Topic Kindness and Coping strategies – Marco Ferrara
Session Summary The Forum was presented by Marco Ferrara – Boingboing Research Fellow and Volunteer. Here are a few words from Marco about Boingboing and resilience:
When I read about Boingboing, I thought, “Finally a place that unites academic knowledge and real people!” And it does it in a creative way.
I started volunteering as a Boingboing researcher in January 2020. What I like about Boingboing, is the passion for Knowledge Exchange and Social factors. As an expert Action-Research, I was amazed about Boingboing approach and how it dovetails an inclusive framework with a democratic knowledge.
I became passionate about social and human sciences during my high schools and college years, thanks to very wise and kind people at my college and in my family; these people prompted me to always aim to challenge myself in ambitious and creative projects. I studied BSc in Child and Developmental Psychology, half of it in Turin (Italy) and the other half in Spain; during this time, I started working with children and young people to support my studies firstly as a child carer, then as a qualified practitioner. After my BSc, I decided to study a Health Psychology Master; which was a new and innovative curriculum with many Occupational Psychology modules; 2008 economic crisis also influenced my decision, as work psychology seemed to be more appealing to the current economy. On the other hand, I never stopped working with Children and Young People and in 2009; I started a Foundation Course in Acting Arts and a training in Social Theatre. Acting is my favourite hobby, well. It’s actually a passion! And I love everything about theatre, from Opera to Broadway, to the most indie and weird forms acting can embody. Sometimes, I myself perform as a comedian in little independent venues in Brighton.
In 2011, I started my PhD in Occupational Health Psychology. During my PhD, I could do some international research experiences: Switzerland, Netherlands, U.S. and eventually U.K. I moved to Brighton in 2015, after a series of fortunate events brought me here and here I am.
These experiences taught me about society’s different realities and contexts and gave me a range of eclectic skills. The “fil rouge” that connect the said experiences is made of the passion for everything that is human, different cultures and creativity. It is also underpinned by the passion for science and the story of thought.
The concept of Resilience is an innovative way of putting things together: practice and theory, creativity and science, qualitative and quantitative, ideas and missions. The Resilience Framework draws on great findings of the history of Thought, while at the same time co-creating a community practice-based knowledge. This is also a very enriching experience for me, I enjoy what I do and all the novelties Boingboing brings to people’s lives. The team is eclectic, well-prepared and friendly.
Who might be most interested Academics, practitioners, researchers, students, carers, community workers, service users, people with lived experience of mental health problems.
Key Readings
Reference: Hart, A., Gagnon, E., Eryigit-Madzwamuse, S., Cameron, J., Aranda, K., Rathbone, A., & Heaver, B. (2016). Uniting resilience research and practice with a health inequalities approach. SAGE Open, 6(4), 1-15. doi: 10.1177/2158244016682477.
This session took place online on Wednesday 8 April 2020.
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