Kitrina Douglas – författare

What is life really like for the elite athlete? How does the experience of being a professional sports person differ from the popular perceptions of fans, journalists or academics? Why might elite sports people experience mental health difficulties away from the public gaze?In the first book-length study of its kind, Kitrina Douglas and David Carless present the life stories of real elite athletes alongside careful analysis and interpretation of those stories in order to better understand the experience of living in sport. Drawing on psychology, sociology, counselling, psychotherapy and narrative theory, and on narrative research in sports as diverse as golf, track and field athletics, judo and hockey, they explore the ways in which the culture of sport interacts with the mental health, development, identity and life trajectories of elite and professional sports people in highly pressurised and sometimes unhealthy environments. By casting light on a previously under-researched aspect of sport, the book makes a call for strategies to be put in place to minimise difficulties or distress for athletes, for support to be tailored across the different life phases, and highlights the potential benefits in terms of athlete well-being and improved performance. The book also considers how these important issues relate to broader cultural and social factors, and therefore represents important reading for any student or professional with an interest in sport psychology, coaching, sport sociology, youth sport, counselling, or exercise and mental health.

Autoethnography Pedagogy and Practice supports and generates new insights into how autoethnography can be taught, supervised and practised by sharing the experiences and reflections of researchers from a wide range of fields and disciplines.An international cast of leading researchers provide practical examples of how autoethnography can be successfully introduced into health and human sciences curricula, showcasing examples of the power of autoethnography within and beyond academia. By privileging contributors’ experiences within their own field of study as students, teachers, supervisors and researchers, this book explores how autoethnography can be introduced, nurtured and sustained in challenging academic environments. Each chapter considers three interrelated areas: Disciplinary Contexts, which examines autoethnography’s impact across different fields; Relationships, which considers how to successfully manage relational and care dynamics from undergraduate through professor levels; and Ethics, which addresses the many ethical considerations that can arise across a wide range of contexts.Autoethnography Pedagogy and Practice is a book that encourages readers to engage in autoethnographic practice to create innovative, dialogical and collaborative texts that push the boundaries of polyvocality and diversity within their own disciplines. It will be of interest to researchers in Psychology, Medicine, Pharmacology, Allied Health, Nursing, Mental health, Sport and Exercise Science, Coaching, Sociology, Psychotherapy, Theatre Studies and Communication Studies.

Autoethnography Pedagogy and Practice supports and generates new insights into how autoethnography can be taught, supervised and practised by sharing the experiences and reflections of researchers from a wide range of fields and disciplines.An international cast of leading researchers provide practical examples of how autoethnography can be successfully introduced into health and human sciences curricula, showcasing examples of the power of autoethnography within and beyond academia. By privileging contributors’ experiences within their own field of study as students, teachers, supervisors and researchers, this book explores how autoethnography can be introduced, nurtured and sustained in challenging academic environments. Each chapter considers three interrelated areas: Disciplinary Contexts, which examines autoethnography’s impact across different fields; Relationships, which considers how to successfully manage relational and care dynamics from undergraduate through professor levels; and Ethics, which addresses the many ethical considerations that can arise across a wide range of contexts.Autoethnography Pedagogy and Practice is a book that encourages readers to engage in autoethnographic practice to create innovative, dialogical and collaborative texts that push the boundaries of polyvocality and diversity within their own disciplines. It will be of interest to researchers in Psychology, Medicine, Pharmacology, Allied Health, Nursing, Mental health, Sport and Exercise Science, Coaching, Sociology, Psychotherapy, Theatre Studies and Communication Studies.