Mapping Questions

I feel fairly comfortable with my project question so far, which is, "Do familial obligations related to cocoa farming prevent female children from gaining a higher education in ________, Ghana (by, because, etc)?" I know this question will probably develop and change as I read more and prepare for my field research, and very possibly while I am in the field. However, I think it is a great start, and includes social issues I am very interested in (socioeconomics, gender issues, education). I really loved the map Jackie had us make on Friday with our questions. It helped me generate a basic layout of the things I need to be prioritizing as I prepare for my project by allowing me to compartmentalize some of the significant parts of my project related to hands-on research. I will definitely be making these maps periodically as I prepare, and hope that, as Jackie suggested, I will find helpful connections between different parts of my research. Some of the things I realized were that I need to have a good plan about what people I should be talking to and working with in Ghana, what places or facilities I should look into utilizing, and that my literary research can be much broader than how narrow my topic is. Additionally, it was helpful seeing my classmates' questions mapped out, so that I now have a general idea of what each of us is studying. With any luck, we can all be helpful resources to each other. It is vey exciting seeing our questions beginning to really come together, and realizing that the things we are learning will be applied to real ethnographic research.

One Step Today

Last week during Friday's class we had a lecture on the fundamentals of a qualitative research project. I was extremely appreciative of this lesson, and look forward to similar lectures and readings. The tips given seem so apparent (e.g. "start with what you know"), but I like to have things clearly outlined, and to have blatant guidelines. This characteristic of mine makes a field project, especially one where I am in charge of my research questions, conducting the applicable fieldwork, and writing ethnographic notes, very scary. Such free reign might sound liberating and fun, and it very well can be, but for me it is also somewhat overwhelming. I am afraid of my own inadequacies and limitations, and this causes stress about such independent work. At the same time, however, I am excited about the chance to learn and grow from this experience. Ashley's lesson helped me feel even more excited, as I realized that by taking each step one at a time, and working to excel in the simple things, I will be able to set myself up for success.