Autoethnography for social workers: New approaches

In this paper the authors introduce readers to the field of autoethnography (AE). They provide an overview of the field, then describe several different forms of AE. These include positive autoethnography, collaborative AE, duoethnography, and digital autoethnographical psychobiography, in both national and international formats (DCAP and IDCAP). They point out how AE is distinguished from autobiography. They stress the application of AE as a way for social work academics, their students, and their service users to capture elements of their professional practice, and the nature of their working relationships and experiences. This approach enables social workers and their clients to participate as equal partners in a process which can be cathartic as well as being respectful of each other’s position.