Qualitative Research in Psychology Special Issue: Call for Papers

The ‘spatial turn’ in psychology: Considering qualitative research methods, public engagement and social impact

In recent years, qualitative and critical research in psychology has taken a spatial and visual focus in considering the relation of human beings to environments in areas such as homelessness and mobile research methods (Hodgetts et al. 2010), psychogeography and qualitative methods in psychology (Bridger, 2003), mental health research, affect and participatory mapping (McGrath et al. 2020) and the study of segregation in relation to qualitative methodologies such as discourse analysis, walking interviews and photo-elicitation (Hook and Vrdoljak, 2002; Dixon et al. 2022). Much of this work has taken an interdisciplinary focus based not only in psychology but also drawing affiliation to other areas of study such as human geography, cultural studies, and sociology. The appeal of this work has enabled a multi, inter and transdisciplinary approach to research that has been of interest and value not only to academics but also to the public, the professional sector and more recently to voluntary and governmental organisations.
In this special issue of the Qualitative Research in Psychology journal, we invite papers that consider how a spatial methodological turn in qualitative psychology research contributes to the paradigmatic development of qualitative research and critical psychology. The spatial methodological basis to papers submitted to this special issue could be twinned with a related psychology area, whether that be to qualitative or Feminist psychology or more generally to social sciences research, the humanities and to cultural studies. Contributions could also consider the interface and value of their work beyond academia to local and global communities as well as to how such work may inform governmental and societal policy making and to potentially bettering the social world.
We invite papers that consider the spatial turn as well as examples of qualitative methodological approaches that take seriously a place-based and spatial focus on data collection and analysis. We strongly encourage novel, creative, and innovative ways in which this special issue can be addressed, and the list below indicates potential areas that researchers may wish to address. Note that the list here is not exhaustive and there can be overlap between the areas indicated below:

• Spatial and place-based qualitative research methods (i.e., psychogeography, mobile methods and walking interviews) in relation to subject specific areas of psychology such as social, cultural and community psychologies.
• The use of qualitative data collection methods such as participatory research, creative mapping, photography, and the use of video diaries in relation to affective experience.
• The intersection of qualitative research to the spatial study of culture/s, the media (mass media and social media) and everyday life.
• Considering the contribution and development of the spatial turn to qualitative research in psychology.
• The spatialisation of qualitative and critical psychological research about mental health and social distress.
• The spatial turn in qualitative research in relation to public engagement and social impact. For this area, spatial research could be considered in relation to potential contributions made to communities and groups beyond academia, i.e., voluntary groups, the public, the public sector, social policy making and societal institutions.
• Qualitative research in psychology as political research.
• Spatial qualitative research methods in relation to teaching and learning across the lifespan.

Works cited:

Bridger, A.J. (2023). Psychogeography and Psychology: In and Beyond the Discipline. London: Routledge.
Dixon, J., Brendan, S., Huck, J., Hocking, B., Jarman, N., Bryan, D., Whyatt, D., Davies, G. and Tredoux, C. (2022). Navigating the divided city: Place identity and the time-geography of segregation. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101908
Hodgetts, D., Stolte, O., Chamberlain, K., Radley, A., Groot, S. and Waimarie, Nikora, L. (2010a). The mobile hermit and the city: Considering links between places, objects and identities in social psychological research on homelessness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49 (2) pp. 285–303. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466609X450465
Hook, D. and Vrdoljak, M. (2002). Gated communities, heterotopia and a ‘rights’ of privilege: A heterotopology or the South African security-park. Geoforum, 33 (2) pp. 195-219.
McGrath, L., Mullarkey, S. and Reavey, P. (2020). Building visual worlds: Using maps in qualitative psychological research on affect and emotion. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 17 (1) pp. 75-97.

Timeline

• Deadline for submission of 300-word proposals and 250-word biographies: 31 Nov 2023.
• Deadline for submission of papers: 31 May 2024.
• Initial decisions: 31 Sept 2024.
• Deadline for submission of revised papers: 31 Feb 2025.
• Deadline for final submission of revised papers: 31 July 2025.
• Expected publication: Before the end of the year 2025.

Submission Process and Instructions

Initial, informal discussion of potential proposals is encouraged, and these should be sent to Dr Alex J. Bridger at [log in to unmask] Authors of selected proposals will be invited to submit research papers of approximately 6000-8000 words. Novel and innovative forms of writing, which may include art, photography, poetry and social media, are encouraged. Submitted papers will go through an initial editor screening and then an anonymous double-blind review will be undertaken, which will follow the Qualitative Research in Psychology policy.

Regards,
Alex Bridger
Leeds Beckett University.

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