Transcript A Biographical Approach for Social Work in Mental Health

A Biographical Approach
for Social Work
28th CIF Conference, Kiljava, Finland
Aug. 5, 2009
Johanna Björkenheim
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A biographical approach
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Why use it?
Concepts
How use it?
What is it?
When use it?
Documentation
Ethical aspects
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Biographical narratives
in social work
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for collecting factual information about
clients’ lives and life situations (life history)
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as tools for change (life story)
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EU Leonardo INVITE
2003-2006:
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What can vocational rehabilitation
gain from biographical research?
http://www.biographicalcounselling.com
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How can social workers take into
account the past life of their
clients?
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 EU
Leonardo INVITE 2003-2006
 Literature review
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Why biography?
The present life situation is best understood
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when viewed against the structure (gestalt) of the entire life
story (Rosenthal 2003, Jeppsson Grassman 2001)
when you know at what stage in life certain events happened,
not just that they did (Jeppsson Grassman 2001)
when you know what were the historical, political and social
conditions at the time a certain event happened in a person’s
life (Riemann 2003)
when you know about the client’s own view of his/her life
>>>> This has implications for social work.
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CONCEPTS (1)
Life history
– refers to the experiences a person has lived through
(Rosenthal 2003)
Life story, biography
– someone’s narrated, personal life story as related to another in
conversation or as written down in present time (Rosenthal 2003)
Life course
- involves study of ”the social patterns in the timing,
duration, spacing, and order of events and roles of human
life trajectories (Elder & Rockwell 1979) recognizing that these
elements are consequences of plans that people carry forth
within the constraints of their
8 social world” (Lopata & Levy 2003).
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CONCEPTS (2)
Narrative interview
results in a story about one or several themes
Biographical interview
results in a usually quite long life story
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A biographical interview is usually narrative but
A narrative interview is not always biographical
(Riessman 2001)
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CONCEPTS (3)
Biographical identity
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is the relationship between identity development
and life history as built up over a long time
flows from two sources:
a) socio-biographical processes
b) agency for constructing individual uniqueness
(Betts et al 2007)
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CONCEPTS (4)
Biographical work
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aims at restoring the biographical
identity…
…by reconciling the ’reality principle’ and
the ’creativity and self-empowerment
principle’.
(Betts et al 2007)
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How?
Biographical counselling
Three forms?
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Being generally sensitive for biographical
considerations in rehabilition counselling
(Betts et al 2007) > ’biographical glasses’
Biographical interview as intervention
(Rosenthal 2003)
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Analysing biography in a more technical way
(Betts et al 2007)
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1. ’Biographical glasses’
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Possible even in short encounters?
A question of relating to the client?
Seeing that the person has an identity and a
biography, which are thus validated even if not
known?
 Understanding that biography has been lived in a
context, psychological as well as social (micro /
macro)?
 Noticing a possible need for a longer biographical
interview?
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Other than verbal means of storytelling
A life-span perspective
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2. The Biographical Interview as
Intervention
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Just telling your life story to someone can
have psychological effects
Helps integrating and making sense
Furthers self-understanding without much
interpretation
Gives ideas for planning the future
(Rosenthal 2003)
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A biographical interview in social work
compared to a biographical interview in
research
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There are several, shorter main narratives,
not just one
There is more narrative questioning
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Disadvantages of a biographical
interview in social work?
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Too work- and time-consuming?
Effects too slow?
Recording and transcription seldom possible?
There needs to be a common understanding
about this way of working at the work-place?
Ethical issues too complicated?
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What?
A biographical approach
in social work means...
…listening to and
 …respecting the life story as it is told
 …respecting the line drawn by the client
as to what is told
 …a holistic way of working
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What?
The biographical approach
in social work...
…is NOT one clearly defined working
method but a way to relate to people’s lives
and life stories using different methods
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When?
Life stories in social work
(Examples from the literature)
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Psychosocial assessments
Vocational rehabilitation
Substance misuse
Chronic illness, disabilities
Bereavement
Elderly
Groups
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Psychosocial assessments
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A psychosocial assessment is seen as an
intervention in itself, and the way it is done is
important
In a narrative approach marginalising and
oppressive dominant cultural stories are
deconstructed
The service user is supported to create the
meaning of his/her life and to reject stories
imposed by others
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(Milner & O’Byrne 2002)
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Vocational rehabilitation
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The meaning of vocation/profession, education,
work history
Stories help to structure the future
Dominant narratives may be supportive or
restrictive
Dominant narratives may prevent rehabilitation
workers seeing and accepting alternative
narratives
(Valkonen 2004)
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Substance misuse
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How the misuse started, changed (and stopped)
The role of substances in a person’s life (also
before the person started to use them)
(Levälahti 2005)
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Chronic illness, disability
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Causes life changes
Is not always a static condition that you adapt to once
and for all
There may be a certain course which includes
deterioration of function
The dynamic element and changes appear clearer
viewed from a life course perspective
People’s experiences are different
(Jeppsson Grassman 2001)
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Elderly and dying people…
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usually want to talk about their life…
…and get help to find positive aspects in the life
lived
(Molander 1999)
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Bereavement
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The wish to talk about the deceased person with others
who knew him/her…
…and together build a story about the deceased
person’s life and reconstruct one’s own place in it
…can be more important than the emotional ’working
through’ of the grief aiming at continuing life without
the deceased.
(Walter 1996)
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Peer support groups
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Sharing of life experiences in self-help
groups, reminiscence groups (Saarenheimo 1997)
etc.
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Documenting life stories
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Openness about what is being documented
Documenting in collaboration? (Mann 2001)
Documenting separately?
Written autobiography, diary?
What happens with the client’s material later?
Written narrative feedback to the client? (Milner
& O’Byrne 2002)
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Ethical considerations
about the biographical interview?
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For what purpose?
When and when not?
Raises expectations of help that cannot be met?
Analysis and interpretation – by whom?
How will it be used? By whom?
Confidentiality?
Informed consent?
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Conclusions
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Naming your way of working enables reflection
and developing it in a more conscious, systematic
and methodical way.
Life stories should be used with discretion: With
whom? When? For what? How?
‘Biographical glasses’ can be used with most
clients
The biographical approach at its best is holistic and
empowering
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***
Thank you!
***
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References (1)
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Betts, Sandra & Griffiths, Aled & Schütze, Fritz & Straus, Peter
(2007) Biographical Counselling – an Introduction. Module 0 in
EU Leonardo INVITE Biographical Counselling in
Rehabilitative Vocational Training – Further Education
Curriculum. http://www.biographicalcounselling.com
Elder, Glen & Rockwell, RC (1979) The Life Course and
Human Development: An Ecological Perspective. International
Journal of Behavioral Development: 2:1-21.
Jeppsson Grassman, Eva (2001) Tid, tillhörighet och anpassning.
Kronisk sjukdom och funktionshinder ur ett livsloppsperspektiv.
SVT 8 (4), 306-32. [Time, belonging, adaptation. Chronic illness
and handicap from a lifecycle perspective]
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References (2)
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Levälahti, Johanna (2005) ) ”Egen vilja och andras hjälp. Om
sociala nätverk och socialt stöd i förändringsprocessen från
alkoholmissbruk till nykterhet.” Master’ thesis of SW. University
of Helsinki.
Lopata, Helena Z & Levy, Judith A (2003) The Construction of
Social Problems across the Life Course. In Lopata & Levy (eds):
Social Problems across the Life Course. Lanham, Boulder, NY,
Toronto, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Mann, Sue (2001) Collaborative representation: Narrative ideas in
practice. Dulwich Centre Publications.
http://www.dulwichecentre.com.au
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References (3)
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Milner, Judith & O’Byrne, Patrick (2002) Assessment in Social
Work. Second edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Molander, Gustaf (1999) Askel lyhenee, maa kutsuu. Yli 80vuotiaiden kuolema eletyn elämän valossa. Suomen
Mielenterveysseura.
Riemann, Gerhard (2003, September) A Joint Project Against the
Backdrop of a Research Tradition: An Introduction to ”Doing
Biographical Research” [36 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative
Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-Line
Journal, 4(3). Available at: http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqstexte/3-03/3-03hrsg-e.htm [Date of access: November 1, 2006]
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References (4)
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Riessman, Catherine Kohler (2001) Personal Troubles as Social
Issues: A Narrative of Infertility in Context. In Shaw, Ian &
Gould, Nick (2001) Qualitative Research in Social Work.
London/Thousand Oaks/New Delhi: Sage.
Rosenthal, Gabriele (2003) The Healing Effects of Storytelling:
On the Conditions of Curative Storytelling in the Context of
Research and Counseling. Qualitative Inquiry. Vol 9(6), 915-933.
Saarenheimo, Marja (1997) Jos etsit kadonnutta aikaa. Vanhuus ja
oman elämän muisteleminen. Univeristy of Tampere.
Valkonen, Jukka (2004) Kuntoutus tarinoina. In Karjalainen,
Vappu & Vilkkumaa, Ilpo (eds.) Kuntoutus kanssamme. Ihmisen
toimijuuden tukeminen. Stakes.
Walter, Tony (1996) A new model of grief: bereavement and
biography. Mortality, Vol. 1, No. 1, 7-25.
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