debd


Deborah Davidson

Photo of Deborah Davidson

Department of Sociology

Professor Emerita

Email: debd@yorku.ca
Primary website: https://profiles.laps.yorku.ca/profiles/debd/

Media Requests Welcome

My current project is The Tattoo Project. Please see: thetattooproject.info

Degrees

PhD, York University

Appointments

Faculty of Graduate Studies

Professional Leadership

Undergraduate Program Director, 2016-2019; 2021-2022

Community Contributions

The Tattoo Project thetattooproject.info

Research Interests

Sociology , Disability/Accessibility, Tattoos, Qualitative Methodology, Lifecourse, Motherhood, Death, Bereavement, Commemoration, lifecourse, perinatal loss, bereavement, commemoration, qualitative research

Current Research Projects

The Tattoo Project: Creating a Digital Archive for Commemorative Tattoos

    Summary:

    The Tattoo Project is one of originality and social innovation. No such project or archive exists. Tattoo research offers critical insight into highly significant aspects of culture, discourses within it, and social relations. While the cultural significance of tattoos is well established. While there is a significant body of literature about tattoos as body modification, there is no significant body of literature on tattoos as commemoration. Our project is a form of public scholarship in public mediated digital space.

    Description:

    Directed at both the co-production and mobilization of knowledge, the purpose of the digital archive is fourfold: (1) to create a repository for commemorative tattoos, a forum which will enable the public to share their commemorative tattoos and contextualizing narratives, empowering users to make the project a social tool of their own; (2) to develop this repository as a cultural heritage site, which will preserve and circulate this unique artistic form of expressing and memorializing contemporary lived experience; (3) to provide scholars with a digital database for analysis; and (4) to develop ongoing relationships among academics, professionals (e.g., artists, counsellors and social workers, and celebrants) and the public (with and without tattoos).

    See more
Books

Publication
Year

Davidson, Deborah. (Ed.) . The Tattoo Project: Commemorative Tattoos, Visual Culture, and the Digital Archive. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming December 2016)

2016

Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Langan, Debra and Deborah Davidson. 2011 & 2005. Rethinking Intimate Questions: Intimacy as Discourse, in Nancy Mandell and Ann Duffy (eds.) Canadian Families: Diversity, Conflict and Change. Toronto: Nelson and Thompson. Pp. 117-143.

Davidson, Deborah and Angelina Duhig. 2016. Visual Research Methods: Memorial Tattoos as Memory-Realization. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Letherby, Gayle, and Deborah Davidson. 2016. Creative Methodologies. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Letherby, Gayle, and Deborah Davidson. 2016. Tattooing as Auto/Biographical Method and Practice. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Davidson, Deborah. 2105. Midwives and Loss, in Ruth Deery, Elaine Denny and Gayle Letherby (eds.) Sociology for Midwives. Cambridge: Polity Press.

2015

Langan, Debra, Ron Sheese, and Deborah Davidson. 2009. Beginning with Values: Constructive Teaching and Learning In Action, in Jack Mezirow and Ed Taylor and Associates. Transformative Learning in Practice: Insights from Community, Workplace, and Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pp. 46-56.

2009

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Davidson, Deborah and Gayle Letherby. 2015. Editorial Introduction Special Edition: Loss, Bereavement, and Creativity. Illness, Crisis & Loss 23(4): 289–290.

2015

Brown, Geraldine, Deborah Davidson, Jonathan Harvey and Gayle Letherby. 2015. HE(R)tales: Reflections on Some Auto/biographical Inter/multi-connections in Academia. Auto/Biography Yearbook. British Sociological Association. Auto/Biography Study Group.

2015

Letherby, Gayle and Deborah Davidson. 2015. Embodied Storytelling: Loss and Bereavement, Creative Practices, and Support. Illness, Crisis & Loss 23(4): 343-360.

2015

Davidson, Deborah and Gayle Letherby. 2014. Griefwork Online: Perinatal Loss, Lifecourse Disruption and Online Support. Human Fertility 3: 214-217.

2014

Davidson, Deborah. 2011. Reflections on Doing Research Grounded in My Experience of Perinatal Loss: From Auto/biography to Autoethnography. Sociological Research Online, (1) http://www.socresonline.org.uk/16/1/6.html.

2011

Davidson, Deborah and Helena Stahls. 2010. Maternal Grief: Creating an Environment for Dialogue. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement 1(2): 16-25.

2010

Davidson, Deborah. 2008. A Technology of Care: Caregiver Response to Perinatal Loss. Women’s Studies International Forum, Special Edition, Women and Technologies of Reproduction 31(4): 278-284.

2008

Research Reports

Publication
Year

Khanlou, Nazilla, Nasim Haque, Deborah Davidson and Mahdieh Dastjerdi. 2016. Voices of Immigrant Mothers of Children with Disabilities: Availability and use of Social Support. Report prepared for the Office of Echo Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research. Report prepared for the Office of Echo Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research.

2016

Other

Publication
Year

This is a list of selected publications only.


Approach to Teaching


student-focussed; approachable; teachinglearning



My current project is The Tattoo Project. Please see: thetattooproject.info

Degrees

PhD, York University

Appointments

Faculty of Graduate Studies

Professional Leadership

Undergraduate Program Director, 2016-2019; 2021-2022

Community Contributions

The Tattoo Project thetattooproject.info

Research Interests

Sociology , Disability/Accessibility, Tattoos, Qualitative Methodology, Lifecourse, Motherhood, Death, Bereavement, Commemoration, lifecourse, perinatal loss, bereavement, commemoration, qualitative research

Current Research Projects

The Tattoo Project: Creating a Digital Archive for Commemorative Tattoos

    Summary:

    The Tattoo Project is one of originality and social innovation. No such project or archive exists. Tattoo research offers critical insight into highly significant aspects of culture, discourses within it, and social relations. While the cultural significance of tattoos is well established. While there is a significant body of literature about tattoos as body modification, there is no significant body of literature on tattoos as commemoration. Our project is a form of public scholarship in public mediated digital space.

    Description:

    Directed at both the co-production and mobilization of knowledge, the purpose of the digital archive is fourfold: (1) to create a repository for commemorative tattoos, a forum which will enable the public to share their commemorative tattoos and contextualizing narratives, empowering users to make the project a social tool of their own; (2) to develop this repository as a cultural heritage site, which will preserve and circulate this unique artistic form of expressing and memorializing contemporary lived experience; (3) to provide scholars with a digital database for analysis; and (4) to develop ongoing relationships among academics, professionals (e.g., artists, counsellors and social workers, and celebrants) and the public (with and without tattoos).

All Publications


Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Langan, Debra and Deborah Davidson. 2011 & 2005. Rethinking Intimate Questions: Intimacy as Discourse, in Nancy Mandell and Ann Duffy (eds.) Canadian Families: Diversity, Conflict and Change. Toronto: Nelson and Thompson. Pp. 117-143.

Davidson, Deborah and Angelina Duhig. 2016. Visual Research Methods: Memorial Tattoos as Memory-Realization. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Letherby, Gayle, and Deborah Davidson. 2016. Creative Methodologies. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Letherby, Gayle, and Deborah Davidson. 2016. Tattooing as Auto/Biographical Method and Practice. In Davidson, ed. The Tattoo Project. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming)

2016

Davidson, Deborah. 2105. Midwives and Loss, in Ruth Deery, Elaine Denny and Gayle Letherby (eds.) Sociology for Midwives. Cambridge: Polity Press.

2015

Langan, Debra, Ron Sheese, and Deborah Davidson. 2009. Beginning with Values: Constructive Teaching and Learning In Action, in Jack Mezirow and Ed Taylor and Associates. Transformative Learning in Practice: Insights from Community, Workplace, and Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pp. 46-56.

2009

Books

Publication
Year

Davidson, Deborah. (Ed.) . The Tattoo Project: Commemorative Tattoos, Visual Culture, and the Digital Archive. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. (forthcoming December 2016)

2016

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Davidson, Deborah and Gayle Letherby. 2015. Editorial Introduction Special Edition: Loss, Bereavement, and Creativity. Illness, Crisis & Loss 23(4): 289–290.

2015

Brown, Geraldine, Deborah Davidson, Jonathan Harvey and Gayle Letherby. 2015. HE(R)tales: Reflections on Some Auto/biographical Inter/multi-connections in Academia. Auto/Biography Yearbook. British Sociological Association. Auto/Biography Study Group.

2015

Letherby, Gayle and Deborah Davidson. 2015. Embodied Storytelling: Loss and Bereavement, Creative Practices, and Support. Illness, Crisis & Loss 23(4): 343-360.

2015

Davidson, Deborah and Gayle Letherby. 2014. Griefwork Online: Perinatal Loss, Lifecourse Disruption and Online Support. Human Fertility 3: 214-217.

2014

Davidson, Deborah. 2011. Reflections on Doing Research Grounded in My Experience of Perinatal Loss: From Auto/biography to Autoethnography. Sociological Research Online, (1) http://www.socresonline.org.uk/16/1/6.html.

2011

Davidson, Deborah and Helena Stahls. 2010. Maternal Grief: Creating an Environment for Dialogue. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement 1(2): 16-25.

2010

Davidson, Deborah. 2008. A Technology of Care: Caregiver Response to Perinatal Loss. Women’s Studies International Forum, Special Edition, Women and Technologies of Reproduction 31(4): 278-284.

2008

Research Reports

Publication
Year

Khanlou, Nazilla, Nasim Haque, Deborah Davidson and Mahdieh Dastjerdi. 2016. Voices of Immigrant Mothers of Children with Disabilities: Availability and use of Social Support. Report prepared for the Office of Echo Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research. Report prepared for the Office of Echo Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research.

2016

Other

Publication
Year

This is a list of selected publications only.


Approach to Teaching


student-focussed; approachable; teachinglearning