Sociology Dissertation Followup (III)

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to follow up with everyone who gave me those great ideas for a

sociology dissertation. I started looking into court cases, but after talking to

my committee, it doesn't sound like that would be a big enough project for a

dissertation. So I've been thinking about what all of you said you'd like to see

in a potential research project, and thinking about the kinds of ways to expand

beyond that set of data. A lot of information just isn't contained in court

documents, so I was brainstorming how else to get at issues of raising

awareness, and having our voices heard and educating people, because those

themes seemed to come up the most.

So I had kind of an idea, and let me know what you think, because I want any

research I do to be useful for us as a group. (I don't want to write some dull

book that isn't helpful to anyone).

There could be two major parts: First, I'd talk to a bunch of clinicians and

professionals in mental health and get their take on how they identify BPD

(because it seems like a lot of people are missed within the system) and then

what they do about it (do they intervene in families, etc).

And then secondly, I could contrast that with stories or interviews

(anonymously) of the effects people here have had in their lives of having a BPD

parent, and what kind of experiences they've had in dealing with mental health

services that did or didn't help them with their parent.

Maybe by presenting both sides, we could show what a big gulf there is in

understanding the needs of families? Maybe our stories could help them realize

that their choices as treatment providers (who do or do not call social services

etc.) are affecting people in real ways, and show this from a more

family-oriented perspective. I know we talk about these things a lot, but I

don't think that means other people are as aware.

What do you think? I'm open to your ideas and suggestions!

Sandy

[Guest guest]

Thank you for keeping us " in the loop " about this process, I'm finding it

fascinating. I think your idea sounds terrific, and has the potential of

demonstrating a real and unmet need to the psychiatric community: that bpd is

not the issue of an isolated individual, that it is a family-impacting issue.

The psychiatric community understands that when a parent is an alcoholic or drug

abuser it negatively impacts the whole family system, particularly the children.

There are procedures, methodologies and systems in place to evaluate substance

abusers and evaluate whether their children are in danger and need to be removed

from the home, or whether the family has the potential to remain intact with

supervision, treatment and monitoring for the dysfunctional parents.

If your dissertation can show that the borderline pd dysfunctional family

dynamic is really similar to the dysfunctional family dynamic present in

substance abusers and that *the children are at equally high risk for neglect,

abuse, exploitation, and trauma* in such families, that would be SUCH a big

breakthrough in comprehension.

Wouldn't that be fantastically wonderful for your dissertation to generate

increased awareness of bpd as a family-impacting issue!

You go, girl!

-Annie

>

> I just wanted to follow up with everyone who gave me those great ideas for a

sociology dissertation. I started looking into court cases, but after talking to

my committee, it doesn't sound like that would be a big enough project for a

dissertation. So I've been thinking about what all of you said you'd like to see

in a potential research project, and thinking about the kinds of ways to expand

beyond that set of data. A lot of information just isn't contained in court

documents, so I was brainstorming how else to get at issues of raising

awareness, and having our voices heard and educating people, because those

themes seemed to come up the most.

>

> So I had kind of an idea, and let me know what you think, because I want any

research I do to be useful for us as a group. (I don't want to write some dull

book that isn't helpful to anyone).

>

> There could be two major parts: First, I'd talk to a bunch of clinicians and

professionals in mental health and get their take on how they identify BPD

(because it seems like a lot of people are missed within the system) and then

what they do about it (do they intervene in families, etc).

>

> And then secondly, I could contrast that with stories or interviews

(anonymously) of the effects people here have had in their lives of having a BPD

parent, and what kind of experiences they've had in dealing with mental health

services that did or didn't help them with their parent.

>

> Maybe by presenting both sides, we could show what a big gulf there is in

understanding the needs of families? Maybe our stories could help them realize

that their choices as treatment providers (who do or do not call social services

etc.) are affecting people in real ways, and show this from a more

family-oriented perspective. I know we talk about these things a lot, but I

don't think that means other people are as aware.

>

> What do you think? I'm open to your ideas and suggestions!

>

> Sandy

>

[Guest guest]

How's this? Construct a Likert scale Delpi Study using SurveyMonkey based on

the criteria of a BPD diagnosis. Find the behavioural commonalities in round

one. Find the outcomes of the KO in round two. Find the outcomes of the BPD in

round three. Project outcomes 5-10 years out in round four.

You'd have yourself a nice rubric of intervention for an Action Research

Dissertation usable in clinical settings.

Lynnette (Dr. ABD til July)

>

> I just wanted to follow up with everyone who gave me those great ideas for a

sociology dissertation. I started looking into court cases, but after talking to

my committee, it doesn't sound like that would be a big enough project for a

dissertation. So I've been thinking about what all of you said you'd like to see

in a potential research project, and thinking about the kinds of ways to expand

beyond that set of data. A lot of information just isn't contained in court

documents, so I was brainstorming how else to get at issues of raising

awareness, and having our voices heard and educating people, because those

themes seemed to come up the most.

>

> So I had kind of an idea, and let me know what you think, because I want any

research I do to be useful for us as a group. (I don't want to write some dull

book that isn't helpful to anyone).

>

> There could be two major parts: First, I'd talk to a bunch of clinicians and

professionals in mental health and get their take on how they identify BPD

(because it seems like a lot of people are missed within the system) and then

what they do about it (do they intervene in families, etc).

>

> And then secondly, I could contrast that with stories or interviews

(anonymously) of the effects people here have had in their lives of having a BPD

parent, and what kind of experiences they've had in dealing with mental health

services that did or didn't help them with their parent.

>

> Maybe by presenting both sides, we could show what a big gulf there is in

understanding the needs of families? Maybe our stories could help them realize

that their choices as treatment providers (who do or do not call social services

etc.) are affecting people in real ways, and show this from a more

family-oriented perspective. I know we talk about these things a lot, but I

don't think that means other people are as aware.

>

> What do you think? I'm open to your ideas and suggestions!

>

> Sandy

>

[Guest guest]

-Lynnette

I was never able to open the link you sent on the Delphi method, but I'd like to

learn more about it. Do you have another source you can send me?

I bet you're busy working until July! What will your PhD be in?

Sandy

[Guest guest]

Once upon a time, a sociology student going through a marital breakup became

interested in the overall process of how people break up, and ended up doing a

study something like what you are proposing here.

The result was a book, " Uncoupling " , which made it to the self-help shelves and

stayed there for many years past the book's original publication date. (I don't

know, if I go to & Noble today, I may yet find it there.)

So far, two book ideas for something like what you are discussing have been

started on this board, and so far both of them bit the dust. Having a book like

this about KO issues has been a dream for some here, but for various reasons

such a book is highly unlikely to ever happen without some literary " star "

organizing it and willing to see it through the inevitable bumps in the road.

But since you are an academic officially involved in a field of study, you could

possibly do what we here cannot. The fact remains that such a book is needed

and could do a lot of good.

I think it's a terrific idea. Depending on how it's written, it could follow

" Uncoupling " to the psychology and self-help shelves.

Please do it!

--.

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

Here's the wiki page for it... you should be able to get a general feel and go

from there. The link I sent was the pdf for it... it's a moster of a file size

but, again, there are paper books, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi_method

My Doctorate is an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Change with a

specialization in Media Psychology.

I'm finishing the writing of Chapter 5 this weekend. Everything else is done.

As soon as that is in my Committee's hands - we schedule my FOR then it's a

matter of editing til it's good enough to go to the Universities Editor and get

bound.... all of that will be over the summer.

Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew.

Email me through here if you need/want additional sources...

You CAN do this!

Lynnette

>

>

> -Lynnette

>

> I was never able to open the link you sent on the Delphi method, but I'd like

to learn more about it. Do you have another source you can send me?

>

> I bet you're busy working until July! What will your PhD be in?

>

> Sandy

>