2nd Edition
Fostering Social Justice through Qualitative Inquiry A Methodological Guide
Contributor spotlight interviews:
Dr Kim Lopez: https://youtu.be/vEF71NM_jQc
Dr Jocelyn Scott: https://youtu.be/qfjcbgExEJ0
Dr Brian Kumm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kchW0MDfw44&t=158s,
Dr Luc Cousineau: https://youtu.be/IjRvRw3WjgY
Now in its second edition, Fostering Social Justice through Qualitative Inquiry, addresses the methods of conducting qualitative research using a social justice paradigm. Qualitative researchers increasingly flock to social justice research to move beyond academic discourse and aid marginalized, oppressed, or less-powerful communities and groups.
The book addresses the differences that a social justice stance requires from the researcher, then discusses how major theories and qualitative methodologies are employed to create social justice in both the process and products of qualitative research. Snapshot theory chapters introduce the foundations of theories like feminism, critical race theory, queer theory, and many more. Robust methodological chapters cover grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography, participatory action research, and other key qualitative designs. Chapters are written by experts in the specific theory or methodology, and exemplars of the authors work illustrate this style of research in action.
New to this edition:
• Expanded attention to the theories most commonly associated with social justice research by authors who have put it to use
• Methodological chapters on autoethnography, collective memory work, digital methods and postqualitative inquiry
• Chapter Reflection Questions to help students and their supervisors/instructors apply what they’ve learned
• Recommended readings from each author with annotations to encourage additional exploration
This established textbook will be suitable for graduate students and scholars in qualitative inquiry in a range of disciplines, including Education and Gender and Sexuality, Communication, Leisure Studies, and across the social sciences.
1. Contextualizing Qualitative Research for Social Justice
Corey W. Johnson & Diana C. Parry
2. Snapshot Chapters
2.1. Marxism / Class
Andrew Merrill
2.2. ‘This is what a feminist researcher looks like’: Enacting feminist theories and politics for social justice
Bronwen L. Valtchanov
2.3. Inquiry for Justice: Critical Race Theory and Qualitative Research
Brandi Hinnant- Crawford
2.4. LGBT Theory/ Queer Theory
Needham Yancey Gulley
2.5. Poised Against Ableism: Critical Disability Theory (CDT), Justice, and Verbing to Disablement
Kimberly J. Lopez
2.6. Decolonization
Matthew Wildcat
2.7. Post-Structural Thought
Alysse Kushinski
2.8. Posthumanism and Social Justice Research: Skating to Freedom
Adele Pavlidis
3. Common Features of Qualitative Inquiry
Corey W. Johnson & Diana Parry
4. Leaning into the Ambiguity of Liberation: Phenomenology for Social Justice
Anneliese A. Singh
5. Chapter 5: Discovering Grounded Theories for Social Justice
Denise L. Levy
6. One Day on Earth: Featuring Social Justice in Case Study Research
Brett D. Lashua
7. Ethnographic research for social justice: A critical engagement with homelessness
in a public park
Jeff Rose
8. Writing Ourselves Back into the Story: Using Autoethnography to Advance
Social Justice
Jocelyne Bartram Scott
9. Evocative Inquiry: Saving the World, One Story at a Time
Caitlyn M. MulCahy
10. Moving Forward, Looking Back: Historical Inquiry for Social Justice
Tracy Penny Light
11. Participatory Action Research: Democratizing Knowledge for Social Justice
Bryan S. R. Grimwood
12. Resurrecting Recollections: Collective Memory Work for Dismantling Discourses
of Power
Corey W. Johnson
13. Digital Methods for Social Justice
Luc S. Cousineau
14. "Just Give it Up": Embracing the Immanence of Post Qualitative Inquiry
Brian E. Kumm
15. The Future of Social Justice: Paradigm Proliferation
Diana C. Parry & Corey W. Johnson
Biography
Corey W. Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is a feminist, qualitative researcher, and scholar who focuses on power relations between dominant and non-dominant populations. Corey uses his research alongside teaching and service, engaging in advocacy, activism, civic-engagement, service-learning, and community partnerships, to create change and unique learning opportunities for individuals and institutions. He has also written the methodological text, Collective Memory Work: Learning with and from Others.
Diana C. Parry is a Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She is a feminist scholar who engages in research that advocates that the personal is political while focusing on women’s health and leisure. Diana intentionally uses her research and service to advance a social justice agenda by advocating for a holistic understanding and conceptualization of health for women. She has also recently written Feminisms in Leisure Studies.
"But, where is the research? How many times have educators heard this statement in their quest for a more equitable society and world? This second edition of Fostering Social Justice through Qualitative Inquiry continues to assist researchers in moving beyond just sharing the lived experienced marginalized identities to the notion that social justice research can be about action and change. I especially like the recommended readings from each author which illustrates that this work is a lifelong journey. Well done!" -- Vernon A. Wall, President & Founder - One Better World, LLC, Director of Business Development - LeaderShape, Inc., Past President , ACPA - College Student Educators, International
"The first edition of this book has been perfect for my graduate-level qualitative research design class. Students always appreciate how social justice is positioned as the very purpose of qualitative inquiry, thoroughly integrated with the book’s detailed guidance on research study design. I was incredibly impressed to see that in this second edition Johnson and Parry have managed to expand the breadth of theoretical positions and methodological approaches included. I was particularly excited to read the new chapter on digital methods for social justice, a chapter that I will no doubt be sharing regularly with students new to this type of data . A strength of the second edition is the sheer number of scholarly voices that are included, each an expert in their own right. Bringing these voices together for the purpose of changing the world through meaningful, robust inquiry is an amazing contribution for which my students and I are grateful." -- Trena M. Paulus, Ph.D., Co-author of Doing Qualitative Research in a Digital World
"This book restores meaning to the term ‘social justice’ and orients researchers in its pursuit. Rather than an empty phrase or political weapon, Corey Johnson and Diana Parry center social justice as a commitment to action that invokes change toward a more equitable world. They stress that not only can anyone become involved in striving for social justice, but also, it is a researcher’s responsibility to consider the impact of their work in the world. Therefore, this book is essential reading for students, early career scholars, and established researchers as it provides a solid grounding in the application of theories and qualitative methods toward social justice. It also showcases research projects embedded with social justice values that will spark a new sense of meaning and motivation for anyone whose research addresses social problems.
The collection provides all the necessary building blocks for engaging in social justice-focused qualitative inquiry. Johnson and Parry’s anchoring chapters bring the reader through the essentials of choosing a theoretical orientation, designing a research project, and taking stock of key considerations when applying methodologies. The snapshot theory chapters provide clear explanations of concepts and philosophies, which can otherwise seem daunting, while demonstrating their application to real research scenarios. With a similar logic, the in-depth methodology chapters discuss the background of each approach, steps for data collection and analysis, ethical considerations, researcher subjectivity and each methodology’s application to social justice aims. Methodologies are vividly illustrated through real research examples, as authors share snippets from interviews, observations in field sites, and reflexive memos. Their suggestions for further reading are invaluable, making each chapter a pivotal starting point that illuminates the way for impactful social justice research. The book gives voice to a diversity of authors from different backgrounds and standpoints, who share about an impressive range of research experiences, bringing to the forefront concerns relating to race, gender, sexuality, decolonization, disability, class and other realms of marginalization. Their collective insights bring us closer to understanding the nuances of addressing injustice experienced by particular individuals and communities while also grasping a broader view of how the everyday choices we make in our research can contribute to a more just social landscape." Dr. Stefanie Duguay, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, USA
