Controversy analysis: contributions to the radical agenda

This chapter considers social work research methodologies and deals with the concept of ‘controversy’ in order to cultivate a critical understanding of the contemporary global landscape we are implicated within. It aims to embrace the persistence of ‘controversies’. The contemporary research method ‘controversy analysis’ is conducted as a teaching, research and public engagement strategy at Mapping Controversies on Science for Politics. The chapter examines an initial understanding of controversy analysis towards a deeper understanding of ‘conflict’ as a principal feature within any controversy. The Science and Technology Studies literature is clear; conflict remains an integral element of controversy due to the ‘hot’ locations it is situated within. The chapter explores how controversy analysis at Asylum Seeker Housing as a critical methodology enabled Pandora’s Box to open in relation to social work practice and policy as hidden issues emerged and new forms of service user engagement developed.