Contact
Biography
I am Researcher in Residence for the Researcher Academy and Associate Professor of Social Science and Health in the School of Health Science since 2002. As Researcher in Residence I am building a decolonising and diversifying initiative to encourage the use of reflexive, transparent study design and affirming methodologies (Nakhid & Farrugia). This work guides STEM, social science and humanities researchers across the University towards ethical and epistemological debates, including epistemologies of the so called 'south'. These debates make explicit, assumptions that can may sit within and beneath study designs. These workshops aspire to engender in our research community a sense of excellence, intersectional justice, planetary care, robust, inclusive and reflexive study designs as well as passion, curiosity, humility and integrity.
My research expertise lies in conducting epistemologically rigorous and theoretically informed qualitative research. Most recently I am leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers in a study exploring the experiences of participants at the applied epistemology workshops. I have also brought my sociological perspective and skills to topics of motherhood, fatherhood, mental health and recovery, lymphedema, elder hospital care and clinical academic careers among others. The analytical lens I study data through are varied but include critical realism, feminist standpoint, gender, embodiment and emotional labour. Methods I have deployed are observation, interviews, focus groups and critical discourse analysis.
Expertise Summary
Qualitative research methods
Epistemology: Critical Realism; Standpoint & Epistemologies of the 'South'
Gender
Mental health and recovery
Embodiment and emotional labour
Clinical academic careers
Teaching Summary
My main teaching involvement is with Masters and PhD students.
I'm recently appointed Researcher in Residence to develop and deliver rolling workshops on epistemology, and rigor in study design as well as qualitative methods. This is part of an initiative to decolonise the methods curriculum. We aspire to engender in our research community robust, inclusive and reflexive study designs. These workshops are open to STEM, Social Science and Arts doctoral students and staff.
I convene and teach on three of the University's ESRC Doctoral Training Centre modules: Philosophy of Social Science Research; Foundations in Qualitative Research; Individual and Group Interviews.
I contribute qualitative and philosophical teaching to other post graduate teaching modules in Midwifery and Nursing.
Research Summary
My research interests concern epistemology (standpoint and epistemologies of the south; critical realism) and the application and analysis of qualitative data. I undertake primary qualitative… read more
Current Research
My research interests concern epistemology (standpoint and epistemologies of the south; critical realism) and the application and analysis of qualitative data. I undertake primary qualitative research and secondary analysis.
I have supervised seventeen PhD students (7 ESRC funded) to successful completion, and currently have a further seven (3 ESRC funded) qualitative studies using a range of methods including ethnography and interviews. I am supervising several in mental health recovery: narratives; spirituality; peer working and women and homelessness in India. Also community nursing and chronic odema care; courage; continuing professional development and gender disappointment. I bring methodological rigor and work to support my students with publication.
In July 2021 I won a University Staff Oscar for Best Research Supervisor.
I retain an interest in the work of Noam Chomsky and have written and edited books with Routledge and Palgrave Macmillan respectively: The Social and Political Thought of Noam Chomsky (2000, 2002) and Noam Chomsky: Critical Explorations in Contemporary Political Thought Series (2015)
Future Research
To examine participant experiences of the Researcher Academy initiative to decolonise the methods curriculum. This is being designed to guide participants through debates in epistemology (including epistemologies of the south) to make explicit, assumptions that can implicitly lurk beneath study designs.