Narrating Social Work Through Autoethnography

Stanley L Witkin is a professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Vermont and president of the Global Partnership for Transformative Social Work. He is also the editor of Social Construction and Social Work Practice: Interpretations and Innovations.

This book is useful for all levels of practice and education, from undergraduate to graduate courses, because it links circumstances of daily living with social work issues. It will also be of interest to social work professionals, to other helping or care professions, and to a broad public. It is a moving book. It makes life appear as social and the social as a strong fiber of life. -- Adrienne Chambon, University of Toronto The stories in the book made me laugh, cry, and most of all think about the taken-for-granted, something we absolutely want our social work students to be able to do well and confidently. It is a brave and courageous work that must be made public. -- Sally St. George, University of Calgary A fascinating, unique, and often moving book. It explores the huge potential that 'autoethnography' has for expanding our understanding of both ourselves and social work and has clear practical implications. -- Nigel Parton, University of Huddersfield This is a unique collection of personal stories written by social workers... there are many pearls of wisdom to be gained from these heartfelt narratives that may help you not only become a better therapist but also better understand parts of your own history. Social Work Career Development An incredibly engaging, well-written, and unique reading experience. CHOICE Not only does this book have a set of fascinating well-referenced stories that show life as social and the social as central to life, it is also a unique, emotive, social work text which... is so engaging as to be hard to ignore... Journal of Social Work

• Foreword, by W. David Harrison Preface 1. Autoethnography: The Opening Act, by Stanley L Witkin 2. Where's Beebee? The Orphan Crisis in Global Child Welfare, by Katherine Tyson McCrea 3. A Finn in India: From Cultural Encounters to Global Imagining, by Satu Ranta-Tyrkko 4. Being of Two Minds: Creating My Racialized Selves, by Noriko Ishibashi Martinez 5. Learning From and Researching (My Own) Experience: A Critical Reflection on the Experience of Social Difference, by Jan Fook 6. What Remains? Heroic Stories in Trace Materials, by Karen Staller 7. What Matters Most in Living and Dying: Pressing Through Detection, Trying to Connect, by Brenda Solomon 8. Will You Be with Me to the End? Personal Experiences of Cancer and Death, by Johanna Hefel 9. Holding on While Letting Go: An Autoethnographic Study of Divorce in Ireland, by Orlagh Farrell Delaney and Patricia Kennedy 10. The Pretty Girl in the Mirror: A Gender Transient's Tale, by Allan Irving 11. Reality Isn't What It Used to Be: An Inquiry of Transformative Change, by Stanley L Witkin 12. From Advising to Mentoring to Becoming Colleagues: An Autoethnography of a Growing Professional Relationship in Social Work Education, by Zvi Eisikovits and Chaya Koren List of Contributors Index