Department
Social Science
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
In this research, I use a combination of feminist methodology and descriptive realism to explore my experiences and the experiences of other totally blind individuals who have ended working relationships with guide dogs. Little research has been done on the approximately eight thousand blind people who are partnered with guide dogs in the United States (Eames & Eames, 2004). A primary goal of this qualitative study is to give voice to the unique narratives of people whose experiences are rarely explored in academic literature (Contreras, 2003; Schneider, 2005). I blend information I gathered during interviews with five blind authors and ten blind participants with my autoethnography to illustrate how concepts can be applied to broader social issues, such as policies at agencies that provide guide dogs to blind individuals (Denzin, 2001; Ellis, 2002).
Abstract Format
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Recommended Citation
Allen, Deborah M.
(2006)
"Letting Go of the Harness for the Last Time: A Descriptive Realism Approach to Exploring the Ending of Working Relationships with Guide Dogs,"
McNair Scholars Research Journal: Vol. 2:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/mcnair_journal/vol2/iss1/5
Included in
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Robin Allen & Dr. Virginia Husting