Sen, R.N. orcid.org/0000-0002-3090-8250, McClelland, N. and Jowett, B. (2016) Belonging to the Library: Humanising the Space for Social Work Education. Social Work Education, 35 (8). pp. 892-904. ISSN 0261-5479
Abstract
This article describes the running of four Living Libraries on a UK postgraduate social work course. A Living Library is a metaphoric remodelling of a conventional library where people, as authors of their experiences, provide specialist knowledge based on authorial areas of expertise. In the Living Libraries discussed here ‘Living Books’ carried stories of social work - their narratives were of lived experiences as people using social care services; as carers in personal relationships with others who use social care services; or, as social work practitioners. The focus of this article is on those Living Libraries involving the participation of the first two of these groups. Drawing on social psychology, phenomenology and human geography, we propose that a Living Library can act as a connective space within social work education by engendering a discursive forum where all participants – people with experiences of services, students, practitioners and social work educators - are given both the freedom and obligation to talk openly about their differential experiences, fears and hopes for social work. Through this process, opportunities are created to consider how improvements that meet all stakeholders’ interests may be achieved.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Taylor & Francis. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Social Work Education. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Anti-discriminatory practice; user perspectives; partnership; reflection; critical theories; Living Library; inclusion; exclusion |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Sociological Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 14 Jul 2016 15:18 |
Last Modified: | 04 Aug 2017 04:41 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2016.1211098 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/02615479.2016.1211098 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:102420 |