Lisbeth Berbary, PhD

Associate Professor, 
Applied Health Sciences,
University of Waterloo

2111 BC Matthews Hall
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave West
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1

519-888-4567, ext. 35404
Lberbary@uwaterloo.ca 

Website:
https://uwaterloo.ca/recreation-and-leisure-studies/people-profiles/lisbeth-berbary

Biosketch

Lisbeth’s object of inquiry is qualitative inquiry itself—its design, uses, manifestations, creative innovations, onto-epistemological and theoretical underpinnings, critiques, methods, and limitations. Through the use of innovative humanist and posthumanist qualitative methodologies and multiple critical and deconstructive social theories, her inquiries bring together the theoretical and methodological to interrogate how violent regimes of power function to marginalize people with particular intersectional identities around gender, sexuality, race, class, ability, and status. The intent of this line of inquiry is to increase the ability for qualitative methodologies to create actionable positive change in the embodied experiences, social health, and material conditions of individuals silenced, erased, excluded, or neglected within our communities.

She is most widely recognized for her work on scaffolding for improvisational humanist qualitative inquiry, and her use and further development of creative analytic practices (CAP) for social justice including the use of screenplay, slam poetry, narrative, visual poetry, and comic. Her qualitative scholarship is also recognized for pushing the boundaries of traditional humanist research to expand theorypractices—intra-active research engagements that simultaneously incorporate methodological design with social theories to create community transformation—to include post* theories of poststructuralism, postcolonialism, queer, and posthumanism.

Lisbeth earned a certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia. In 2013, she established the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Inquiry at the University of Memphis and has been teaching qualitative inquiry and social theory for the past ten years in both the US and Canada. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for Qualitative Inquiry.

Research Interests

• Ethnography, narrative inquiry, arts-based methodologies
• Social theories (critical, deconstructive, posthuman)
• Creative analytic practices (screenplay, poetry, graphic novel, comic)
• Critiquing inquiry as invasion/doing research differently
• Inclusivity/Equity/Activism

Qualitative Teaching

REC 673: Foundations of Qualitative Inquiry
REC 700: Onto-epistemological Foundations of Knowledge

“Dr. Lisbeth Berbary is the best graduate-level instructor I’ve ever seen…we would all do well to follow her lead.”- Peer Evaluation 2016

“If there were more teachers like you, we wouldn’t have a problem with academic suicide. You are one of the kindest and most considerate people I’ve met.”- Student Evaluation 2017

Sample Publications

Berbary, L.A. & Boles, J.C.* (2014). Eight reflection points: Re-visiting Scaffolding For Improvisational Humanist Qualitative Inquiry, Leisure Sciences, 36(5), 401-419.
Berbary, L.A. (2015). Creative Analytic Practices: Onto-epistemological and theoretical attachments, uses, and constructions within Humanist Qualitative Leisure Research, International Leisure Review, 2(4), 27-55.
Berbary, L.A. (2011). Post-structural writerly representation: Screenplay as creative analytic practice, Qualitative Inquiry, 17(2), 186-196.
Berbary, L.A. (2017). Thinking through Poststructuralism: A detour around “proper” Humanist knowledges. In Spracklen, K., Lashua, B., Sharpe, E., and Swain S. (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory (pp.719-741. London, UK; Palgrave MacMillian.
Berbary, L.A. & Guzman, C. (Artist), (2017). We exist: Combating erasure through creative analytic comix about Bisexuality. Qualitative Inquiry, 1-21. doi.org/10.1177/1077800417735628
Berbary, L.A., Valtchanov, B.*, Torabian, P.*, Gao, M.*, Miller, M.*, & Briscoe, C.*, (2017). Onto-epistemological journeys through praxis and beyond: Comfort, crises, shifts, and re-groupings. Leisure Sciences, DOI:10.1080/01490400.2017.1377125
Berbary, L.A. (2013). “Too good at fitting in”: Methodological consequences and ethical adjustments, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2-21.
Kumm, B. & Berbary, L.A., (2018) Questions for Post-Qualitative Inquiry: Conversations-to-Come, Leisure Sciences: 40th anniversary issue, 40:1-2, 71-84.