PDF (PhD Thesis) - UWE Research Repository - University of the ...

more defensiveness in staff. Frequently the process was aggressive as
shown in Jenny‘s story adding to the blame culture.
Snowdrops: Using Vulnerability as Strength; Developing
Emotional Resilience through Embodied Reflexivity
In the last chapter I argued political resilience was an aspect of reflecting-
in-action and suggested this involved gaining political acuity such as timing
and learning how to work with the systems that created slow and stalled
responses to change (The Waiting Game). Here I suggest emotional
resilience is also a necessary part of embodied reflexivity which we called
using our vulnerability as strength. Platzer et al (2000a) suggested one of
the barriers to learning from reflection was that it induced feelings of
vulnerability and exposure preventing nurses ―from openly discussing their
practice in a critical manner‖ (p.1003). We reframed this process seeing
the vulnerability as part of our ability to inquire relationally.
Alice drew the picture above of the snowdrop pushing through a crack in a
pavement in the fourth co-inquiry meeting (12/5/05) because it: “captured
the fragility of life”. So while it may seem delicate it was actually a strong
flower because it:‖ tenaciously pushed its way through the crack in the
235