Literature Reviews: Generative and Transformative Textual Conversations

Sharon Walker

doi:10.17169/fqs-16.3.2291

Sharon Walker Anglia Ruskin University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-16.3.2291

Keywords: dialogical, literature review, social work, social work education, systemic position, systemic practice, systemic thinking

Abstract

The intention of this article is to invite readers to explore and understand how literature reviews can be conducted from a systemic and dialogical approach. After reading a paper by MONTUORI (2005), I considered how literature reviews could be situated systemically whereby connections and relatedness between people and ideas are identified. This opened up possibilities for me that were transformative, re-positioning a process that I had previously seen as positivist, to one which is connected to a systemic position (BARGE, 2006). In this article, I discuss how I conduct literature reviews from a systemic position; each text speaking to the others as in conversation, identifying themes, connections and generating new knowledge. The concept of texts "speaking" to each other lends itself to a dialogical approach. I will discuss how the systemic, dialogical and ethical considerations should be made.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs150352

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Author Biography

Sharon Walker, Anglia Ruskin University

Sharon WALKER is a senior lecturer in social work and has been a qualified social worker since 1992. She has worked in a range of settings including children's social care and the criminal justice system. She has written psycho-social programs for substance using offenders in the UK and Bulgaria and has an interest in knowledge exchange and impact. She is conducting research at University of Bedfordshire, exploring relationship based approaches to teaching social work students.