Sally Mercer

Working Title of PhD: Families experience of the death of a relative in Scottish Prison.

Year commenced PhD study: 2018

Institution/Organisation: University of Strathclyde

Full or part-time: Full time

PhD Supervisors: Dr Beth Weaver, Dr Sally Paul and Dr Emma Carduff (MacMillan)

Synopsis of PhD

My research focuses on families who have experienced the death of a relative in Scottish Prison, alongside consideration of organisations involved with families and those undertaking research around experiences of death and dying in prison, in an attempt build a multi-faceted view of the experience. I have chosen a Constructivist methodology as my emphasis is on trying to work alongside families and other research participants, encouraging ongoing feedback loops throughout the research endeavour, as well as offering the opportunity for a coming together as a group to agree points of similarity, discuss where experiences differ and to consider how/with whom participants want the research to be shared, outside of the traditional academic routes.

Reflective practice has always been fundamental to me in my role as a Palliative Care Social Worker, and explicit within the Constructivist methodology is the need for ongoing reflection in regard to both methodological decision-making as well as my own responses to the research topic and participants throughout the study.

My research questions include:
– How do families variously experience the death of a relative in prison, (including the post-death process in Scotland), and what factors shape and influence these experiences (including considerations of relationship, quality of relationship, age, gender, class, race, nature of death).
– What impact these experience have on the relationship between individuals and the state.
– How organisations, and researchers, understand and respond to families who have experienced the death of a relative in prison.