In this Methods Talk episode we talk to Prof Sophie Woodward (University of Manchester), Jolene Sheehan (Joy Ethic) and Dr Benjamin Wild (Manchester Metropolitan University).

Sophie, Jolene and Ben use storytelling and narratives in their work in various ways. In this episode they talk about the power of stories and their experiences using them, both as an academic research method and a means of building and sustaining community.

The three of them came together with methods@manchester to lead a workshop as part of the 2024 Being Human Festival. You can read a blog about their workshop ‘What’s in your wardrobe? Exploring the power of stories and connections’.

Sophie and Jolene have collaborated with NCRM to produce a storytelling toolkit.

You can find out more about Sophie and Ben by visiting their profiles on Manchester Fashion Institute and read more about Jolene’s work with Joy Ethic.

In this episode of Methods Talk we talk with Dr Njabulo Chipangura from Manchester Museum.

Njabulo is the Museum’s Curator of Living Cultures. He is responsible for the care of more than 25,000 objects from different parts of the world and his work includes building active collaborative provenance research with diaspora and descendant communities. Our discussion focused on this collaborative approach to re-imagining meanings and explored why such an approach to decolonisation is important.

This episode was recorded following a collaborative object-handling session with local African diaspora community groups - you can read more about this event on our news page.

You can also read further about decolonisation methodology and Njabulo’s work with Manchester Museum in his article, 'The Benin Tusk and Zulu Beadwork: Practicing Decolonial Work at Manchester Museum Through Shared Authority'.

In this Methods Talk episode we talk to Dr Elizabeth Ackerley and Dr Laura Fenton, both from The University of Manchester and members of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives.

Liz and Laura are researchers on the Austerity and Altered Life-Courses project and discuss a range of creative approaches to oral history methods.

The Austerity and Altered Life-Courses team have been exploring different ways to share the stories of young people experiencing austerity. They have launched a digital exhibition, Future Lives and Austerity, featuring 12 futures stories in English, Italian and Spanish, which can be found along with further information on the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives wesbite. 

To find out more about Liz, Laura and the wider project team please visit the project team and partners page. 

In this episode we talk to Dr Chloe Steadman from Institute of Place Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, about her reflections on researcher vulnerability.

Chloe talks about her experiences as a researcher, particularly in relation to her PhD work focused on bodies and tattoo consumption. The discussion draws on a workshop she did for methods@manchester and her recent journal article in Journal of Marketing Management.

To access the work discussed here please see:

• Steadman, C. (2023). Remembering and anticipating researcher vulnerability: an autoethnographic tale. Journal of Marketing Management, 39(9–10), 807–828. Full article: Remembering and anticipating researcher vulnerability: an autoethnographic tale
• Chloe Steadman’s profile can be found here: Dr Chloe Steadman | Manchester Metropolitan University

In this episode we talk to Professor Kathy Hamilton, University of Strathclyde, about her involvement in the CRIS Collective and work focused on collaborative work adopting an ethics of care approach and incorporating poetry as method.

To access the work discussed here please see: