If life is what happens to our plans, then dance is what happens to our steps.
ideas sometimes when you wait they come to you.

Preparation for starting with BAPP

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Noticing the situated YOU!

This week I have been reading a book about Qualitative research in physical situations, like research in dance (Markula and Silk 2011). I am only at the beginning of the book but there is an interesting organisation for understanding how qualitative research differs from quantitative.
Markula and Silk talk about the

1) Situated researcher – that is your are in the situation of the research. In many cases students on BAPP are researching their own practice even.

2) Multiple practices – you might use a combination of what we at BAPP have called ‘research tools’ (interviews with observations for instance). Here is a great quote

“qualitative researchers turn the world into a series of representations”.
( Markula and Silk 2011p. 5)

This quote is also referring to theory by Denzin and Lincoln. What do you think about ‘representations’?

What we are saying is that in qualitative research we cannot possibly hope to capture the whole situation. If you believe in the importance of the body and sensation you cannot describe to others the whole picture they would need to be there. And then they might have a different experience than you anyway. So everything is in some way an interpretation filtered through you. This is why Module One is so important it allows you to start looking at your filters!! And in Module Two the ethics section allows you to start questioning why you have the filters you have and if you have some you were not even aware of.

3) Interpretation of meaning – being aware that as we interview and observe etc.. we are interpreting meaning. Just telling us what happened is still an interpretation.(because see above). So we must acknowledge that there is an interpretation by looking for a range of interpretations and questioning why we thought what we thought and asking what someone else would think. Who is that someone else one of the authors of one of the books from your literature review for instance. Then you can look at the situation of the data collection through the lens of what that author said and see if it brings a different interpretation than your one.

So what do you think? Do you see these in the work you are doing. They are interesting things to look at whatever module you are doing because they are about organising your thinking for communication of ideas (analysis). This is asked of you at every stage of the course: to see where YOU are in the work (the situated researcher/ the situated you). To be aware of a range of methods you are engaging in (like the tools of blogging, reflective journaling, talking to friends, reading, observing) and to start to look at how you are finding meaning (what makes you think what you think).

What do you think of this post!!!? Please comment

Adesola


Markula, Pirkko, and Michael Silk. 2011. Qualitative research for physical culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.


Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Next week is.....Second Tuesday Coffee shop SKYPE (November 12th)

OK now its getting colder... the perfect time to be that fabulous romanic image of the student: wear a long scarf, wrap your hands around a hot cup of chocolate and sit in the corner of a coffee shop SKYPEing and feeling super clever!! Its time for Novembers Second tuesday Coffee shop SKYPE meetings.

November 12th 
One is at 11am (Lunch-ish)
The evening one is at 8:45pm (changed from 8:15 as it was)

If you have not joined in before it s really easy - it is just away to chat about the modules with each other and advisors in real time, (instead of asynchronous time like on a blog). It is really nice to be able to talk about what you are doing, thinking and ask other people how they are approaching ideas. If you have not SKYPEd me before then you need to email me your SKYPE address or send me a request on SKYPE.

If you are going to join let me know comment here (or send an email).
Adesola


Sunday, 3 November 2013

Order & Trust


This week seems to have rushed by.  

I have been thinking about order. There is a certain amount of trust that is required to follow the steps (tasks) in the modules. To some extent one needs to trust that they will add to your learning experience and not just be extra work or hoops or boxes to check. It is one thing to do them and another to open up – undo your thinking - enough for them to affect your plan or research or process.

This is the trust it takes to not look for the certainty of having ‘done that’ and allow instead for on-going development, on-going inquiry. 

(This trust is not just some kind of courage to find within yourself it is also about how the ‘teachers’ / ‘advisors’ / writers-of-the-module present as trust worthy. I think learning is a two-way street the experience of learning is the situation of the material, space, teacher, student and those roles are interchangeable.)

What do you think?
Adesola