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 The Researching Emotions SIG has a membership list of 50+ international researchers/practitioners. We have 3 meetings a year, two online and one at ESWRA Conference.

 Our second in-person SIG takes place in Aberdeen April 15th, 2026 at the ESWRA Conference. 

 

Join us to debate key questions, hear from two guest speakers and engage in interactive discussions and activities on our central theme:  
What are the really important questions we need to ask about emotions in social work, and how do we begin to answer them?
 
Our primary aim is to facilitate discussion, participation, critical reflection and collaborative planning.  Emotions are such important phenomena in social work, at systemic, organisational and intra-organisational levels, and in the relationship-based critical practice which underpins the profession. As an often neglected aspect of social work,  we look forward to using this SIG event to advance our thinking and research. In addition to SIG updates and interactive activities, you will hear short presentations from 2 guest speakers:
 
Prof. Karen Winter, Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland, will share her research on the significance of emotions for practitioners, concentrating on two themes, firstly the emotional labour and costs to practitioners engaged in complex practice dynamics, and secondly the types of practice skills required for engaging in meaningful and sensitive direct work with children. Building on shared information about existing research and research interests there will be structured activities to discuss what key research questions might be most important to address in contemporary social work, and what research methods might be best suited to answer these questions.  Veronica Green, PhD student at Uppsala University, Sweden will share a short presentation on her research on Social Workers’ Emotional Expressions in Child Protection Investigations of Honour-Based Violence. 

Whether you're interested in specific emotions, Children and Families' or Adults' social work, emotions in professional practice or organisations, or in exploring the most effective methods to research emotions we welcome you to come along to this event.  Hosted by Dr Louise O'Connor, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Dr Sara Carder, St Thomas University, New Brunswick, we very much look forward to seeing you in Aberdeen.

See detailed SIG aims below, If you are interested in researching emotions  and like the sound of our aims, do join us. Email louise.oconnor@rhul.ac.uk or m.j.gibson.1@bham.ac.uk to join our membership list. We will give you access to an MS Teams channel where you can add your research interest and publications to share with the REMOSIG network. 

     Aims

Our aim in the Researching Emotions Special Interest Group (REMOSIG) is to develop and extend research-based knowledge on the topic of emotions in social work. We aim to create a network of researchers, practitioners/managers and educators involved in researching diverse aspects of emotions and emotion practices in social work and social care. The primary purpose of the network is to strengthen knowledge, explore opportunities for collaborative research and publications with a view to increasing the profile and application of research on the topic of emotions in social work. The role and function of emotions in social work and social care are receiving growing attention from a diverse range of researchers, having been traditionally a more neglected topic within the discipline. This SIG will provide a platform for researchers from different regions, theoretical and methodological perspectives, and diverse standpoints. An important element of this will be to explore opportunities for collaborative activities and develop research which illuminates the experience of key stakeholders such as practitioners and people with lived experience of social work services. 

    Objectives:

·         Initial objectives are to establish a network of committed SIG members and develop a communication strategy and targeted plan of activities.

·         To meet online a minimum of twice yearly.

·         To develop and deliver a structured SIG meeting at the annual ESWRA conference.

·         To explore strands of activities/research within the broad topic of emotions in social work.

·         To contribute to ESWRA via conference-based activities and website communications.

 

          Scope of SIG: e.g. field of interest; research focus; inclusivity strategies; likely development of the SIG.

REMOSIG is about getting Emotions on the social work research agenda!

We want to exchange ideas, knowledge and research which explore diverse aspects of emotions, the roles and functions of emotions in the practice(s) of social work, and in contemporary social work organisational mechanisms and contexts. We aim to be inclusive by developing a network which includes research-active practitioners/managers as well as academics, and by maintaining a focus on research and knowledge exchange which is committed to social justice and addressing inequalities. We aim to develop a broad representative network of SIG members from a range of countries and from diverse identities (gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality and disability).

 

       SIG Convenors

Convener:  Dr Louise O’Connor Royal Holloway University of London

Co-conveners                  

Dr Matthew Gibson                       University of Birmingham

Dr Sara Carder                               St Thomas University, New Brunswick

 

5List of the initial SIG members. (now over 50 members)

     Dr Maria Appel Nissan                Aalborg University

     Dr Mark Gregory                         University of East Anglia

Dr Merete Monrad                      Aalborg University

Dr Mia Engen                              Aalborg University

Prof Kimberly Strom                   University of North Carolina

Dr Alessandro Sicora                  Università di Trento 

Dr Katerina Mikulcová                University of Ostrava

Dr Mark Gregory                        University of East Anglia

Dr Carlene Cornish                     University of East Anglia

Ms Sara Carder                           University of East Anglia

Dr Laura Biggert                         University of East Anglia

Dr Laura Cook                            University of East Anglia

Prof Jo Finch                              University of Suffolk

Dr Kim Detjen                            Independent Social Worker/Tavistock & Portman Clinic

Dr Martin Kettle                         Glasgow Caledonian University

Dr Nicola O’Sullivan                   Tavistock and Portman Institute & Trinity College Dublin

Dr Jenny Lloyd                           Durham University

Dr Rachael Owens                     Durham University