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Edwards, Jane
- PublicationEthical Autoethnography: Is it Possible?Autoethnography is a widely applied qualitative research method to examine self-experience in relation to life events, and also situated experiences in cultural and institutional contexts. In this paper the ethical challenges arising in conducting and presenting autoethnographic research are presented and explored, first through reflection on personal experience of being described and identified in an autoethnographic presentation without my permission, then through the challenges of my own experiences undertaking autoethnographic work. Following Ellis' relational ethic as a third dimension along with procedural and situation ethics, a fourth dimension of the ethic of the self is presented. Ways we can enhance the ethic of respect in autoethnography is further elaborated.
- PublicationRefugee and asylum-seeker children’s experiences: results of a meta ethnography
Children's geographies research contributes to the intent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by comprehending children as cogent agents in the telling and creation of their lives.Voices of asylum-seeking and refugee children are under-represented in the research literature. Hence, reference to their needs in relevant national and international policy contexts is inadequately informed. A meta ethnography synthesised self-reported needs and experiences of 288 child refugees and asylum-seekers across eight interview-based studies, each of which included at least one child aged 13 or younger.The guiding question for the study is: How do children describe their experiences within the systems designed to support refugee and asylum-seekers? Results indicate that refugee and asylum-seeker children can and must speak for themselves. Adults and services must listen to ensure policies and services are adequately informed by children's perspectives and needs.
- PublicationDiscrimination and Exclusion in Higher Education Is Reflected in Multiple Autoethnographies
A synthesis review of 17 autoethnographic (AE) studies revealed experiences of 33 academic staff and graduate students in higher education, the majority of whom are women. These papers, from more than six countries, were found through a Google Scholar search. Most authors identified as marginalised and outsiders in their higher education contexts, whether because of gender, ethnicity, race, or intersectionality. Analysis of tacit and explicit themes in the papers resulted in creation of eight final superordinate themes. The themes represent experiences of fear and insecurity whereby personal vulnerability was exacerbated by lack of cultural and gender awareness in higher education, including obvious examples of White ignorance. Institutional diversity was claimed, but this contrasted with authors' experiences of exclusionary behaviour. Authors reported endemic racism and sexism, but that it was helpful when institutions provided support for these challenges. AE gives power, volume, and space to rarely heard minority voices. AE synthesis offers an overview of collective experience of similar phenomena or contexts. Such meta-studies are not common in the research literature, and this article provides both evidence of lived experiences of academic staff in 21st century higher education, and a purposeful guide to synthesizing AE research.
- PublicationStudying Nonlinear Change in Music Therapy Applying Dynamic Systems Theory
Change in music therapy is often modeled linearly. In linear analysis, change is represented as the difference between the scores recorded before and after treatment, where changes in the input are proportional to the output. However, changes in complex systems are often not linear and depend on time. We propose Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) as a means to overcome the shortcomings of linear analysis and enrich the study of change in music therapy. This article aims to introduce and critically discuss the applications of DST in music therapy, focusing on its theoretical and methodological aspects. DST offers a meta-framework to model nonlinear change in music therapy, considering time as continuous. The application of DST can further enhance the understanding of how music therapy works, the shape of the change, and how the relevant therapeutic processes within music therapy support therapeutic change. An introduction to DST theory is provided along with its history, implications, assessment methods, statistical analyses, mathematical modeling, and implementation examples in music therapy research.
- PublicationQueering our Pedagogy: Engaging Anti-Oppressive Practices as Learners and Teachers
Critical pedagogy has its origins in the work of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, with an underpinning imperative that classroom work will interrogate societal structures, attitudes, and tropes that oppress and silence. In this chapter we present meanings of the term queer, and consider the process of queering in relation to music therapy education. The need for the term queer, and our intentional use of it, reflects the view that heteronormativity is entrenched in every aspect of culture including all education which in turn includes health practitioner education in colleges and universities. By using the term queer, and its verb queering, we indicate the need to embrace a wider range of experiences and identities than those that are often hidden within the normative realm. By using the term queer alongside anti-oppressive practice, we acknowledge the shifts and developments in queer studies, and appreciate that queer’s vague positioning and resistance to precise definition is part of its attraction as a means to interrogate contemporary music therapy training. We offer suggestions for queering music therapy class interactions, by challenging the inherent heteronormativity in curriculum for health and social care workers.