not made; (iii) assess readability, such as whether your thoughts, ideas, insights, concepts, and recommendations for future research and practice are interesting, cogent, and well-structured; (iv) ensure articles cite scholarly references, as a demonstration of being informed in your area of expertise; and (v) assess degree of critical reflection, including awareness of the strengths and limitations of autoethnographic-type research methods. The process will accept rebuttals to comments made by reviewers as a sign of respect to authors and request that clear explanations be provided.

Essays reflecting on experiences within any of the four main areas of academic work—research, teaching, clinical practice, and service/administration, and related to the broad/overarching topic of social science, are invited. Sub-disciplinary topics may therefore include anthropology, criminology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology, and other related areas.

Essays may reflect on a specific experience or make a general comment about several experiences within their work, such as the following:

  • What it has been like for you to do a PhD, what you have learned, and what you would recommend to PhD students, schools/departments, and universities in the future;
  • Your experiences as a staff member or manager of field education/clinical placement;
  • Unexpected learnings as a Dean, Head, or Deputy Head of School, or Journal Editor;
  • Clinical cases that have taught you the most about your role in your profession/field of study;
  • Lessons learned from students while teaching courses or supervising PhD, Masters, Honours, and Graduate Diploma students;
  • Ideas for improving pedagogy by reflecting on what has or has not worked in the past;
  • New or controversial ideas that have been generated from research you have conducted in your specific field;
  • Resistances you have experienced within your academic work, why you think you experienced them, and what you wished you had experienced instead;
  • Hopes and aspirations for your own academic career, or the business of academia itself, into the future;
  • Musings about being an autoethnographic researcher in your field of study; and
  • Ethical dilemmas or crises of conscience you have encountered while conducting research in your niche field.

This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a sample of what is being sought. Submissions from research teams are also welcome, such as compilations of personal reflections or letters of communication that contain discussion of important issues or the birthplace of new ideas. A contribution to this Special Issue requires braveness on the author’s part—to just speak as a (knowledgeable and informed) person—but loyalty to authentic truth is the means to find it.

Dr. Pooja Sawrikar
Prof. Donna McAuliffe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Social science
  • Critical reflection
  • Introspection
  • Autoethnography
  • Higher education
  • Academia
  • Authenticity
  • Informed opinions
  • Power and privilege
  • Truth, knowledge-production, and research methods.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 205 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction to Special Issue on Personal Essays in Social Science
by Pooja Sawrikar and Donna McAuliffe
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(12), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8120325 - 02 Dec 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3521
Abstract
Dear colleagues, [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

9 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in Everyday Hospital Social Work: A Personal Narrative of Practitioner–Researcher Identity Transition
by Mim Fox
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(11), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8110313 - 13 Nov 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6019
Abstract
The story of my evolution as a practice-based collaborative researcher is a story that comes full circle. Through exploring my own experiences of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma as a hospital-based social worker, I am able to investigate the phenomenon across the profession [...] Read more.
The story of my evolution as a practice-based collaborative researcher is a story that comes full circle. Through exploring my own experiences of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma as a hospital-based social worker, I am able to investigate the phenomenon across the profession and provide a critique of the needs of practitioners working in the complex environment of hospitals and health care. Parallel to this is an investigation into the need for practice research in this complex environment and in the profession overall as seen through the lens of a collaborative research partnership with social work hospital colleagues that transformed my approach to research. I have drawn on personal narrative, autoethnography and reflexive processing to investigate my own impact on and from this research. I conclude with an understanding of the power of storytelling in participatory action research and in the potential in collaborative research methodologies for authentic reciprocity and relationship to traverse the practice–research divide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
9 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
Are Smart-City Projects Citizen-Centered?
by Eva M. Sánchez-Teba and Guillermo J. Bermúdez-González
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(11), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8110309 - 11 Nov 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5046
Abstract
Smart cities have become a new urban model for thinking and designing cities in the connected society. It is time to ask ourselves what kind of city we want and need. There is still a long way to go in relation to the [...] Read more.
Smart cities have become a new urban model for thinking and designing cities in the connected society. It is time to ask ourselves what kind of city we want and need. There is still a long way to go in relation to the role of citizenship in the field of smart cities. This autoethnography reveals different contradictions found during the preparation of my doctoral thesis, which studied the citizens’ perception of smart city policies in a city in southern Spain, in my double role as a doctoral student/researcher and public manager. Many of the statements and conclusions of different scientific research contrasted with the reality that I was experiencing in my daily work. My conclusions can help in the current debate on which cities we want to build at a time when the population is concentrated in cities and where it is necessary to respond to not only the economic, but also the social and environmental problems posed by sustainability Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
16 pages, 273 KiB  
Article
Searching for a Place to Belong in a Time of Othering
by Hyacinth Udah
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(11), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8110297 - 24 Oct 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7840
Abstract
Australia is a land of opportunity, where hard work can bring a better life. Most immigrants come to Australia to establish a new life and fulfil hopes and dreams for better life opportunities. Like many immigrants to Australia, I came to establish a [...] Read more.
Australia is a land of opportunity, where hard work can bring a better life. Most immigrants come to Australia to establish a new life and fulfil hopes and dreams for better life opportunities. Like many immigrants to Australia, I came to establish a new better life for myself and for family. In this paper, I share my challenges of being different, and of being black and the experiences of black Africans in Australia. The paper invites more conversations on finding ways forward to change the system that favours some and disadvantages others. It indicates the need to humanise the Other and make Australia a more inclusive and liveable multicultural environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
11 pages, 443 KiB  
Article
‘I Respect You but I Am Not Willing to Be You’: Critical Reflections of Western Teaching of Social Work to Students in China—What Can be Learned Both Ways?
by Hilary Gallagher, Liuqing Yang and Jianqiang Liang
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(10), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8100272 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4229
Abstract
Staff from a Western University annually travel to China to teach social work students at a Chinese University, providing a rich opportunity to share ideas and knowledge about values and practices in social work. One common point of tension that arises each year [...] Read more.
Staff from a Western University annually travel to China to teach social work students at a Chinese University, providing a rich opportunity to share ideas and knowledge about values and practices in social work. One common point of tension that arises each year is how to teach critical reflection whilst considering differences between Eastern and Western ways of knowing and doing. This article is based on email conversations between one Australian lecturer and one Chinese student, containing their discussions on not just critical reflection but also of various key social work topics in China such as social worker’s salary, social work as a profession and using empathy. The student questioned social work in an authentic and practical manner; while the lecturer responded with examples and reflections as a role model of critical reflective thinking and practice in the Chinese context. While such letters of exchange only reflect the particular points of view of the lecturer and the student, much can still be learned about current issues and debates in both countries. The insights given raise many questions about the implications and benefits for sensitively teaching social work across East/West contexts whilst trying to develop anti-colonial social work educational approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
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18 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
A Tale of Two Subjectivities: An Academic Life Story
by Adriana Gil-Juárez
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(10), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8100267 - 20 Sep 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3830
Abstract
In this article I present an autobiographical account as someone who has been an academic in both Mexico and Spain for the last thirty years. My life story shows the transition from a life centred on an academic project to a life centred [...] Read more.
In this article I present an autobiographical account as someone who has been an academic in both Mexico and Spain for the last thirty years. My life story shows the transition from a life centred on an academic project to a life centred on mere survival in the system. These are two subjectivities that do not neatly appear consecutively but that are intertwined. The first starts from the traditional but exciting idea that an academic career must progress linearly to the achievement of a solid and stable identity, with a permanent contract as a symbolic and material destination. The second subjectivity, which starts from neo-liberalism demanding permanent mobilization, constant change, and absolute flexibility, is accompanied by pain and resignation, as precarity has already occupied the greatest part of my academic life. The story has the modest mission of exemplifying, in the flesh, without hiding class and gender marks, the neo-liberal transformation of the academy and its inhabitants. Yet it is also an example of how difficult it can be to resist this dynamic, given that we, the teaching and research staff, are more or less forced accomplices of this transformation. I write this narrative in the hope that the story may help others to visualize and plan a different future for academia and for themselves: a future based on more engaged personal relationships and built on an ethics of care which can help resist injustice, as feminist literature suggests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
12 pages, 222 KiB  
Article
When Teacher Becomes Student: Unveiling Contradictions within Australian Social Work Education
by Michelle Newcomb
Soc. Sci. 2019, 8(6), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8060174 - 06 Jun 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4423
Abstract
Social work education in Australia is bound by a range of rules and assumptions supported by both higher education institutions and the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). This autoethnography explores a range of contradictions within social work education from the unique perspective [...] Read more.
Social work education in Australia is bound by a range of rules and assumptions supported by both higher education institutions and the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). This autoethnography explores a range of contradictions within social work education from the unique perspective of someone who was simultaneously a student and academic in social work. This experience occurred because, although PhD qualified in social work, rulings set down by the AASW lead to me being excluded from consideration in permanent roles. The position led me to becoming an online Master of Social Work (MSW) student whilst still being a social work educator allowing me to explore a range of contradictory rules and processes within social work education. Analysis of my reflections, journals, assignments and conversations with colleagues unveiled a range of mixed messages in relation to social inclusion, technical rationalism, self-care and field placement supervision. My findings contribute to current debates about how neoliberalism currently impacts on inclusion in social work education and development of a professional identity. In exploring my dual roles, this autoethnography unveils contradictions within social work education and accreditation that question the social justice mission of the profession. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personal Essays in Social Science)
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