The birth of 'The Public Laundry'
In 2022 I developed a workshop that supported academic staff to explore research problems from a different perspective. Entitled, 'Creative Methods for Research Thinking and Writing', the workshop introduced collage and visual elicitation as methods for thinking differently about research.
I quickly became aware that research problems were also 'problems with research', as academics talked about career anxiety, imposter syndrome, and experiences of discrimination, bullying and harassment. Participants talked in rich and engaging terms about the close connection between life experiences and research choices, something that Jane Miller has called 'The autobiography of the [research] question’ (Miller, 1995).
The title of the blog draws inspiration
from the well-known saying that cautions against 'airing dirty linen
in public' and discussing private matters openly. After all, 'doing the laundry' is
a domesticated task. It is done privately, in the feminine space of the
home, in silence and without complaint. 'Doing the laundry' enables us to
present ourselves in the public space as fully-functioning, reliable,
professional 'clean-clothed' adults. To present ourselves otherwise invites
accusations of deficiency.
Research practice is intertwined , to invoke C.W. Mills,
with a myriad of private troubles and public
issues, compounded by research cultures that contribute to a leaky
pipeline of research talent in the UK. For example, female
researchers leaving the sector before they reach senior roles, alarmingly high
levels of bullying and harassment, and the
profound under-representation of black researchers in many disciplines.
These headlines represent the 'dirty linen' in UK higher education, being
largely hidden from sight but having a profound impact on researcher
identities, career paths, and the outcomes of research endeavours.
Definitions of 'research culture' are necessarily broad. It is the role of policy makers to render complex ideas in simple terms to agree consensus amongst a community that a problem exists. However, to make real changes that impact on individuals, we need to return to the nuts and bolts of everyday practices to better understand what needs to change, and most importantly - who has the power to change it.
Through this research project, I want to foster understanding and empathy for the human side of research, recognising that behind every academic pursuit, there's a person with a unique set of challenges and triumphs. I also want to encourage discussion about the responsibility of universities to those they employ. Recognising that institutional environments matter to research excellence, and engaging with that in genuine ways, means we first have to air the linen in public, and embrace the discomfort associated with that if we are to engage in real change.
Miller, J. (1995). Trick or Treat? The Autobiography of the Question, English Quarterly, 27 (3), 22–26.
