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Christopher Mathieu

Christopher Mathieu

Associate Professor | Senior Lecturer

Christopher Mathieu

Enhancing Reflexivity in Research and Practice in Healthcare Through Oral-Based Autoethnography

Author

  • Christopher Mathieu
  • Kristine Hagelsteen

Summary, in English

Autoethnography is an increasingly used method to promote individual and group reflexivity in research, not the least in healthcare. However, autoethnography's uptake among practitioners is impeded by the fact that it has not been adequately adapted to practitioner settings from its academic origins. This article analyzes the experience of a research team comprised of practitioners/surgeons and social scientists using primarily oral-based autoethnographic practices to promote reflexive collaboration in a longitudinal research and innovation project on selection and training of surgical residents. Based on our case of innovative adaptation and application of autoethnography, which we term autoethnorality, several modifications in autoethnographic practice are suggested to make it more amenable to practitioner settings. These include adopting the collaborative and analytic forms of autoethnography and developing oral-based modalities for autoethnographic practice. The case also shows how these strategic choices along with successive adoption of autoethnographic practices can facilitate the resolution of tensions deriving from the differing timeframes, skillsets, and interests of practitioners on the one hand and academic researchers on the other, as well as paradigmatic differences in theory of science between the medical and social sciences. A table summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of different strategic choices and adaptations regarding autoethnography along with actionable recommendations is presented.

Department/s

  • Birgit Rausing Centre for Medical Humanities (BRCMH)
  • Department of Sociology
  • Social Sciences Faculty Library
  • Faculty of Medicine
  • Lund University Commissioned Education - under liquidation

Publishing year

2026

Language

English

Pages

15-29

Publication/Series

Qualitative Health Research

Volume

36

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Information Systems, Social aspects (including Human Aspects of ICT)

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1049-7323