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Reaching the unreachable through action research? Thomas Mathiesen and the Nordic socio-legal tradition

Olesen, Annette and Hammerslev, Ole LU orcid (2024) In Justice, Power and Resistance p.1-12
Abstract
Thomas Mathiesen has been a source of inspiration for research in critical sociology, criminology, and the sociology of law for many decades. Mathiesen’s impact extends far beyond the academic realm, as his action research lives on. This intervention discusses the ongoing influence of Mathiesen’s action research approach, which integrates research, education, and societal impact. This is illustrated through an action research project we conducted in Denmark’s largest marginalised living area, where over 1,000 public housing units are being demolished, affecting approximately 2,500 residents. In the project, we experimented with different outreach legal aid approaches, considering our own positionalities, to gain knowledge about how to... (More)
Thomas Mathiesen has been a source of inspiration for research in critical sociology, criminology, and the sociology of law for many decades. Mathiesen’s impact extends far beyond the academic realm, as his action research lives on. This intervention discusses the ongoing influence of Mathiesen’s action research approach, which integrates research, education, and societal impact. This is illustrated through an action research project we conducted in Denmark’s largest marginalised living area, where over 1,000 public housing units are being demolished, affecting approximately 2,500 residents. In the project, we experimented with different outreach legal aid approaches, considering our own positionalities, to gain knowledge about how to establish a legal aid infrastructure that
could reach the unreachable. An ethical dilemma we faced was how we could engage with the
people without inadvertently naming issues, particularly legal problems, of which they might not be aware. If the residents were unaware of these issues or did not consider them important, could we then inadvertently create and juridify new problems for them? Moreover, this intervention discusses how, in alignment with Mathiesen, we combined legal aid with legal clinical education, that is, training law students to become legal aid workers. We conclude that Mathiesen’s approach remains relevant, and by integrating his action research with decolonial thoughts, new insights may emerge to reach the seemingly unreachable. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Justice, Power and Resistance
pages
1 - 12
publisher
Bristol University Press
ISSN
2398-2764
DOI
10.1332/26352338Y2024D000000019
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
53901e4b-6c85-414e-92f1-9ecafe000b50
date added to LUP
2024-08-19 21:39:48
date last changed
2024-08-20 11:48:24
@article{53901e4b-6c85-414e-92f1-9ecafe000b50,
  abstract     = {{Thomas Mathiesen has been a source of inspiration for research in critical sociology, criminology, and the sociology of law for many decades. Mathiesen’s impact extends far beyond the academic realm, as his action research lives on. This intervention discusses the ongoing influence of Mathiesen’s action research approach, which integrates research, education, and societal impact. This is illustrated through an action research project we conducted in Denmark’s largest marginalised living area, where over 1,000 public housing units are being demolished, affecting approximately 2,500 residents. In the project, we experimented with different outreach legal aid approaches, considering our own positionalities, to gain knowledge about how to establish a legal aid infrastructure that<br/>could reach the unreachable. An ethical dilemma we faced was how we could engage with the<br/>people without inadvertently naming issues, particularly legal problems, of which they might not be aware. If the residents were unaware of these issues or did not consider them important, could we then inadvertently create and juridify new problems for them? Moreover, this intervention discusses how, in alignment with Mathiesen, we combined legal aid with legal clinical education, that is, training law students to become legal aid workers. We conclude that Mathiesen’s approach remains relevant, and by integrating his action research with decolonial thoughts, new insights may emerge to reach the seemingly unreachable.}},
  author       = {{Olesen, Annette and Hammerslev, Ole}},
  issn         = {{2398-2764}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--12}},
  publisher    = {{Bristol University Press}},
  series       = {{Justice, Power and Resistance}},
  title        = {{Reaching the unreachable through action research? Thomas Mathiesen and the Nordic socio-legal tradition}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/26352338Y2024D000000019}},
  doi          = {{10.1332/26352338Y2024D000000019}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}