Fostering Social Justice through Qualitative Inquiry

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

• 1. Contextualizing Qualitative Research for Social Justice2. Snapshot Chapters2.1. Marxism / Class2.2. ‘This is what a feminist researcher looks like’: Enacting feminist theories and politics for social justice2.3. Inquiry for Justice: Critical Race Theory and Qualitative Research2.4. LGBT Theory/ Queer Theory2.5. Poised Against Ableism: Critical Disability Theory (CDT), Justice, and Verbing to Disablement2.6. Decolonization2.7. Post-Structural Thought2.8. Posthumanism and Social Justice Research: Skating to Freedom3. Common Features of Qualitative Inquiry4. Leaning into the Ambiguity of Liberation: Phenomenology for Social Justice5. Chapter 5: Discovering Grounded Theories for Social Justice6. One Day on Earth: Featuring Social Justice in Case Study Research7. Ethnographic research for social justice: A critical engagement with homelessness in a public park8. Writing Ourselves Back into the Story: Using Autoethnography to Advance Social Justice 9. Evocative Inquiry: Saving the World, One Story at a Time10. Moving Forward, Looking Back: Historical Inquiry for Social Justice11. Participatory Action Research: Democratizing Knowledge for Social Justice12. Resurrecting Recollections: Collective Memory Work for Dismantling Discourses of Power13. Digital Methods for Social Justice14. "Just Give it Up": Embracing the Immanence of Post Qualitative Inquiry15. The Future of Social Justice: Paradigm Proliferation