A1 Journal article (refereed)
Expertise-by-Experience in Child and Family Services : Professionals’ Perspectives on Experiential Knowledge (2022)
Kiili, J., & Itäpuisto, M. (2022). Expertise-by-Experience in Child and Family Services : Professionals’ Perspectives on Experiential Knowledge. Nordic journal of social research, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.18261/njsr.13.2.3
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Kiili, Johanna; Itäpuisto, Maritta
Journal or series: Nordic journal of social research
eISSN: 1892-2783
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 27/09/2022
Volume: 13
Issue number: 2
Publisher: Scandinavian University Press / Universitetsforlaget AS
Publication country: Norway
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18261/njsr.13.2.3
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83436
Abstract
This study analyses child and family service professionals’ perceptions of expertise-by-experience. Group and individual interviews with professionals were analysed. The analysis yielded three main dimensions of experiential knowledge: supportive peer knowledge; contested knowledge, in which education and talking among peers in small groups helps experts-by-experience to locate the limits of their knowledge before publicly disclosing their inner thoughts; and emotional knowledge, which is based on shared experiences of emotional challenges and vulnerability. The results support the call for a critical appraisal of experiential knowledge. The increasing demand for experiential knowledge means that clarity on what kind of experiential knowledge is required and who can best represent it is necessary. In the child and family services contexts, the question of what constitutes experiential knowledge remains crucial. The results also indicate that collective analysis could help professionals tackle the challenges and demand for intersectional and heterogeneous knowledge.
Keywords: expertise; experiential knowledge; experiences (knowledge); social workers; family work; social work; professionals; peer support; evaluation
Free keywords: expertise-by-experience; experiential knowledge; child and family service professionals
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1