Swimming against the Stream?: Mindfulness as a Psychosocial Research Methodology

Abstract

In this article, we extend psychosocial research methodology by integrating a breaching experiment, influenced by ethnomethodological sociology, with aspects of mindfulness practice, influenced by Buddhist traditions. We offer an empirical investigation of what happens when researcher-participants subtly 'swim against the stream' of normative public social conduct in a capital city setting. Our qualitative analysis explores a single case from a corpus of 172 first-person retrospective accounts of standing still and 'doing nothing' in a busy, public place. We investigate the qualitative aspects of how one researcher-participant arguably adopted a mindful, 'beginner's mind' orientation toward the flow of psychosocial consciousness. We empirically investigate this psychosocial orientation of mindfulness by integrating Wetherell's concept of affective-discursive practice with James' stream of consciousness. Mindfulness offers a specific, embodied reorientation toward psychosocial flows. We discuss the methodological implications and limitations of this reorientation for psychosocial research. Key wordsMindfulness, psychosocial, flow, embodiment, consciousness, breaching, experiment. Dr. Meg Barker is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University and a UKCP accredited psychotherapist. Meg's research and practice specialities are sexuality and relationships and they co-organise the Critical Sexology seminar series and Sense about Sex events, as well as publishing regularly on these topics and co-editing the journal Psychology & Sexuality with Darren Langdridge. Meg also works with Steven Stanley on the social mindfulness project (www.socialmindfulness.wordpress.com) developing research methodologies and mindful therapy practices which are explicitly socially engaged, and informed by social Buddhist and European philosophies. Meg's own book on mindfulness covers the range of engagements between western therapy and Buddhism, and they have also published a general audience book on relationships which draws on Buddhist, existential and social constructionist theories (www.rewriting-the-rules.com).Victoria Edwards is an undergraduate student in Cardiff University School of Social Sciences. Victoria has returned to study following ten years' employment in Substance misuse services. Her current research is entitled 'University Challenge: How can we foster successful learning journeys for non-traditional students in a School of Social Science?' with Dawn Mannay. EmmaMcEwen is planning to study BSc Psychology and is currently taking a year out of study in order to gain experience in the field of research. The current project she is assisting with is looking at the use of space in reasoning and how the mind constructs spatial models about logical configurations.

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