Compassion is defined by the willingness to turn towards suffering and the desire to act in some way to alleviate it (Seppala et al, 2017). The emerging body of interdisciplinary research on compassion and its role in society offers methodological insights for burgeoning social science researchers, many of whom may routinely find themselves engaging with at-risk groups and sensitive subject matter.
This workshop will take place over two half days (5 hours total) on Zoom:
Wednesday 16th February 2022, 14:00 – 16:30 AND Thursday 17th February 2022, 14:00 – 16:30.
It is designed for early- to mid-career researchers employing the interview as a qualitative research method. It may be of particular interest for those conducting fieldwork and/or those studying populations impacted by trauma, violence, oppression, inequality, etc.
Facilitators will introduce studies from fields like neuroscience and behavioural psychology to inform our understanding of the interview as a qualitative research method and develop skills for more compassionate researcher-participant relations. Facilitators will provide principles and practices for asking sensitive questions, responding to distress, and setting boundaries to maintain researcher wellbeing. Through a combination of lecture-style presentations and guided, mindfulness-based exercises, participants will cultivate both intellectual and embodied understandings of compassion, plus have the opportunity to share and discuss in large and small groups. Whether conducting remote or in-person research, participants will come away with a better understanding of compassion and its contribution to a more ethical, sustainable, and emotionally intelligent research practice.