Extra Credit Post

An English major who presented at the Inquiry Conference talked about her project carried out in London, based on classic literature about Queen Elizabeth. She started off her presentation by stating that at first she had wanted to do her project here at BYU, gathering research in the library. Her professors had encouraged her to actually go to London, an idea she was at first not too excited about. She did not understand how spending money to live in Europe would aid her project in worthwhile ways that would be any more beneficial than library research. However, she related that after she had arrived in London, and started visiting the locations written about in the classic literature she was studying, she quickly began to realize the benefits of being at the actual setting. She began to gather new insights and understandings about the literature she had never before thought of, because she had not known specific details about the settings until she experienced them visually and in person. For example, her views of the Queen Elizabeth character in her reading drastically changed once she physically visited the prison the queen had been held captive in. She felt a stronger connection and sympathy for the character, and had a deeper understanding of why she had been written to behave in some of the ways she did within the literature.

I felt that this presentation was extremely valid. Although library research is very useful, there is definitely something to be said about actually visiting a place or the people one is attempting to study. There are obvious reasons why relocating to the actual study region brings an added comprehension, sympathy, and new perspectives that could not otherwise be obtained through mere library research. I could try to study Wiamoase, Ghana through journal articles and books only, but I would not gain the same first-hand insights that I will be gaining by interviewing and living with actual residents of Wiamoase.

Real Anthropologists Carry Moleskins

Monday and Tuesday this week I had one concept repeatedly pounded into my head by two different prep classes, and two different readings: KEEP FIELD NOTES. At first I did not pay much attention, thinking, "Yeah, duh. You write down notes for any type of research." However, the more I think about it, the more I realize how detrimental these lectures were. My memory is a cognitive tool that I have definitely not come even close to mastering, and it needs to be aided as much as possible while I go about real field research. Besides the invaluable aid writing down insight and discoveries will be to my research project and thesis, I really believe I also owe accurate written accounts to the culture and people I am studying. I am already asking to be accepted as a foreign resident, and for the investment of informants' time, and to be treated with respect as an outsider. Thus, part of the little I can give back is taking the measures necessary to record accurate portrayals of my host area. In my ethnographic methods class I learned that field notes are always best when either immediately recorded, or at least compiled that day. Even a night's sleep can alter original insight and comprehension.

I realized that I need to start preparing myself for the field by recording things now. This is easier said than done, as I am not used to physically writing anything throughout my day. Even in most of my classes I use a laptop. However, this reminded me that I actually have been an avid collector of virtual field notes - the field being the internet. I have countless Mac sticky notes, and web bookmarks of sites that interest me, articles I need to reread, and quote excerpts that inspired me. I realized that I now just need to take this habit, and apply it to my offline life. I am thus going to purchase a small notebook and start trying to notice the small or subtle going-ons around me daily that could actually create insight into my own social world.

Hopefully, by doing this, I will be in better shape field note-wise by the time I get to Ghana. I will be using my laptop less than I ever have for basically 3 years, and will need to be accustomed to opening up a real paper notebook, with a real pen in hand, and recording valuable information. The simple lessons I learned about taking notes this week may have actually been one of the main keys to my success as a researcher in Ghana.

Update: What was my section class about today? Field notes. And I learned even more. The biggest thing I took away was from the exercise studying a person at the Wilk. When I was supposed to be writing descriptive notes, I unknowingly projected my own perspectives and opinions onto my study subject. After even one minute of note-taking, I can already tell that this method takes time and practice. I cannot project my relative reality onto everything I study, at least not for purely empirical description note-taking.

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.