| Dr. Sharon Warren Cook, interim chairperson for the Social Work/Sociology
Department has published a book titled, “Qualitative Research As An
Empowerment Tool.” The book examines the challenges of being a
non-traditional college freshman and chronicles the experiences of a
diverse group of college students through case studies.
Cook wrote the book for students of all majors and believes individuals who
aren’t enrolled at a college or university can also relate to the story
line.
“The student’s lives documented in the book speak to the human aspects of insecurity, self-doubt, and fear of failure. The experiences resonate with all of us,” she said.
Cook was inspired to write the book while conducting research for her dissertation. She realized her research could be used as an empowerment tool and as a strategy for student success. She plans to use the book in a research course for social work majors during the fall 2014 semester.
“The methodology used in this qualitative research study is relevant to our majors in sociology and social work as one of the most common tools of scientific inquiry,” Cook said.
Dr. Cook wants “students to embrace the notion of research as it is defined for their discipline,” she said.
“Many times undergraduate students resist the notion of research unless they are in the STEM disciplines. Social and behavioral sciences, humanities, liberal arts and performing arts students do not always make the connections to the relevance of research and how useful and essential it is for their crafts,” Cook said. |
