Alongsideness in working relationships and as epistemology: What does alongsideness mean to me … and to you?

Alongsideness as epistemology is personal knowledge of relationship researched in relationship. The process creates and sustains relationships to enhance alliances between all involved for generating individual knowledge about how to live purposeful lives. As practitioner researcher in mental health and research contexts I hold self-worth to be requisite for social interest in community action. Social interest is analogous with reduced isolation and inferiority feelings, increased sense of belonging and capacity to take responsibility for our behaviour and influence on the world around us.   Influenced by Adlerian psychology, alongsideness emerged from doctoral practitioner research to improve and explain my health visiting using Living Theory methodology (Whitehead 1989). It describes values motivating my practice and evaluation approaches.

As a way of being and as epistemology, alongsideness emerged from my personal characteristics, early and subsequent life experiences and unique contexts, prompting a constructed view of how my life ‘should’ be. Although alongsideness appears widely recognised, each version will not be recognised in its entirety by anyone else even with similarities in motivation and practice.

This seminar will look at the emergence of alongsideness as an epistemology exploring inevitable contradictions in real life relationships and will invite participants to share practical and theoretical experiences towards improving practice and generating knowledge. 

Robyn Pound PhD, BA. Hons., NZ RGN, Cert.Health Visiting, Dip.Adlerian Psychology.

I trained as a health visitor and later for a diploma in Adlerian psychology and worked in front-line community practice until 2016. My career as practitioner researcher focused on improving community practice for child and family wellbeing and on community development. My current practice is supporting Make a Move charity to deliver and research therapeutic dance groups for mothers with postnatal depression and I support Adlerian and other educational research groups by Skype. Recent publications are in the fields of Health Visiting, Adlerian psychology and Living Theory research.

Admission £7 (concessions £4) All welcome. No need to book. CPD certificates are available. Lecture enquiries: evans_patel@hotmail.co.uk