Researcher in Residence
On the 11th of February, we were very pleased to welcome our new Researcher in Residence, Dr Joseph Long. As well as engaging with the autism research community externally, Joe will be playing a key role in our knowledge management activities facilitating the sharing of knowledge and ideas across our organisation and collating this information to help inform our work. He will also be establishing research projects of his own and encouraging staff, parents and service users to share their personal experiences of autism.
Joe brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this new position. He has a PhD in Social Anthropology from Aberdeen University and prior to this he also worked for several years in social care for adults with learning disabilities and autism, providing direct support and in junior management roles.
Joes explains more:
"Immediate assoications with a social anthropologist might conjure up images of rainforest dwellers in the Amazon or herding communities in Africa, however today you are as likely to find a social anthropologist working in Britain as in a far-off land. What distinguishes a social anthropological approach is that observations are based on face-to-face interactions with people, engagement with a community as a whole, and listening carefully to the meanings and explanations that people give for why they do what they do."
Joe welcomes the opportunity this role brings to combine his social research skills with his experience of working in the autism field. Speaking about his new position Joe continues:
“I am looking forward to helping Scottish Autism service users, their families and staff to share their experiences in order to contribute to wider knowledge and policy decisions about autism and autism services. I hope that we can continue to make research and knowledge-sharing a collaborative process that everyone feels part of, and build on some of the excellent work already done within the organisation in this vein."
Researcher in Residence, Joe Long
Joe can be contacted at joseph.long@scottishautism.org
