First Fridays Seminar, GSS @ Deakin, 7th August, Jessamy Gleeson
While we all continue to adjust to life with coronavirus we are excited to say that our First Fridays series returns next week.
Over the past few months we have been working closely with colleagues at Deakin’s National Indigenous Knowledges Education Research Innovation (NIKERI) Institute as we plan the next phase of the GSS Research Network and we are thrilled to welcome Dr Jessamy Gleeson from the NIKERI Institute as our presenter next week.
To RSVP (and for the zoom link) please email [email protected] by 6 August.
See you next week,
Daniel and Gilbert
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Title: Troubles with the material: Posttraumatic stress disorder and sexual violence research in the academy
Presenter: Dr Jessamy Gleeson, Senior Lecturer within the National Indigenous Knowledges Education Research Innovation (NIKERI) Institute
Date and Time: 7th August, 4-5pm
Abstract:
In undertaking research with people who have experienced traumatic events, the focus for researchers is typically on the wellbeing of the participants. However, research has also identified a number of impacts on those exposed to traumatic material. Traditionally, this focus has been on frontline workers, but more recently the potential and actual impact of examining traumatic and sensitive material has been considered.
This talk examines the impacts of researching aspects of sexual abuse, with a particular focus on qualitative research. Qualitative research work can often mean emotion work (Lee 1993; Sword 1999), and delving into a participant’s world (Bahn and Weatherill 2012). But when this immersion leads to the repeated exposure to traumatic material, how is this addressed by individual researchers, and the academy as a whole? An autoethnographic account is used in this talk to explore the experience of PTSD as a consequence of academic research, and emphasises the serious impact that working with traumatic material can have. Following this, a number of approaches are considered for their ability to address and plan for trauma. Finally, this talk considers the particular vulnerability of fixed-term and casual staff members, and how current literature does not always effectively account for their experiences.