Writing sociological fiction

Abstract

The value of fiction for public sociology and within qualitative research is well established. However, questions about process remain. Drawing from three contemporary projects – a novel, a series of short stories, and a collection of micro-fiction – this article focuses methodological attention on how sociological imagination may be crafted in and with fiction. In particular I discuss the poetics and aesthetic form of a story: the language, mode of storytelling and voice(s) with which a story is told; and the imagery and sensory qualities which bring a story-world to life. By bringing conceptual considerations together with practical concerns, this article aims to extend the considerable body of work on the value of fiction for the production and dissemination of social research.

Qualitative research methods I: Emotionally engaged approaches to working with vulnerable participants

“…These methods tend to take an holistic approach, often incorporating a degree of participation, decentring the researcher, taking into account the emotional, psychological, and physical experience represented ‘in the survivor’s whole sense of being’ (Collings et al, 2021: 25; see also Federman et al, 2016). There is a focus on listening, metaphors and dreams, utilising imagination in creative processes, allowing for painful experience to be represented and expressed through alternative vocabularies and material outputs that expand debates of what is ‘valid’ knowledge (Awan and Musmar, 2021; Baker et al, 2020; Hui 2020; McKittrick, 2021; Motsa and Morojele, 2017; Watson, 2021).…”

Waiting for Tindaya: Modern ruins and indigenous futures in Fuerteventura

“…Ash Watson (2021) has recently reflected on the increasing interest in using fiction and creative writing in sociology. Compared to traditional scholarship, ‘sociological fiction’ can provide a more engaging interface with the public, a more welcoming platform for collaboration with research participants, and a richer engagement with sensory and embodied forms of knowledge.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue

“…Finally, recent years have also witnessed the emergence of sociological fiction focused on sex and sexualities. Building on traditions dating back almost a century (see Dubois 1928Dubois , 2014Watson 2021), sociology-based novels focused on, for example, the regulation of sex and gender in society (Lowell 2020), the negotiation of romantic relationships (Leavy 2011(Leavy , 2020, and the experience and survival of sexual and intimate violence (Leavy and Scotti 2017) provide students with accessible sociological lessons for classroom discussion and debate. Similarly, sociological novels concerning LGBTQ people in the southeastern United States (Sumerau 2018) and other parts of the nation (Sumerau 2020) offer opportunities for students to engage with LGBTQ issues and experiences in creative ways.…”

“…In so doing, they demonstrate how the formation of digital stories can operate as a teaching tool for illustrating and reflecting upon sexual practices, pleasures, desires, and inequalities in society. In so doing, they demonstrate how the creation of stories may aid understanding and teaching of sociological concepts related to sexualities and other social norms and inequalities (see also Dubois 1928;Leavy 2011;Watson 2021). Vaughn and Leon thus provide an adaptable pedagogical technique for use in an increasingly digital social world.…”