Face to Face with Emotions in Health and Social Care, 2012

This book draws from the everyday experiences as well as the harsh realities confronting behavioral care providers on the frontline.  The book recounts the stories and sometimes disturbing emotions of people whose lives have undergone sudden change or even drastic trauma;  people whose feelings of comfort and safety have been shattered by exposure to illness, abuse, death and bereavement.  The perspectives and experiences of nurses, social care staff, patients, children and families are at the core of understanding the importance, challenges and therapeutic vitality of emotions.  The 55 individuals on the frontline who took part in the interviews on which this study is based discuss the emotions associated with care in mental health, pediatric oncology, AIDS/HIV, as well as child protection and abuse, racism, refugee exile, poverty, and social exclusion.  Their bravery, openness, and ability to communicate and share their emotions make this book possible.  ?

​ Introduction to labour in health and social care. – Introduction to literature and key concepts. – Health and social care policy and practice. – The local areas and services. – Sample, methods, and methodology. – Emotions and nursing. – Learning to care in student nursing. – The clinical contexts of emotional labour. – Emotions in frontline social care. – Emotions, ethnicity,and the case of child protection. – Managing emotions in education and supervision. – Conclusion: Emotional labor and cultural capital. -References.- Appendix.​

Dr Benjamin Gray has conducted extensive research in health, social care and education, with a particular focus on social exclusion, stigma and inequalities in mental health. Ben has also been involved in research with children, mothers and their families in Tower Hamlets, East London, which has a high population of Bangladeshis, Somalis and refugees and which is recognised as one of the most deprived areas in the United Kingdom. He has conducted research on emotions in organisations, particularly in nursing and social work; work for the RCN (Royal College of Nursing); stakeholder views on multiple sclerosis; carers for people with mental health problems, especially young carers; and most recently worked as a Senior Research Fellow at Canterbury Christ Church University on a national project that studied the values of students in Higher Education, including student volunteering in health and social care, which led to a guest editorship of the Journal of Academic Ethics. He has written many papers on these subjects and presented research findings at high profile conferences.