Before I leave this place, I’d like to also try and explain some of the lessons I’ve learned about life from Ghanaians.
There are three rules to reciprocity, when I think about it as a way to win friends or pay someone back I’m thinking about it wrong and I need to follow these guidelines:
1. Remember when someone does you a favor. If someone has been generous to you, you shouldn’t feel indebted to them or that you need to pay them back, you just remember
2. Remember with gratitude. IF YOU’RE GRATEFUL - When you see that person, make time for them, look them in the eye and remember that they’ve helped you, treat them like a friend because they’ve indicated that that’s what they would like. Don’t do it because you owe it to them, do it because you remember and if you’re grateful.
3. When you have the chance to do something for that person (answer the phone or make a call to them, look up a price for something, help them with their work) TAKE THE TIME to do it. If it costs more money than time or thought you’re probably on the wrong track. A friendship is not based on monetary exchanges, but giving at a time of your abundance or their need.
These three things have stuck out to me when I’ve talked about reciprocity with Gina, Immanuel and Abena. Thinking about things this way has really helped me figure out how to handle building relationships with people and maintain them. I have a hard time holding onto a memory of someone helping me, but that would improve a lot of friendships I have, even in the States. I have a hard time making time for people when they want something instead of needing something… I have a hard time acknowledging with gratitude that someone has done me a favor, I find myself wanting to pay them back as soon as possible.
Also, I’ve come to think of relationships differently because of Ghana.
1. The first switch: Maybe friendships are maintained because of the past not because of present needs or potential for future contact.
2. Planning to maintain some of my relationships here makes me realize who really matters the most instead of pretending that everyone matters the same and then not contacting any of them.
3. Maybe friendship should be based on gratitude instead of just admiration or similarities
4. Maybe it doesn’t take being fake and sacrificing a lot to maintain a real relationship, just a little sacrifice when the opportunity arises or you have a generous thought. For example showing a person you care doesn’t take an extravagant gift or an hour long phone conversation. Maybe it could be maintained with a minute long conversation more consistently and a gift that will remind them of you or be more useful to them than to you in the future.
5. If you don’t like a person, don’t be their friend; save your resources for the people that will really be a good friend.
6. How are your friends your safety net? And do you keep them up sincerely unless you need them?
7. Should friends and family actually have daily contact? How can I keep in touch with these people? Who am I willing to do that for?
Friday, July 29, 2011
My biggest regrets
So I think I want to talk today about my regrets about research in the field.
Corrine and Deidre mentioned something this week that has me thinking about regrets from this trip. First, I regret that I didn’t learn twi better, or at least study it a little every day. I really think that with the stress of doing research for the first time ever, I just felt overwhelmed most of the time and didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere with the Twi I’d already tried to learn and forgotten.
I also regret that I didn’t write about all my frustrations with culture, moments of real struggle, and breakthroughs in culture that I had – while I think the record I’ve taken about the clinic was good as my focus, I wish I had a record of how I dealt with culture shock.
Pen ultimately, I regret that I didn’t build better friendships with people, but I think it just took me a while to realize that I really only needed to be a friend to people that I really liked or enjoyed or felt treated me nicely. I feel like in reality Ghanaians are more selective in their friends than Americans are, except that I thought they were less selesctive because everyone wants to be the white lady’s friend…
My biggest regret has less to do with this place and more to do with Roger. I regret that before coming here I didn’t think enough about what Roger would think or feel about me coming to Ghana in the middle of our relationship. I don’t regret for a second the strength it’s given our relationship, the things I’ve learned about myself and him, or the way it’s helped both of us learn to sacrifice for each other, and particularly me realize that there’s more I can do to think of someone besides myself, even though my points are pretty good most of the time, he might have a lot of good points to.
Maybe this list of things has just helped me see, not what will weigh on my conscience, but what is important that maybe I didn’t appreciate as much as I should. I’ll also regret the moments of anger I’ve had, the moments of apathy I’ve had, and the times I’ve selfishly ignored another’s needs or desires for what I thought was best for me. And those are all my regrets.
Corrine and Deidre mentioned something this week that has me thinking about regrets from this trip. First, I regret that I didn’t learn twi better, or at least study it a little every day. I really think that with the stress of doing research for the first time ever, I just felt overwhelmed most of the time and didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere with the Twi I’d already tried to learn and forgotten.
I also regret that I didn’t write about all my frustrations with culture, moments of real struggle, and breakthroughs in culture that I had – while I think the record I’ve taken about the clinic was good as my focus, I wish I had a record of how I dealt with culture shock.
Pen ultimately, I regret that I didn’t build better friendships with people, but I think it just took me a while to realize that I really only needed to be a friend to people that I really liked or enjoyed or felt treated me nicely. I feel like in reality Ghanaians are more selective in their friends than Americans are, except that I thought they were less selesctive because everyone wants to be the white lady’s friend…
My biggest regret has less to do with this place and more to do with Roger. I regret that before coming here I didn’t think enough about what Roger would think or feel about me coming to Ghana in the middle of our relationship. I don’t regret for a second the strength it’s given our relationship, the things I’ve learned about myself and him, or the way it’s helped both of us learn to sacrifice for each other, and particularly me realize that there’s more I can do to think of someone besides myself, even though my points are pretty good most of the time, he might have a lot of good points to.
Maybe this list of things has just helped me see, not what will weigh on my conscience, but what is important that maybe I didn’t appreciate as much as I should. I’ll also regret the moments of anger I’ve had, the moments of apathy I’ve had, and the times I’ve selfishly ignored another’s needs or desires for what I thought was best for me. And those are all my regrets.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
First in the Field - Focused on Culture
Today I want to share my thoughts about culture shock. These will correlate with what we read in class as the signs and stages of culture shock, but will hopefully add my own experiences and descriptions into the mix.
First of all, I want to apologize to ISP; I feel like I never really experienced (my parents can attest to this) the terrible teens, until now. Throughout the last four weeks, I’ve probably wanted to revamp and redo and reorganize every aspect of how a student is prepared for field work, I’ve recorded all those thoughts, or at least shared them with Deidre and Corrine and I realized that really, very little can be done to ease the shock of coming into a country you’ve never been to and trying to negotiate your way to a rural area of that country and try to not offend or ruin relationships for future students when you know nothing about their expectations. It’s also impossible to adjust quickly to the meals you make, the way you buy food, the time you wake up and go to sleep, the way to begin, or adjust research you have no idea exactly how to do. It’s a little like a mission, but a little worse because your trainer is non-existent and the spirit just isn’t as involved in research as He is in missionary work.
At the same time, I’m learning a million really great things from the people here. I keep writing home about all the friendly people who wave to us and want to meet us and welcome us to Ghana. We felt like celebrities the first two weeks of being here in Wiamoase, especially around the children! We are learning how to cook things, wash our laundry, do dishes, and communicate within this culture and can definitely see the valuable aspects of their culture and I think I can sa I appreciate almost everything about their culture at this point.
Two weeks later:
So we loved Ghana, we loved Wiamoase where we live. We loved being here and the people and how much we’re learning and experiencing. And then we went to the Cape Coast and when we got off the bus there, something snapped in all of us. I’m not sure if it was the fear and uncertainty I felt about being in yet another place that was entirely foreign to me, the incredibly annoying taxi driver we got to take us to our hotel (he became kind of a stalker, showing up at our hotel or insisting he drive us everywhere and lying to us about the other taxi driver rates), or just the pushier personalities of the salespeople that we encountered everywhere and the children/people that would ask us for money and be offended and pushy if we said we couldn’t.
Whatever it was, when we came back from Cape Coast, we all felt the aftermath of the cultural hostility carry over into our perceptions of people in Kumasi, Wiamoase, and for me, even toward the members of the branch in Asemang. People saying hello to us, especially men, then children, then women really annoyed me and I’ve begun traveling on different paths around Wiamoase to avoid the crowds and greetings. I’m frustrated when people laugh at me, and instead of reacting like I did at first (by crying) now I get really defensive and try to facially and verbally express what I think they don’t understand. I’m more frustrated with the bugs than I’ve ever been before, resenting them for the fact that they come out at night and that I have to put on bug spray and long sleeves/pants for them. I have felt all these emotions, but at the same time I am learning a lot more about Ashanti culture because of this hostility.
First, I recognize that these emotions are illogical and that I’ll be able to overcome them eventually. Because I want to overcome these feelings as soon as possible, I find myself asking questions that go deeper, looking at people in the eye more because I really wonder what they’re thinking, expressing my frustration verbally to the person that’s causing me to feel hostility has helped me to see they don’t mean things the way I interpreted it. Lastly, analyzing my own culture to try and differentiate what they’re doing with what that might mean within my usually context. It’s been interesting to experience these emotions and YET simultaneously recognizing their source as a stage in culture shock.
I’m just grateful I’m having these experiences in Ghana and I wouldn’t trade what I’m learning experiencing for anything.
First of all, I want to apologize to ISP; I feel like I never really experienced (my parents can attest to this) the terrible teens, until now. Throughout the last four weeks, I’ve probably wanted to revamp and redo and reorganize every aspect of how a student is prepared for field work, I’ve recorded all those thoughts, or at least shared them with Deidre and Corrine and I realized that really, very little can be done to ease the shock of coming into a country you’ve never been to and trying to negotiate your way to a rural area of that country and try to not offend or ruin relationships for future students when you know nothing about their expectations. It’s also impossible to adjust quickly to the meals you make, the way you buy food, the time you wake up and go to sleep, the way to begin, or adjust research you have no idea exactly how to do. It’s a little like a mission, but a little worse because your trainer is non-existent and the spirit just isn’t as involved in research as He is in missionary work.
At the same time, I’m learning a million really great things from the people here. I keep writing home about all the friendly people who wave to us and want to meet us and welcome us to Ghana. We felt like celebrities the first two weeks of being here in Wiamoase, especially around the children! We are learning how to cook things, wash our laundry, do dishes, and communicate within this culture and can definitely see the valuable aspects of their culture and I think I can sa I appreciate almost everything about their culture at this point.
Two weeks later:
So we loved Ghana, we loved Wiamoase where we live. We loved being here and the people and how much we’re learning and experiencing. And then we went to the Cape Coast and when we got off the bus there, something snapped in all of us. I’m not sure if it was the fear and uncertainty I felt about being in yet another place that was entirely foreign to me, the incredibly annoying taxi driver we got to take us to our hotel (he became kind of a stalker, showing up at our hotel or insisting he drive us everywhere and lying to us about the other taxi driver rates), or just the pushier personalities of the salespeople that we encountered everywhere and the children/people that would ask us for money and be offended and pushy if we said we couldn’t.
Whatever it was, when we came back from Cape Coast, we all felt the aftermath of the cultural hostility carry over into our perceptions of people in Kumasi, Wiamoase, and for me, even toward the members of the branch in Asemang. People saying hello to us, especially men, then children, then women really annoyed me and I’ve begun traveling on different paths around Wiamoase to avoid the crowds and greetings. I’m frustrated when people laugh at me, and instead of reacting like I did at first (by crying) now I get really defensive and try to facially and verbally express what I think they don’t understand. I’m more frustrated with the bugs than I’ve ever been before, resenting them for the fact that they come out at night and that I have to put on bug spray and long sleeves/pants for them. I have felt all these emotions, but at the same time I am learning a lot more about Ashanti culture because of this hostility.
First, I recognize that these emotions are illogical and that I’ll be able to overcome them eventually. Because I want to overcome these feelings as soon as possible, I find myself asking questions that go deeper, looking at people in the eye more because I really wonder what they’re thinking, expressing my frustration verbally to the person that’s causing me to feel hostility has helped me to see they don’t mean things the way I interpreted it. Lastly, analyzing my own culture to try and differentiate what they’re doing with what that might mean within my usually context. It’s been interesting to experience these emotions and YET simultaneously recognizing their source as a stage in culture shock.
I’m just grateful I’m having these experiences in Ghana and I wouldn’t trade what I’m learning experiencing for anything.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Journal 30 - I'm Really Going
So today is the last day of class.
Friday morning we have a marathon meeting.
A week from Friday I leave for St. Louis for a week and a half of book reading, packing, shopping and internet research on how to handle dangerous situation and health related risks, a Hep A shot and final emails and phonecalls to my friends and boyfriend before I become much harder to contact.
Thursday three weeks from tomorrow I leave for a different country.
I keep telling myself it's going to be only two transfers (mission time) before I come back. I can last anywhere for two transfers right? :)
Can I really do the research I'm thinking about doing in that short amount of time? I won't know what to do with my time for the first week... There are a lot of pauses in this journal entry because of all the shock my brain is managing as it considers what I'm about to do in Ghana.
I'm so grateful to all of the people that have made time to answer my questions and help me figure out how I'm going to do this field study. I've had at least a dozen professors meet with me so I could discuss my questions, concerns and interests. I think I've talked to almost every facilitator in the office, and I have taken a good day and a half by now out of Ashley's life... But despite my questions and concerns, I've been able to do this!
I remember having a companion at the beginning of my mission that said "Sometimes I can't believe I'm doing this, I feel so overwhelmed and I miss my family so much, but I can't wait until the day when I can say 'I did it, I served a mission!' and then I'll look back and know it was all worth it." Well we went home together the same time, so I got to hear her say that, I got to see her face when she realized she'd accomplished as much as she could and had survived the challenges of a mission and actually excelled in the life she thought she couldn't handle. Well that thought, that someday I'll be able to come home from Ghana and say "I did it, I survived I field study in Ghana", will be my motivating thought in Ghana when I miss my home, my culture, my boyfriend and my friends and my life in the United States. While this field study isn't just a trophy to check off when completed, I really wonder sometimes if I can do it, and that day when I can say "I did it" I'll feel a huge sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment. That feeling won't even include the feelings I'll have about the people I've met, the things we learn from each other, the way we change from interacting and working together, and the other positive results from this summer. I can't wait!
Friday morning we have a marathon meeting.
A week from Friday I leave for St. Louis for a week and a half of book reading, packing, shopping and internet research on how to handle dangerous situation and health related risks, a Hep A shot and final emails and phonecalls to my friends and boyfriend before I become much harder to contact.
Thursday three weeks from tomorrow I leave for a different country.
I keep telling myself it's going to be only two transfers (mission time) before I come back. I can last anywhere for two transfers right? :)
Can I really do the research I'm thinking about doing in that short amount of time? I won't know what to do with my time for the first week... There are a lot of pauses in this journal entry because of all the shock my brain is managing as it considers what I'm about to do in Ghana.
I'm so grateful to all of the people that have made time to answer my questions and help me figure out how I'm going to do this field study. I've had at least a dozen professors meet with me so I could discuss my questions, concerns and interests. I think I've talked to almost every facilitator in the office, and I have taken a good day and a half by now out of Ashley's life... But despite my questions and concerns, I've been able to do this!
I remember having a companion at the beginning of my mission that said "Sometimes I can't believe I'm doing this, I feel so overwhelmed and I miss my family so much, but I can't wait until the day when I can say 'I did it, I served a mission!' and then I'll look back and know it was all worth it." Well we went home together the same time, so I got to hear her say that, I got to see her face when she realized she'd accomplished as much as she could and had survived the challenges of a mission and actually excelled in the life she thought she couldn't handle. Well that thought, that someday I'll be able to come home from Ghana and say "I did it, I survived I field study in Ghana", will be my motivating thought in Ghana when I miss my home, my culture, my boyfriend and my friends and my life in the United States. While this field study isn't just a trophy to check off when completed, I really wonder sometimes if I can do it, and that day when I can say "I did it" I'll feel a huge sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment. That feeling won't even include the feelings I'll have about the people I've met, the things we learn from each other, the way we change from interacting and working together, and the other positive results from this summer. I can't wait!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Journal 29 - A Penultimate Thought before my closing Journal
I was looking through my journal entries before I write this last journal and I realized something--this experience may brake me of the my inconsistency with journal writing. I can't believe that this entire semester I've written about my experiences, concerns, and insights about field work and cultural experiences.
I'm convinced that the experiences that make you work the hardest are some of the most formative experiences of life--and I know that this experience will push me from every direction to learn and adapt, there doesn't seem to be a part of life it won't touch and I don't know how I'm going to handle it, but I know I'm excited about the lessons I'll learn.
I was thinking yesterday about some behaviors and attitudes in this experience that I would like to ensure I make a concerted effort to maintain throughout the trip. I was sitting in my Development class yesterday and Dave invited us to talk for 30 minutes or so about way's we'd changed because of the class. A girl mentioned something I had forgotten I'd learned when she said "I learned that we are the same as the people in these lesser developed countries, in fact they are dealing with challenges I don't think I could handle as well and know more about their situation than I will ever understand." I recognized that she was talking about the foreigner's tendency to misunderstand and misinterpret the behaviors and attitudes of the people in developing situations. I understand that because of the Preparation course, the Twi course I've taken and this Development class, I've learned in numerous classes and lectures and experiences the tendency I have to do the same and the error in that tendency. I know it will have a negative impact on relationships and maybe on the continuity of program if I adopt that attitude at some point in the field, and one of my major goals is to avoid slipping back into that attitude or to correct myself when I identify that I'm adopting that attitude again. I don't have the answers to their questions and challenges, I don't have a superior mind or way of life, I don't know so many things that they know, we are different but equals that can grow form associating with and understanding each other. My hope is that I can learn to have that attitude and mean it for the rest of my life. They aren't superior, inferior, better or worse--just different and sorting life out.
Another goal I have is to gain a hands on experience with development. I don't want to overwhelm myself, I want to keep up a journal and write about all I notice, specifically about development issues every few days. Maybe every Monday, Wednesday and Friday... :) I feel like keeping a journal about development challenges will help me fulfill the purpose of this trip for me. I'll have thoughts and experiences I've documented and can build on and keep for my life. These journals will play a part in my research, my courses and my final project. If I document anything, I want to document these things because understanding and having experience within the field of Development is a major reason I decided to go on a field study.
Finally, I hope that I can begin to really understand the culture, values and needs of the people in Wiamoase. A challenge within my study is that as an outsider, I'm trying to note with observation and questions (that I don't know how to phrase or focus) about another community's culture. I know Ashley said she's experienced some success in places she's gone, and I would love to talk with her once again before I leave about how she approached this, how she came to understand their culture, and what pitfalls I can avoid in this attempt. I've never explored such a foreign culture before in such a short amount of time, and I hope that I can find success in this goal.
That's all my major goals for this experience.
I'm convinced that the experiences that make you work the hardest are some of the most formative experiences of life--and I know that this experience will push me from every direction to learn and adapt, there doesn't seem to be a part of life it won't touch and I don't know how I'm going to handle it, but I know I'm excited about the lessons I'll learn.
I was thinking yesterday about some behaviors and attitudes in this experience that I would like to ensure I make a concerted effort to maintain throughout the trip. I was sitting in my Development class yesterday and Dave invited us to talk for 30 minutes or so about way's we'd changed because of the class. A girl mentioned something I had forgotten I'd learned when she said "I learned that we are the same as the people in these lesser developed countries, in fact they are dealing with challenges I don't think I could handle as well and know more about their situation than I will ever understand." I recognized that she was talking about the foreigner's tendency to misunderstand and misinterpret the behaviors and attitudes of the people in developing situations. I understand that because of the Preparation course, the Twi course I've taken and this Development class, I've learned in numerous classes and lectures and experiences the tendency I have to do the same and the error in that tendency. I know it will have a negative impact on relationships and maybe on the continuity of program if I adopt that attitude at some point in the field, and one of my major goals is to avoid slipping back into that attitude or to correct myself when I identify that I'm adopting that attitude again. I don't have the answers to their questions and challenges, I don't have a superior mind or way of life, I don't know so many things that they know, we are different but equals that can grow form associating with and understanding each other. My hope is that I can learn to have that attitude and mean it for the rest of my life. They aren't superior, inferior, better or worse--just different and sorting life out.
Another goal I have is to gain a hands on experience with development. I don't want to overwhelm myself, I want to keep up a journal and write about all I notice, specifically about development issues every few days. Maybe every Monday, Wednesday and Friday... :) I feel like keeping a journal about development challenges will help me fulfill the purpose of this trip for me. I'll have thoughts and experiences I've documented and can build on and keep for my life. These journals will play a part in my research, my courses and my final project. If I document anything, I want to document these things because understanding and having experience within the field of Development is a major reason I decided to go on a field study.
Finally, I hope that I can begin to really understand the culture, values and needs of the people in Wiamoase. A challenge within my study is that as an outsider, I'm trying to note with observation and questions (that I don't know how to phrase or focus) about another community's culture. I know Ashley said she's experienced some success in places she's gone, and I would love to talk with her once again before I leave about how she approached this, how she came to understand their culture, and what pitfalls I can avoid in this attempt. I've never explored such a foreign culture before in such a short amount of time, and I hope that I can find success in this goal.
That's all my major goals for this experience.
Journal 28 - The Final Proposal
I can't believe my final proposal is going to be 30 pages long. I wondered while I was writing this morning if that was too long...
I really have appreciated the guidance that was given as Proposal Guidelines on Blackboard. I've really appreciated the effect that having to write this proposal has had on my research development. I think the curriculum for this paper is rigorous (obviously, or I wouldn't have felt I could only meet the requirements with 30 pages) but helpful if followed to the exact instructions. A lot of the things that this proposal asks for are aspects of the field study I'd like to understand better for myself and having to write about it helps me feel more prepared for the field.
I'm working on my background research and my methods section today before I turn the paper in, and I got some great feedback from Joan. She is really good at focusing her comments on things that are doable to change but make a big difference. I am really glad I'm not doing this research by myself because it was so good to hear from her that my methods and plan were viable, that my concerns about group interviews were legitimate, and what I might try and do if some things don't work out. I can tell she's going to be very helpful in the field, and hope that when I have concerns or encounter challenges in the field, we can figure out a way to be flexible, use what I CAN get, or work around the challenges.
Writing this proposal was really helpful to me because it forced me to identify and specifically articulate what I want to study and how I'll do that. When I was done with my methods section of my paper today, I felt so good about going into the field and doing research, not because I think everything will work according to plan, but because I had a plan and had articulated what my goals are.
I really have appreciated the guidance that was given as Proposal Guidelines on Blackboard. I've really appreciated the effect that having to write this proposal has had on my research development. I think the curriculum for this paper is rigorous (obviously, or I wouldn't have felt I could only meet the requirements with 30 pages) but helpful if followed to the exact instructions. A lot of the things that this proposal asks for are aspects of the field study I'd like to understand better for myself and having to write about it helps me feel more prepared for the field.
I'm working on my background research and my methods section today before I turn the paper in, and I got some great feedback from Joan. She is really good at focusing her comments on things that are doable to change but make a big difference. I am really glad I'm not doing this research by myself because it was so good to hear from her that my methods and plan were viable, that my concerns about group interviews were legitimate, and what I might try and do if some things don't work out. I can tell she's going to be very helpful in the field, and hope that when I have concerns or encounter challenges in the field, we can figure out a way to be flexible, use what I CAN get, or work around the challenges.
Writing this proposal was really helpful to me because it forced me to identify and specifically articulate what I want to study and how I'll do that. When I was done with my methods section of my paper today, I felt so good about going into the field and doing research, not because I think everything will work according to plan, but because I had a plan and had articulated what my goals are.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Journal 27 - Leaving Things Behind
I decided to discuss something that's been on my mind lately for this entry. When I go to Ghana, what am I leaving behind?
Roger. So about the same time I started looking into a field study in November, I started dating a great guy... It's been a battle to get through this field study preparation AND do school AND callings AND good friends AND be in a relationship (all things that are important to me, all things I can't drop in the "juggling act" that has been this semester). But I feel like looking back on the semester, we all survived. In fact, I've become very certain in the last few weeks that if I wasn't going to Ghana this summer, I'd be getting ready to get married. So my questions (that for me are questions very related to this field study experience and one of the most important questions I can ask about life) is what will a field study cost that relationship? how can I limit the negative consequences? Is the price too high to go? What a question to start asking a month before heading out...
Fun Provo summers and summer paychecks. Some of the best relationships I've ever had have come from being in Provo in the summer. These relationships and the financial perks of the summer aren't really things I'm leaving behind as much as an alternative I've already considered and counted as worth sacrificing.
Safety? I don't know how much will be a factor in Ghana. My grandparents are worried, my mom is losing some sleep about it, and I just don't know what I'm getting into yet. My health could be at risk, and that's why I've spent 350 dollars on immunizations. I think my identity as a white "Oburuni" girl in Ghana could put my life and financial security at risk, but I expect that if it was extremely dangerous then the Field Study Program would have taken the necessary precautions and I'll take every precaution I can think of.
Culture and Context. My American culture--with all the capabilities and comforts I feel within that culture--is definitely I'm leaving behind. But this is a huge reason I want to go. It's worth the cost of comfort and confidence to learn what I think I'll learn from the Ghanaian people.
What am I getting? I've already gotten a lot out of the prep course experience. Sometimes it takes a lot to really do what they ask, I veyr often feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and I have had a difficult time remembering everything that's been expected because other things overwhelm my thoughts and efforts, but I think its been a great growing experience and a challenging class that forced me to learn in a better-than-mediocre way.
I anticipate that as long as I can find a way to keep my relationship with Roger from struggling or hurting, I will have no regrets about choosing this experience. If it looks like the trip will impact that relationship negatively though, are my priorities in the right place and should I rethink them?
I feel like although this field study experience is worth it for the education and understanding I'll gain before I finish my schooling, research and academia may not be a route I want to take for my life when I have a family and callings in my church. Those things are my priorities for my life, and I've struggled this semester with putting relationships and church callings on the back burner.
Roger. So about the same time I started looking into a field study in November, I started dating a great guy... It's been a battle to get through this field study preparation AND do school AND callings AND good friends AND be in a relationship (all things that are important to me, all things I can't drop in the "juggling act" that has been this semester). But I feel like looking back on the semester, we all survived. In fact, I've become very certain in the last few weeks that if I wasn't going to Ghana this summer, I'd be getting ready to get married. So my questions (that for me are questions very related to this field study experience and one of the most important questions I can ask about life) is what will a field study cost that relationship? how can I limit the negative consequences? Is the price too high to go? What a question to start asking a month before heading out...
Fun Provo summers and summer paychecks. Some of the best relationships I've ever had have come from being in Provo in the summer. These relationships and the financial perks of the summer aren't really things I'm leaving behind as much as an alternative I've already considered and counted as worth sacrificing.
Safety? I don't know how much will be a factor in Ghana. My grandparents are worried, my mom is losing some sleep about it, and I just don't know what I'm getting into yet. My health could be at risk, and that's why I've spent 350 dollars on immunizations. I think my identity as a white "Oburuni" girl in Ghana could put my life and financial security at risk, but I expect that if it was extremely dangerous then the Field Study Program would have taken the necessary precautions and I'll take every precaution I can think of.
Culture and Context. My American culture--with all the capabilities and comforts I feel within that culture--is definitely I'm leaving behind. But this is a huge reason I want to go. It's worth the cost of comfort and confidence to learn what I think I'll learn from the Ghanaian people.
What am I getting? I've already gotten a lot out of the prep course experience. Sometimes it takes a lot to really do what they ask, I veyr often feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and I have had a difficult time remembering everything that's been expected because other things overwhelm my thoughts and efforts, but I think its been a great growing experience and a challenging class that forced me to learn in a better-than-mediocre way.
I anticipate that as long as I can find a way to keep my relationship with Roger from struggling or hurting, I will have no regrets about choosing this experience. If it looks like the trip will impact that relationship negatively though, are my priorities in the right place and should I rethink them?
I feel like although this field study experience is worth it for the education and understanding I'll gain before I finish my schooling, research and academia may not be a route I want to take for my life when I have a family and callings in my church. Those things are my priorities for my life, and I've struggled this semester with putting relationships and church callings on the back burner.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Journal 26 - Group Dynamics
This should be an interesting entry, but I wanted to explore the importance of and aspects of our group dynamics.
In my field study group, there are only three girls. Deidre is a Public Health Major from Idaho with a boyfriend named Cory and a friendly personality. Corrine is an New York City RM from--somewhere back east?? I don't know why I can't remember!. She's easy to talk to because she's open-minded, an anthro major, and multi-talented. I think as a group we could easily fill two or three days with running conversation. We have different backgrounds and ways of dealing with situations and challenges, that I think effect how well we relate and sometimes requires us to explain ourselves more indepth before we can understand each other's choice, opinion or behavior. We weigh (I'd bet) 350lbs together tops and we look like just three young, white women headed into rural Ghana to learn more about life. I really like all of the things I just described.
I wonder what our strengths are, what group dynamics we'll have when we are no longer classmates and instead we become teammates. What are some values I should have considered at the beginning of this semester that I think would have helped forge relationships of trust?
Building trust in a relationship. To me that means consistency (always do what you'll say you'll do) and acceptance (openness to another person's contribution, input and values). I think this semester hasn't been the best as far as consistency goes, and I wonder how acceptance (which I think has gone great here) will go in the field when we are under greater stresses and facing more unknowns. I don't think anyone in the group is going to do things for selfish or incorrect motives--I trust the ISP's decisions and my own evaluation of character--and I think that when it comes down to it, when we need to make decisions as a group, we'll learn how to. I think it's important to remember what my group members tell me, and it's going to be important to give each person an opportunity to answer a question (I think we do that well already, and have noticed that it's been a key part of group dynamics here) or offer input.
I think while I'm responsible for my own success and experience, we'll see a lot more success and satisfaction with this experience if as a group we are a more inter-dependent and supportive unit in Wiamoase. It's my new goal!
In my field study group, there are only three girls. Deidre is a Public Health Major from Idaho with a boyfriend named Cory and a friendly personality. Corrine is an New York City RM from--somewhere back east?? I don't know why I can't remember!. She's easy to talk to because she's open-minded, an anthro major, and multi-talented. I think as a group we could easily fill two or three days with running conversation. We have different backgrounds and ways of dealing with situations and challenges, that I think effect how well we relate and sometimes requires us to explain ourselves more indepth before we can understand each other's choice, opinion or behavior. We weigh (I'd bet) 350lbs together tops and we look like just three young, white women headed into rural Ghana to learn more about life. I really like all of the things I just described.
I wonder what our strengths are, what group dynamics we'll have when we are no longer classmates and instead we become teammates. What are some values I should have considered at the beginning of this semester that I think would have helped forge relationships of trust?
Building trust in a relationship. To me that means consistency (always do what you'll say you'll do) and acceptance (openness to another person's contribution, input and values). I think this semester hasn't been the best as far as consistency goes, and I wonder how acceptance (which I think has gone great here) will go in the field when we are under greater stresses and facing more unknowns. I don't think anyone in the group is going to do things for selfish or incorrect motives--I trust the ISP's decisions and my own evaluation of character--and I think that when it comes down to it, when we need to make decisions as a group, we'll learn how to. I think it's important to remember what my group members tell me, and it's going to be important to give each person an opportunity to answer a question (I think we do that well already, and have noticed that it's been a key part of group dynamics here) or offer input.
I think while I'm responsible for my own success and experience, we'll see a lot more success and satisfaction with this experience if as a group we are a more inter-dependent and supportive unit in Wiamoase. It's my new goal!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Journal 25 - Travel
Because I got a shot today, my arm hurts when I type... This has been bringing into my mind the questions I have about traveling to Ghana.
When I leave the St. Louis Airport, I'll have been medicated in 10 different ways for what risks to disease I'll be exposed to on this trip. When I pack my bag and my backpack, I need to pack just a few things that will be important for the three months I'm there - books, clothes and a laptop. But when I get to Accra, my Ghanaian friends tell me if I wear a backpack, I'll get robbed... I'll change money and stay in Accra for the night then head out the next day for Wiamoase, find Esther's house and settle into the community and my room. I'll be covered in bug-spray with sunscreen on top of that to keep from getting malaria and cancer from the malarial medication that makes my skin sensitive to the sun... I won't know anyone in the community and they won't know anything about me, a map is always a nice thing for a Geography student to have in an unknown place, but I hope that it won't stay unknown for a long time. What will I do that first day? How do people in Wiamoase get to know each other? What should I record my thoughts on? How much time should I spend with Deidre and Corrine, and how separate should I be? I'm imagining the reality of this experience because it makes me more excited about the actual experience. What will be my first Ghanaian meal? Where will I get it and how will I choose what to eat? When will I have my last American meal? How will my stomach handle Ghanaian spices? Where will I get good water to drink?? What should I do if the water source is questionable?
I know we're going to discuss all these things in the Marathon meeting, but I thought I'd explore the experience first for myself.
When I leave the St. Louis Airport, I'll have been medicated in 10 different ways for what risks to disease I'll be exposed to on this trip. When I pack my bag and my backpack, I need to pack just a few things that will be important for the three months I'm there - books, clothes and a laptop. But when I get to Accra, my Ghanaian friends tell me if I wear a backpack, I'll get robbed... I'll change money and stay in Accra for the night then head out the next day for Wiamoase, find Esther's house and settle into the community and my room. I'll be covered in bug-spray with sunscreen on top of that to keep from getting malaria and cancer from the malarial medication that makes my skin sensitive to the sun... I won't know anyone in the community and they won't know anything about me, a map is always a nice thing for a Geography student to have in an unknown place, but I hope that it won't stay unknown for a long time. What will I do that first day? How do people in Wiamoase get to know each other? What should I record my thoughts on? How much time should I spend with Deidre and Corrine, and how separate should I be? I'm imagining the reality of this experience because it makes me more excited about the actual experience. What will be my first Ghanaian meal? Where will I get it and how will I choose what to eat? When will I have my last American meal? How will my stomach handle Ghanaian spices? Where will I get good water to drink?? What should I do if the water source is questionable?
I know we're going to discuss all these things in the Marathon meeting, but I thought I'd explore the experience first for myself.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Journal 24 - Be Flexible
Today is just one of those brain-dead days when nothing I've been thinking about relates to Ghana or doing research there. I've been planning for fall semester you see, and I just can't focus back on the summer. Let's see...
When I go to Ghana, I'm worried about a lot of unknowns involved with research, travel and relationships. It's a major challenge to my research preparation, but an understandable one that everyone probably goes through--there is just no way to prepare for some things until your in that situation.
However, in class we've talked about the importance of preparing the way we can and then being flexible while you're in the field. I'm sure that since I've struggled to develop my project and methods this entire semester, they will experience many changes in the field as well. I'm not sure how to let the IRB know about those changes but I expect that I'll learn about how to do that before I go.
I'm also nervous about the food I'll eat and how exactly we'll get to Wiamoase from Accra, but I'm sure that we'll be able to cover some of that in the Marathon meeting. I hope to have all of the numbers I may need (the US Embassy, Ashley, Andrew, the number on the back of my debit card, and Esther's number) but I feel like once I've got all the information I need and feel prepared for anything, I'll be more flexible with whatever may happen because I'll feel like I can handle whatever may happen.
I'm grateful for the lessons I learned on my mission about approaching people, relating to people, developing rapport with people, networking, working efficiently in whatever time I have with a person, and focusing on what matters most. I appreciate that since I could handle that experience so well, I feel more capable of handling this experience, and I'm grateful for the advice I keep getting from others that are concerned for me and help me know what to do in different situations.
I can't wait to grow! But I'm still nervous about how it will happen.
When I go to Ghana, I'm worried about a lot of unknowns involved with research, travel and relationships. It's a major challenge to my research preparation, but an understandable one that everyone probably goes through--there is just no way to prepare for some things until your in that situation.
However, in class we've talked about the importance of preparing the way we can and then being flexible while you're in the field. I'm sure that since I've struggled to develop my project and methods this entire semester, they will experience many changes in the field as well. I'm not sure how to let the IRB know about those changes but I expect that I'll learn about how to do that before I go.
I'm also nervous about the food I'll eat and how exactly we'll get to Wiamoase from Accra, but I'm sure that we'll be able to cover some of that in the Marathon meeting. I hope to have all of the numbers I may need (the US Embassy, Ashley, Andrew, the number on the back of my debit card, and Esther's number) but I feel like once I've got all the information I need and feel prepared for anything, I'll be more flexible with whatever may happen because I'll feel like I can handle whatever may happen.
I'm grateful for the lessons I learned on my mission about approaching people, relating to people, developing rapport with people, networking, working efficiently in whatever time I have with a person, and focusing on what matters most. I appreciate that since I could handle that experience so well, I feel more capable of handling this experience, and I'm grateful for the advice I keep getting from others that are concerned for me and help me know what to do in different situations.
I can't wait to grow! But I'm still nervous about how it will happen.
Journal 23 - Exploring Challenges with PRA
I chose for my study of the Health Clinic to use PRA methods when I interview.
I have a list of precautions from Chamber's book that highlights some of the risks to my methods I never considered, he called the chapter "Mistakes with Participation" and here are my notes:
1. Training and Consultancy – behavior and attitudes are as important as methods.
2. Routines and Ruts – an argument for flexibility is that good participatory processes always differ and cannot proceed by fixed methods or time scales
3. Exploitation – PRA methods serve well for outsiders’ research. Indeed, they serve almost too well because of the overwhelming data and the quality of insights that they can generate in a short time. But they also take people’s time and energy. These are far from costless. There have been many cases where local people have been exploited, thinking that there will be benefits from their participation when there will be none. The researchers depart, having extracted local people’s “outputs” – primary resources which they then process elsewhere for their own benefit from the added value.
4. Expectations – PRA processes tend to raise expectations. After giving their time, energy and creativity to appraisal, analysis and sometimes planning, local people may still expect some follow-up. The ethical problems posed are worrying, but are now better recognized and more often grappled with. There is a tendency for appraisal to run ahead of action, and often to be followed by nothing at all except disillusion and anger among community members who have become involved and given their time. Local initiative from findings, local actions and proposals
5. Targets and Rushing: abuses are a function of scale and speed. Targets misfit, deter and even prevent participation
6. Saturation – how many projects like this have been done in this area? How many maps have already been made? How many assessments have already been done?
7. Don’t go in with too many expectations for what you’ll accomplish
8. Don’t try to find out everything. Find a focus question!
As regards concern #6 - researching on the specific projects done in Wiamoase will help me avoid repetative interviews/projects for interviews. I need to look up previous studies people have done in Wiamoase to find out what information people in the community have already provided. If I do my research well enough, I can find some of my information from people that have already done studies in Wiamoase, instead of asking for repeat information from the community members and frustrating or wasting their time.
The other concerns I have deal with #3 and #4 - I feel like there's a balance I need to strike between these two.
With my project, I am analyzing different factors in the community and how they affect access of the people to healthcare, so when people take the time to help me understand the issues and challenges they see, wouldn't the expect that sharing those concerns will bring change? I can't promise for the clinic that things will improve, I don't even know how open the clinic administration will be to the results of my study. This is an aspect of my study I should come to understand before I do interviews so that maybe I can explain to the interviewees the association (or lack of associate) this interview has with changes or improvement the clinic wants to make. In the meantime, how can I make sure I'm wasting as little of another person's time as I can? I need to be prepared as much as possible for the interviews I conduct, with topics and sub-topics or goals for each interview. I need to find as much information as I can by myself instead of asking every question I have without doing any of my own observations or initial research. With PRA methods I'll get great answers for my research, but only if I am prepared with good questions and goals for what I hope to learn from each person. I can do this to show respect for the time I'm taking from people's day, but I also should acknowledge that I won't always know everything I want to learn. I need to learn and develop interview skills that will make a less structured interview, or an interview where I'm not sure yet what I'll study, a better expereince and effective because of the skills I've worked on.
As concerns #4, How will I deal with a situation where a person shares information with the expectation that the concerns or challenges they discuss with me will change or that I will work to improve them? I think I need to consider the role the clinic is willing to play as far as follow through. They may only allow me to do the study but not be open to the results, in which case the interviews I conduct will only be helpful to other clinics and organizations that are more open. If this is the case, I should understand that before I interview people so that I explain clearly the potential influence (or lack of influence) of their talking with me and avoid raising their expectations.
On the other hand, the clinic may be interested in some of the insights, but what if some of the things I share end up being offensive? Can I even share this information with the clinic? Will it effect my interviews if people think I'll share the results with the clinic? These are all good questions. What if my findings highlight problems with culture, politics or staff at the clinic? How can I share my results so that they aren't offensive or target specific audiences. If I share my results with the clinic, I would only be able to share it with the Administrative official, and only if I'm certain sharing the information wouldn't implicate any of the people I interviewed.
It's a paradoxical situation I'm not exactly certain how to navigate, and it will be on my mind as I prepare for this trip.
I have a list of precautions from Chamber's book that highlights some of the risks to my methods I never considered, he called the chapter "Mistakes with Participation" and here are my notes:
1. Training and Consultancy – behavior and attitudes are as important as methods.
2. Routines and Ruts – an argument for flexibility is that good participatory processes always differ and cannot proceed by fixed methods or time scales
3. Exploitation – PRA methods serve well for outsiders’ research. Indeed, they serve almost too well because of the overwhelming data and the quality of insights that they can generate in a short time. But they also take people’s time and energy. These are far from costless. There have been many cases where local people have been exploited, thinking that there will be benefits from their participation when there will be none. The researchers depart, having extracted local people’s “outputs” – primary resources which they then process elsewhere for their own benefit from the added value.
4. Expectations – PRA processes tend to raise expectations. After giving their time, energy and creativity to appraisal, analysis and sometimes planning, local people may still expect some follow-up. The ethical problems posed are worrying, but are now better recognized and more often grappled with. There is a tendency for appraisal to run ahead of action, and often to be followed by nothing at all except disillusion and anger among community members who have become involved and given their time. Local initiative from findings, local actions and proposals
5. Targets and Rushing: abuses are a function of scale and speed. Targets misfit, deter and even prevent participation
6. Saturation – how many projects like this have been done in this area? How many maps have already been made? How many assessments have already been done?
7. Don’t go in with too many expectations for what you’ll accomplish
8. Don’t try to find out everything. Find a focus question!
As regards concern #6 - researching on the specific projects done in Wiamoase will help me avoid repetative interviews/projects for interviews. I need to look up previous studies people have done in Wiamoase to find out what information people in the community have already provided. If I do my research well enough, I can find some of my information from people that have already done studies in Wiamoase, instead of asking for repeat information from the community members and frustrating or wasting their time.
The other concerns I have deal with #3 and #4 - I feel like there's a balance I need to strike between these two.
With my project, I am analyzing different factors in the community and how they affect access of the people to healthcare, so when people take the time to help me understand the issues and challenges they see, wouldn't the expect that sharing those concerns will bring change? I can't promise for the clinic that things will improve, I don't even know how open the clinic administration will be to the results of my study. This is an aspect of my study I should come to understand before I do interviews so that maybe I can explain to the interviewees the association (or lack of associate) this interview has with changes or improvement the clinic wants to make. In the meantime, how can I make sure I'm wasting as little of another person's time as I can? I need to be prepared as much as possible for the interviews I conduct, with topics and sub-topics or goals for each interview. I need to find as much information as I can by myself instead of asking every question I have without doing any of my own observations or initial research. With PRA methods I'll get great answers for my research, but only if I am prepared with good questions and goals for what I hope to learn from each person. I can do this to show respect for the time I'm taking from people's day, but I also should acknowledge that I won't always know everything I want to learn. I need to learn and develop interview skills that will make a less structured interview, or an interview where I'm not sure yet what I'll study, a better expereince and effective because of the skills I've worked on.
As concerns #4, How will I deal with a situation where a person shares information with the expectation that the concerns or challenges they discuss with me will change or that I will work to improve them? I think I need to consider the role the clinic is willing to play as far as follow through. They may only allow me to do the study but not be open to the results, in which case the interviews I conduct will only be helpful to other clinics and organizations that are more open. If this is the case, I should understand that before I interview people so that I explain clearly the potential influence (or lack of influence) of their talking with me and avoid raising their expectations.
On the other hand, the clinic may be interested in some of the insights, but what if some of the things I share end up being offensive? Can I even share this information with the clinic? Will it effect my interviews if people think I'll share the results with the clinic? These are all good questions. What if my findings highlight problems with culture, politics or staff at the clinic? How can I share my results so that they aren't offensive or target specific audiences. If I share my results with the clinic, I would only be able to share it with the Administrative official, and only if I'm certain sharing the information wouldn't implicate any of the people I interviewed.
It's a paradoxical situation I'm not exactly certain how to navigate, and it will be on my mind as I prepare for this trip.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Journal 22 - It's Getting Closer!
When I finally turned in my IRB Proposal on Monday morning, it took about 30 minutes for the stress (that had been my week-long companion) to leave and be replaced by a dawning realization of the enormity of what I'm about to go do in Ghana.
Today Corrine, Deidre and I will be putting together our information so we can send off for our visas and my immunizations and vaccinations appointment is set for Friday. How did the entire semester fly by? I can't believe that in a month and a half I'll be headed from St. Louis to Ghana. And once I get there, how will I conduct my study?
The last few days I've had less on my plate with all my classes, so I've had time to delve into my sources and attempt to cement my methods. When I do research on my own, I tend to read on a topic and then try to expand my research to incorporate what I learned; that quickly gets overwhelming and I hope that in my research over the next few days I'll be able to take those lessons and instead find a way to apply them so my methods more specific.
I think my methods will change once I get to Wiamoase, because--like many people have explained to me--it's impossible to really grasp what I CAN study until I'm in the field. So what in my preparation will be useful for me, useful in the field, or a waste? I think that a lot of the research I've done is time consuming but informing me in important ways. I read last night through Robert Chamber's Participatory books, and it helped me feel like I understood the reasoning behind participatory research/evaluate--since that's an important part of my research, what I learned (the advantages of participatory to survey research, the challenges of evaluation without input from local people, the values and ideals behind participatory research) is helping me prepare. Some of my research will be useful in the field, especially the studies that deal with rural or health and development. The problems or challenges that these studies identify (access to the clinic, costs associated with clinic use, challenges of education, availability of clinic workers, efficiency, and equity of clinics) help me prepare my methods now to explore those challenges.
But what questions can I ask? Will they understand the meaning of my question? Will I even find anything? Will I find too much? How will I focus my study? Can I focus it more now if I don't know the challenges faced in this specific community? I've never conducted real research or interviews before, I've never done anything like this, and I don't know how to prepare my methods beyond more hours of time consuming research that may or may not be helping me prepare.
Don't even get me started on the questions I have about culture, foreign travel, illnesses and being a stranger in a community I want to do research in. These are concerns everyone has, but it's hard to deal with them when they loom in the near future and I don't have answers yet.
Today Corrine, Deidre and I will be putting together our information so we can send off for our visas and my immunizations and vaccinations appointment is set for Friday. How did the entire semester fly by? I can't believe that in a month and a half I'll be headed from St. Louis to Ghana. And once I get there, how will I conduct my study?
The last few days I've had less on my plate with all my classes, so I've had time to delve into my sources and attempt to cement my methods. When I do research on my own, I tend to read on a topic and then try to expand my research to incorporate what I learned; that quickly gets overwhelming and I hope that in my research over the next few days I'll be able to take those lessons and instead find a way to apply them so my methods more specific.
I think my methods will change once I get to Wiamoase, because--like many people have explained to me--it's impossible to really grasp what I CAN study until I'm in the field. So what in my preparation will be useful for me, useful in the field, or a waste? I think that a lot of the research I've done is time consuming but informing me in important ways. I read last night through Robert Chamber's Participatory books, and it helped me feel like I understood the reasoning behind participatory research/evaluate--since that's an important part of my research, what I learned (the advantages of participatory to survey research, the challenges of evaluation without input from local people, the values and ideals behind participatory research) is helping me prepare. Some of my research will be useful in the field, especially the studies that deal with rural or health and development. The problems or challenges that these studies identify (access to the clinic, costs associated with clinic use, challenges of education, availability of clinic workers, efficiency, and equity of clinics) help me prepare my methods now to explore those challenges.
But what questions can I ask? Will they understand the meaning of my question? Will I even find anything? Will I find too much? How will I focus my study? Can I focus it more now if I don't know the challenges faced in this specific community? I've never conducted real research or interviews before, I've never done anything like this, and I don't know how to prepare my methods beyond more hours of time consuming research that may or may not be helping me prepare.
Don't even get me started on the questions I have about culture, foreign travel, illnesses and being a stranger in a community I want to do research in. These are concerns everyone has, but it's hard to deal with them when they loom in the near future and I don't have answers yet.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Journal 21 - Inquiry Conference
I am really glad I attended the keynote address for Inquiry Conference today, but I'm even more grateful I decided to listen to Abigail Fisher's presentation on Culture Shock.
The two presentations dealt with things I've had concerns about when entering the field, and both discussed aspects of these concerns I'd never really considered. When Rogers defined inquiry as "extracting meaning from an experience" that really struck me as an appropriate name for a conference where students reports on study abroad experiences, specifically the significance of what they studied and learned from studying abroad. I think that the focus of the Field Study Prep class had really focused on readings and discussion that teach me to extract more meaning from my experience in another culture, and taught me to consider the meaning of my own actions. I liked specifically what she mentioned about understanding yourself and your influence on other circles. What will be my influence on the community I enter? How might that impact my study? What is my motive or agenda with this project? She made me reconsider the situation I'll find myself in in the field, the assumptions I've made about my project, and even examine why I chose this particular topic of evaluating development.
The other presentation I liked dealt with culture shock. As Abigail Fisher talked about her study, I found myself trying to identify how I've reacted in the past to culture shock. I know I get really quiet, but I also get really clean, and find myself evaluating and judging other people's behavior in my head--like I'm unwilling to trust others when I'm so vulnerable. This presentation made me seriously consider how I could prepare now, and what goals I could set now that would help me cope in the field. I'd really like to spend a little more time with Corrine and Deidre, but one on one time that allows me to develop more personal relationships with each. I also want to set goals for how I will interact with people when I reach the field because I know that relationships are often postponed when I'm stressed or shocked, because I think it will be better "later" when I've adjusted. I want to develop ways to personally cope with the challenge of culture in the first few weeks.
These are my thoughts from Inquiry Conference. I'm glad I picked these two presenters.
The two presentations dealt with things I've had concerns about when entering the field, and both discussed aspects of these concerns I'd never really considered. When Rogers defined inquiry as "extracting meaning from an experience" that really struck me as an appropriate name for a conference where students reports on study abroad experiences, specifically the significance of what they studied and learned from studying abroad. I think that the focus of the Field Study Prep class had really focused on readings and discussion that teach me to extract more meaning from my experience in another culture, and taught me to consider the meaning of my own actions. I liked specifically what she mentioned about understanding yourself and your influence on other circles. What will be my influence on the community I enter? How might that impact my study? What is my motive or agenda with this project? She made me reconsider the situation I'll find myself in in the field, the assumptions I've made about my project, and even examine why I chose this particular topic of evaluating development.
The other presentation I liked dealt with culture shock. As Abigail Fisher talked about her study, I found myself trying to identify how I've reacted in the past to culture shock. I know I get really quiet, but I also get really clean, and find myself evaluating and judging other people's behavior in my head--like I'm unwilling to trust others when I'm so vulnerable. This presentation made me seriously consider how I could prepare now, and what goals I could set now that would help me cope in the field. I'd really like to spend a little more time with Corrine and Deidre, but one on one time that allows me to develop more personal relationships with each. I also want to set goals for how I will interact with people when I reach the field because I know that relationships are often postponed when I'm stressed or shocked, because I think it will be better "later" when I've adjusted. I want to develop ways to personally cope with the challenge of culture in the first few weeks.
These are my thoughts from Inquiry Conference. I'm glad I picked these two presenters.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Journal 20 - Holy Ground and Respect for People That Came Before Me
“Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes, for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on men’s dreams. More serious still, we may find that God was here before our arrival.”
What an eloquent idea. As I read Oman's "Baskets and Dancing Blankets" I was struck by his argument and especially this quote. It's true that often we enter another culture with our own ideas of what is superior, but in doing that, we create a barrier between ourselves and an opportunity to learn and understand the people and community we've entered. It limits us from learning, but it also limits us from understanding what is really occurring around us. The quote helped me begin thinking about my project from a different aspect than I ever have before. In the clinics I'll be visiting in Ghana, there are methods and efforts that workers have adopted or developed that help them survive and sustain their effort in this community. The things that they have accomplished in these communities is directly related to what they have developed. Was I really thinking that I could just enter their community and identify their resources and needs, diagnose ways they could improve, and understand the needs of the clinic WITHOUT first finding out what they have already done to improve things and what their goals and objectives with the clinic really are? I know this would be a challenge because often in my life I walk into a situation analyzing everything, mentally noting what works and what is dis-functional and possible reasons why. I rarely have the patience to first ask what has already been attempted, what has already been improved, what the people that were here before me feel they have done and how they feel they have succeeded.
I know it's important for real understanding of a place and people, but do I have the patience to do it? And could I really understand them and succeed in my research aims if I didn't do this? Even if they explained their goals for the clinic, would I understand them or respect those ideas the way I should? But if these efforts mean everything to these people, I will accomplish nothing and possibly have a negative impact if I don't first consider those efforts.
What an eloquent idea. As I read Oman's "Baskets and Dancing Blankets" I was struck by his argument and especially this quote. It's true that often we enter another culture with our own ideas of what is superior, but in doing that, we create a barrier between ourselves and an opportunity to learn and understand the people and community we've entered. It limits us from learning, but it also limits us from understanding what is really occurring around us. The quote helped me begin thinking about my project from a different aspect than I ever have before. In the clinics I'll be visiting in Ghana, there are methods and efforts that workers have adopted or developed that help them survive and sustain their effort in this community. The things that they have accomplished in these communities is directly related to what they have developed. Was I really thinking that I could just enter their community and identify their resources and needs, diagnose ways they could improve, and understand the needs of the clinic WITHOUT first finding out what they have already done to improve things and what their goals and objectives with the clinic really are? I know this would be a challenge because often in my life I walk into a situation analyzing everything, mentally noting what works and what is dis-functional and possible reasons why. I rarely have the patience to first ask what has already been attempted, what has already been improved, what the people that were here before me feel they have done and how they feel they have succeeded.
I know it's important for real understanding of a place and people, but do I have the patience to do it? And could I really understand them and succeed in my research aims if I didn't do this? Even if they explained their goals for the clinic, would I understand them or respect those ideas the way I should? But if these efforts mean everything to these people, I will accomplish nothing and possibly have a negative impact if I don't first consider those efforts.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Journal 19 - Silent Communication and Project Concerns
As I read and study my sources, as I struggle with my IRB proposal and precision in my methods, as I try and imagine myself in Wiamoase without any real ability to communicate with the people there--I realize I'm still in over my head.
I wonder if my limited expertise on the topic of development is acceptable. I wonder if my topic is too broad or if it's just over my head as far as expertise goes. I wonder how, with the limited time I have left, I'll be able to improve my project and work to be acceptable and doable? I don't think I've had more than two or three days of relief from these "jitters" and I wonder if I will have any freedom from those jitters before December. I guess those are just part and parcel with the adventure, growth and challenges of field studies.
I really appreciated the articles we had assigned today. It's an interesting and challenging concept to fully grasp, how we can convey SO MANY things to each other with just our eyes and our hand motions. The most I've ever thought about in terms of non-verbal communication has to do with what you do when someone is talking to you: make eye contact, focus your attention and don't multi-task or avoid eye contact. I never thought about the messages people send when they are walking or interacting with other people(like someone's wife for example), but it's interesting that you either communicate subconsciously intentionally or not, but if someone's watching, they are subconsciously reading into what you aren't saying. It made me think about how imperfect I am, but how glad I am that the gospel isn't a game of masquerade, but that instead it changes a person from the inside out; what a perfect plan God has.
I guess that the concerns I have about my project are all about internal things. I could make it sound like I've hammered down my methods and know if I'm qualified for what I want to do, but I want to know for myself what I'm doing and that I can do it, then I think the IRB will be easier to finish.
I wonder if my limited expertise on the topic of development is acceptable. I wonder if my topic is too broad or if it's just over my head as far as expertise goes. I wonder how, with the limited time I have left, I'll be able to improve my project and work to be acceptable and doable? I don't think I've had more than two or three days of relief from these "jitters" and I wonder if I will have any freedom from those jitters before December. I guess those are just part and parcel with the adventure, growth and challenges of field studies.
I really appreciated the articles we had assigned today. It's an interesting and challenging concept to fully grasp, how we can convey SO MANY things to each other with just our eyes and our hand motions. The most I've ever thought about in terms of non-verbal communication has to do with what you do when someone is talking to you: make eye contact, focus your attention and don't multi-task or avoid eye contact. I never thought about the messages people send when they are walking or interacting with other people(like someone's wife for example), but it's interesting that you either communicate subconsciously intentionally or not, but if someone's watching, they are subconsciously reading into what you aren't saying. It made me think about how imperfect I am, but how glad I am that the gospel isn't a game of masquerade, but that instead it changes a person from the inside out; what a perfect plan God has.
I guess that the concerns I have about my project are all about internal things. I could make it sound like I've hammered down my methods and know if I'm qualified for what I want to do, but I want to know for myself what I'm doing and that I can do it, then I think the IRB will be easier to finish.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Journal 18 - I'm Out of Time
I limited myself to 30 minutes of reading and writing. I spent the thirty minutes reading and listening to NPR instead and now I'm out of time' I'm perfectly fine with that because I know I'm working efficiently and will finish earlier than if I had not set a goal. Here are my thoughts for today's reading.
I have been thinking about the woman who took pictures of the FLDS communities (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123815829). It's an interesting situation to consider, that of how one enters a community. She said it took her 4 months to get beyond their homes and activities and into their lives. I would like to get into the lives of the people in Wiamoase and understand the effects and thoughts they have about development projects in their community. How will I do this without a grasp of their language? I think an important part is applying one of the readings I did.
Rachel Naomi Remen talked in her article "Helping, Fixing or Serving?" about the difference between helping, fixing and serving. I think what struck me the most was how she defined serving as person to person, willing to put yourself out of your comfort zone and into a realm of mystery for another. It seems scary, but it correlates well with what President Monson said a couple years ago "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." When your goal is really to understand and get to know another, than serving and focusing on people is the only real answer; every other activity or focus misses the mark. It's hard to do--putting yourself out there to get to know and understand another--but it accomplishes and produces the most in the end. I really liked this reading, and I really hope that I can keep this in mind in Wiamoase. It seems important if I want to understand the community perceptions of the clinic to really come to know just a handful of people and--perhaps I'll only report on that handful, but I think that for myself, I'd have learned more that way than with any other method.
I suppose I should use my experience to invest in my efforts and study like I'll be there for years and avoid the rush and carelessness that might come with trying to speed up the process.
I also ran into this quote from Paulo Freire about problems in development efforts. He says "“ They talk about the people but they do not trust them; and trusting the people is the indispensable precondition for revolutionary change. A real humanist can be identified more by his trust in the people, which engages him in their struggle, than by a thousand actions in their favour, without that trust.”
I have been thinking about the woman who took pictures of the FLDS communities (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123815829). It's an interesting situation to consider, that of how one enters a community. She said it took her 4 months to get beyond their homes and activities and into their lives. I would like to get into the lives of the people in Wiamoase and understand the effects and thoughts they have about development projects in their community. How will I do this without a grasp of their language? I think an important part is applying one of the readings I did.
Rachel Naomi Remen talked in her article "Helping, Fixing or Serving?" about the difference between helping, fixing and serving. I think what struck me the most was how she defined serving as person to person, willing to put yourself out of your comfort zone and into a realm of mystery for another. It seems scary, but it correlates well with what President Monson said a couple years ago "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." When your goal is really to understand and get to know another, than serving and focusing on people is the only real answer; every other activity or focus misses the mark. It's hard to do--putting yourself out there to get to know and understand another--but it accomplishes and produces the most in the end. I really liked this reading, and I really hope that I can keep this in mind in Wiamoase. It seems important if I want to understand the community perceptions of the clinic to really come to know just a handful of people and--perhaps I'll only report on that handful, but I think that for myself, I'd have learned more that way than with any other method.
I suppose I should use my experience to invest in my efforts and study like I'll be there for years and avoid the rush and carelessness that might come with trying to speed up the process.
I also ran into this quote from Paulo Freire about problems in development efforts. He says "“ They talk about the people but they do not trust them; and trusting the people is the indispensable precondition for revolutionary change. A real humanist can be identified more by his trust in the people, which engages him in their struggle, than by a thousand actions in their favour, without that trust.”
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Journal 17 - The Fair Ophelia and her Syndrome
I wanted to talk about the influence of last class's reading assignment on my perception of the field study experience as well as some of the things I think the Ghana Field Study class can do to better empower and improve the performance of students.
Something that struck me about the Ophelia Syndrome reading was that it correlated well with what the Field Study Program adopts, a process of "individualation" and "self-learning". Individualation was defined in our readings as a process of self-discovery and uniqueness and a process where you discover what distinguishes you from others. There were plenty of methods he shared about ways to discover ourselves and our thoughts. I kept thinking about ways in my life I've done those things, and ways in my life that I've displayed symptoms of the Ophelia Complex. What I realized was that there is a fine line between those two moments, it's a challenge to foster an environment that escapes that complex and inspires individualism. While assignments with few guidelines and high expectations foster stress and uncertainty, they are often the assignments that push my mind and creativity. The Field Study Prep class has encouraged individualism and self-discovery, and I'm grateful for that, but I was recently considering the ways that this program might keep that focus but reduce stress.
I'm a big believer in the fact that the more information a person is given, the more empowered they are to take that information and act wisely. There are some questions that must be worked out individually with this field study experience, but there are also ways that I think the program could foster greater individuality and creativity by providing more information.
Like we discussed in my section on Wednesday, I think workshops would be a great way to give students more information on the topics they have the most questions about. It's different for every student, so answering questions outside of class but making that information available for anyone that has those questions would be empowering and decrease stress. Here are some of the ideas I had for workshops:
Travel Preparation advice (ticket purchases, getting a passport/visa, immunization recommendations/advice)
Blog training/assistance
Tips on how to find good sources or do research
Topic Development
Financial Aid/Scholarship/Grant opportunities we should be applying for
Professors (who to ask to be mentors/contract professors, how to use them, how to help them help you)
Developing Methods (new and different options, challenges to be aware of with each method, important skills/supplies to have on hand for each method)
These topics all qualify as things that have caused me stress and uncertainty this semester. The brilliance of a workshop is that the student selects things that will cater to their needs AND the information empowers them to do what they were going to do better and more easily.
With preliminary interviews for example, I went into those meetings expecting more information about Field Studies--mostly because I had barely heard of Field Studies a week and a half before entering the interview process and had little information to operate on. I found that the information given me was sparse and the focus instead was on what I wanted to do; I wasn't looking for someone to hold my hand and tell me what to do, but I didn't have enough knowledge about field studies to make what I felt was an informed or acceptable decision. If during those meetings information had been given to me to help me fit my idea within the context of what was acceptable and feasible, I would have felt less stress and more empowered to act and create my own individual project. The most helpful thing I can think of would be if information was (physically) given to me for each topic we covered in the interviews.
If the first meeting was about ideas for my project, perhaps a sheet of paper with information about topics and studies could have been offered. It could have included a list of topics students have done in the past in the area considering, the benefits and attributes of certain topics for other locations, a definition of the type of study that most students do (ethnographic instead of data-collecting), and why those studies work, and some of the resources in the community or in other community locations that they could consider when choosing a topic. Still stress that this project is to be whatever they want and not restricted to the list's factors, but that would have given me a GREAT idea of if my project was on the right track, if I should choose a different location based on what will be in each community, or if my project is doable with what study types and resources are available and suggested. I really believe that list wouldn't have ultimately influenced my project development, instead it would have given me valuable information that would reduce my concern and self-doubt about what I decided to study.
Again, for the meeting where we discuss professors and course contracts, let people know when those deadlines would be for having a faculty mentor or contracts made, give them the number of credits they'll be required to take or a pamphlet explaining course contracts, and write during the meeting on the piece of paper professors you'd suggest--especially if they are interested in fields you guys know well. That information, on a piece of paper would have helped decrease my stress levels about something I've never encountered during University life, it would have given me a time frame that would allow me to make personal plans to fulfill those requirements and find good teachers in subjects I'm interested in. I still will find those teachers, and I'm on the right track already, but it took a lot of stress and sleepless nights. Yes I lost sleep over this, its not an exaggeration, sadly enough.
For the interview where the topic is ethics and IRB, give them a list of IRB restrictions students commonly encounter, expectations from the ISP, ethics to consider--I loved when Ashley asked me the question "How would you study that in Ogden?" it helped me see how to approach what I really wanted to study in a way that was appropriate and informative. These lists would have been really valuable to me, because they give me information, it's recorded so I can refer back, and I feel empowered and know more of what you'll expect/accept. I remember when I finally decided I wanted to study poverty. I didn't know how to phrase that any better than that word, but I was so proud of my topic when I came into my last meeting and couldn't wait to share the choice I'd made. Right away the topic I suggested (because I was poorly educated on development and my idea wasn't well formulated yet) made the facilitators and program director concerned. I appreciated that they expressed that concern, but I remember how confused I was that what I had decided I really wanted to study wasn't acceptable; I was also frustrated because I didn't know what the guidelines or boundaries were they saw me crossing with the topic. I wasn't wanting to do anything ethically unsound like interview people and ask how they felt about being poor, but having a list of guidelines would have given me confidence that what I wanted to study was within those guidelines, and I think I would have had more confidence explaining how the study I wanted to do on poverty was still ethically sound.
We definitely want to avoid developing the Ophelia Syndrome in field studies, but I feel I've demonstrated how more information can be provided in the program while still avoiding that pitfall; in fact sometimes information can be a powerful source of confidence in independent thinking.
What are your thoughts?
Something that struck me about the Ophelia Syndrome reading was that it correlated well with what the Field Study Program adopts, a process of "individualation" and "self-learning". Individualation was defined in our readings as a process of self-discovery and uniqueness and a process where you discover what distinguishes you from others. There were plenty of methods he shared about ways to discover ourselves and our thoughts. I kept thinking about ways in my life I've done those things, and ways in my life that I've displayed symptoms of the Ophelia Complex. What I realized was that there is a fine line between those two moments, it's a challenge to foster an environment that escapes that complex and inspires individualism. While assignments with few guidelines and high expectations foster stress and uncertainty, they are often the assignments that push my mind and creativity. The Field Study Prep class has encouraged individualism and self-discovery, and I'm grateful for that, but I was recently considering the ways that this program might keep that focus but reduce stress.
I'm a big believer in the fact that the more information a person is given, the more empowered they are to take that information and act wisely. There are some questions that must be worked out individually with this field study experience, but there are also ways that I think the program could foster greater individuality and creativity by providing more information.
Like we discussed in my section on Wednesday, I think workshops would be a great way to give students more information on the topics they have the most questions about. It's different for every student, so answering questions outside of class but making that information available for anyone that has those questions would be empowering and decrease stress. Here are some of the ideas I had for workshops:
Travel Preparation advice (ticket purchases, getting a passport/visa, immunization recommendations/advice)
Blog training/assistance
Tips on how to find good sources or do research
Topic Development
Financial Aid/Scholarship/Grant opportunities we should be applying for
Professors (who to ask to be mentors/contract professors, how to use them, how to help them help you)
Developing Methods (new and different options, challenges to be aware of with each method, important skills/supplies to have on hand for each method)
These topics all qualify as things that have caused me stress and uncertainty this semester. The brilliance of a workshop is that the student selects things that will cater to their needs AND the information empowers them to do what they were going to do better and more easily.
With preliminary interviews for example, I went into those meetings expecting more information about Field Studies--mostly because I had barely heard of Field Studies a week and a half before entering the interview process and had little information to operate on. I found that the information given me was sparse and the focus instead was on what I wanted to do; I wasn't looking for someone to hold my hand and tell me what to do, but I didn't have enough knowledge about field studies to make what I felt was an informed or acceptable decision. If during those meetings information had been given to me to help me fit my idea within the context of what was acceptable and feasible, I would have felt less stress and more empowered to act and create my own individual project. The most helpful thing I can think of would be if information was (physically) given to me for each topic we covered in the interviews.
If the first meeting was about ideas for my project, perhaps a sheet of paper with information about topics and studies could have been offered. It could have included a list of topics students have done in the past in the area considering, the benefits and attributes of certain topics for other locations, a definition of the type of study that most students do (ethnographic instead of data-collecting), and why those studies work, and some of the resources in the community or in other community locations that they could consider when choosing a topic. Still stress that this project is to be whatever they want and not restricted to the list's factors, but that would have given me a GREAT idea of if my project was on the right track, if I should choose a different location based on what will be in each community, or if my project is doable with what study types and resources are available and suggested. I really believe that list wouldn't have ultimately influenced my project development, instead it would have given me valuable information that would reduce my concern and self-doubt about what I decided to study.
Again, for the meeting where we discuss professors and course contracts, let people know when those deadlines would be for having a faculty mentor or contracts made, give them the number of credits they'll be required to take or a pamphlet explaining course contracts, and write during the meeting on the piece of paper professors you'd suggest--especially if they are interested in fields you guys know well. That information, on a piece of paper would have helped decrease my stress levels about something I've never encountered during University life, it would have given me a time frame that would allow me to make personal plans to fulfill those requirements and find good teachers in subjects I'm interested in. I still will find those teachers, and I'm on the right track already, but it took a lot of stress and sleepless nights. Yes I lost sleep over this, its not an exaggeration, sadly enough.
For the interview where the topic is ethics and IRB, give them a list of IRB restrictions students commonly encounter, expectations from the ISP, ethics to consider--I loved when Ashley asked me the question "How would you study that in Ogden?" it helped me see how to approach what I really wanted to study in a way that was appropriate and informative. These lists would have been really valuable to me, because they give me information, it's recorded so I can refer back, and I feel empowered and know more of what you'll expect/accept. I remember when I finally decided I wanted to study poverty. I didn't know how to phrase that any better than that word, but I was so proud of my topic when I came into my last meeting and couldn't wait to share the choice I'd made. Right away the topic I suggested (because I was poorly educated on development and my idea wasn't well formulated yet) made the facilitators and program director concerned. I appreciated that they expressed that concern, but I remember how confused I was that what I had decided I really wanted to study wasn't acceptable; I was also frustrated because I didn't know what the guidelines or boundaries were they saw me crossing with the topic. I wasn't wanting to do anything ethically unsound like interview people and ask how they felt about being poor, but having a list of guidelines would have given me confidence that what I wanted to study was within those guidelines, and I think I would have had more confidence explaining how the study I wanted to do on poverty was still ethically sound.
We definitely want to avoid developing the Ophelia Syndrome in field studies, but I feel I've demonstrated how more information can be provided in the program while still avoiding that pitfall; in fact sometimes information can be a powerful source of confidence in independent thinking.
What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Journal 16 - Salvation Army Methods
I wanted to explore the things I will need to know about Salvation Army approaches to development efforts. Some of these things I can learn before I enter the field and that would probably be helpful to my field work.
How did Salvation Army become involved in this area of Ghana? How do they determine a site and how do they decide how to contribute? I know that the Salvation Army church is present in Wiamoase, how does that play a part in the clinic's presence? Did it come before or after the congregation was established? What was involved in the Salvation Army's process of building and establishing a health clinic, is it a prescribed method used everywhere or does it differ from location to location? What kind of involvement does the Salvation Army have now in the Clinic, is it continually involved in sustaining the clinic or is its presence completely gone or somewhere in between? If it's still involved, in what ways? Why? How does it determine where it will remain involved and where the clinic can sustain itself? How much staff is involved with the clinic? How long have they been involved? How much training have they received and from where?
I could keep going. I would love to talk to someone who has answers to some of these questions, I would love to understand the specific involvement that Salvation Army has with this clinic, as well as understand how they are involved in other efforts and in what way. I think this will be an important part of my project, and think it's time to talk to people that have worked with the clinic before or perhaps even contact a salvation army worker in Utah and get some answers that way. Both Dave and Brother Jackson asked questions about how Salvation Army approaches developmental efforts (in theory) and I think its time I found out.
How did Salvation Army become involved in this area of Ghana? How do they determine a site and how do they decide how to contribute? I know that the Salvation Army church is present in Wiamoase, how does that play a part in the clinic's presence? Did it come before or after the congregation was established? What was involved in the Salvation Army's process of building and establishing a health clinic, is it a prescribed method used everywhere or does it differ from location to location? What kind of involvement does the Salvation Army have now in the Clinic, is it continually involved in sustaining the clinic or is its presence completely gone or somewhere in between? If it's still involved, in what ways? Why? How does it determine where it will remain involved and where the clinic can sustain itself? How much staff is involved with the clinic? How long have they been involved? How much training have they received and from where?
I could keep going. I would love to talk to someone who has answers to some of these questions, I would love to understand the specific involvement that Salvation Army has with this clinic, as well as understand how they are involved in other efforts and in what way. I think this will be an important part of my project, and think it's time to talk to people that have worked with the clinic before or perhaps even contact a salvation army worker in Utah and get some answers that way. Both Dave and Brother Jackson asked questions about how Salvation Army approaches developmental efforts (in theory) and I think its time I found out.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Journal 15 - The Scene of the Research
I've had two experiences this last week that have made me consider what it will be like doing field work in Ghana.
I talked to Brother Jackson, the father of my boyfriend's roommate. He runs a non-profit called Deseret International which sets up clinics in developing countries. The conversation happened because he was visiting his son and they were working on a painting project, so it was an informal opportunity to talk with him. What I noticed about this situation was that it was a real opportunity to talk to a real player in the field I'm evaluating and that no matter what questions I asked, he had things I felt he should share, insights to contribute, and an idea of what he wanted to talk to me about too. I benefited a lot from just talking about where he worked and how he set things up when he went into a community. It was a fun experience to make a normal conversation an informative situation, and I know now that if I ever need anymore questions or insights, I can get his email and ask. I feel like it wouldn't be weird or unexpected and he'd have some great things to contribute. Something he said that really struck me was when he asked how Salvation Army enters a community. I didn't know the answer or what he meant, but he gave some examples and I realized that what he was asking correlated with how sustainable their entrance and involvement in a community is. He of course had a way that he did it, and that was the best way in his opinion. I think it's hard to say a way is the best, but his effort seemed really good. He said that they entered a community and found local doctors trying to build a practice. He didn't mention how they determined the needs of the doctor, but he said they would build the doctor an infrastructure and provide some funding for supplies or equipment if necessary and practical. The doctors in return agreed to take on charity cases while building their practice, and as long as they reported those cases, Deseret International would fund those cases. The challenges that come with this are fewer than would come if the doctors were imported for a short time, but I didn't know how to ask him how they determined the needs of the community or doctor. There are many interesting aspects of the conversation that make me curious to understand how Salvation Army approaches development projects.
I talked to Dave Schuller about my project and how I can better interview the local people. I've been feeling like Dave is a great tool for Field Study Prep, because of his experience in the field and his realistic approach to interviews and development. I really appreciated our last conversation because we had a couple mock interviews where he acted out challenging interviewing situations and explained some ways I could improve. I felt like a missionary again while we were interviewing, and I think that if I was going someplace similar to Mesa, I'd have a blast with this project and feel comfortable in the interviews. However, Dave brought up some of the real challenges of different languages and being able to relate to people. How am I going to get them to open up to me? How can I get them to REALLY open up to me? How am I going to help them be open when I'm interviewing them in a different language with little understanding of cultural nuances? I want to look at development efforts from western theory but I also want to look at them from their framework, how do I find the limits and key components of that framework and how can I get them to disclose those or even understand what I'm looking for? I want to be ready, but there are going to be some major challenges, most that I'm sure I'm not even aware of!
I talked to Brother Jackson, the father of my boyfriend's roommate. He runs a non-profit called Deseret International which sets up clinics in developing countries. The conversation happened because he was visiting his son and they were working on a painting project, so it was an informal opportunity to talk with him. What I noticed about this situation was that it was a real opportunity to talk to a real player in the field I'm evaluating and that no matter what questions I asked, he had things I felt he should share, insights to contribute, and an idea of what he wanted to talk to me about too. I benefited a lot from just talking about where he worked and how he set things up when he went into a community. It was a fun experience to make a normal conversation an informative situation, and I know now that if I ever need anymore questions or insights, I can get his email and ask. I feel like it wouldn't be weird or unexpected and he'd have some great things to contribute. Something he said that really struck me was when he asked how Salvation Army enters a community. I didn't know the answer or what he meant, but he gave some examples and I realized that what he was asking correlated with how sustainable their entrance and involvement in a community is. He of course had a way that he did it, and that was the best way in his opinion. I think it's hard to say a way is the best, but his effort seemed really good. He said that they entered a community and found local doctors trying to build a practice. He didn't mention how they determined the needs of the doctor, but he said they would build the doctor an infrastructure and provide some funding for supplies or equipment if necessary and practical. The doctors in return agreed to take on charity cases while building their practice, and as long as they reported those cases, Deseret International would fund those cases. The challenges that come with this are fewer than would come if the doctors were imported for a short time, but I didn't know how to ask him how they determined the needs of the community or doctor. There are many interesting aspects of the conversation that make me curious to understand how Salvation Army approaches development projects.
I talked to Dave Schuller about my project and how I can better interview the local people. I've been feeling like Dave is a great tool for Field Study Prep, because of his experience in the field and his realistic approach to interviews and development. I really appreciated our last conversation because we had a couple mock interviews where he acted out challenging interviewing situations and explained some ways I could improve. I felt like a missionary again while we were interviewing, and I think that if I was going someplace similar to Mesa, I'd have a blast with this project and feel comfortable in the interviews. However, Dave brought up some of the real challenges of different languages and being able to relate to people. How am I going to get them to open up to me? How can I get them to REALLY open up to me? How am I going to help them be open when I'm interviewing them in a different language with little understanding of cultural nuances? I want to look at development efforts from western theory but I also want to look at them from their framework, how do I find the limits and key components of that framework and how can I get them to disclose those or even understand what I'm looking for? I want to be ready, but there are going to be some major challenges, most that I'm sure I'm not even aware of!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Journal 14 - The Challenge of Misperceptions and Expectations
I feel safe saying that every class I've sat in this week has held a caution: avoid the pitfalls of incorrect assumptions; furthermore, get educated--right now!--about every incorrect assumption you could make. But how many cautions can my head really hold?
This semester my head is being filled with concepts that I may not yet fully appreciate or understand. Dave fills Intro to Development with cautions about how to perceive development, poverty, people, solutions and statistics. Field Study Prep fills my head with warnings about methods that are challenging or impractical, ethical and cultural situations I'm going to struggle with, and program items I should be focusing on. Middle East and Africa are just geography classes that delve into population, environment, and political nuances I should have known about last week or last semester. Twi is over my head and difficult to find time for with the mass of other classes I'm taking; worse still, I just record the Sister Black's lectures in religion, and otherwise it isn't even an afterthought... SID? Cultural Inquiry? Roommates? Callings? A boyfriend with a crazy schedule too??? (I promise I'm not having any sort of rant or mental breakdown, I'm just trying to express the semester's overarching emotion).
I assume that anyone reading this blog understands what I'm trying to express; there's a sense of being overwhelmed and overloaded that comes with the college experience. The constant stress and assignments are teaching me that there's a lot I don't know--which I think is mostly very good for me. If we had all the time in the world, we wouldn't have the chance to decide what was really important from moment to moment. These feelings can be motivating and absolutely, meeting expectations is sometimes necessary and always rewarding. But how come our professors expect us to absorp everything they've said, regurgitate it for the test, and remember it beyond their class for the rest of our lives? To cite ideals from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, we are imperfect people and sometimes we hold others to a higher standard than we ourselves could ever attain. I wonder if my Professors sometimes do that too, or maybe they all just overestimate how much I already know...
I think the purpose of this blog was just to express conflicts I'm experiencing this week. These are conflicts I think I'll experience every day in the field. How should I deal with the challenges of sensory and brain overload? How can I prioritize what I need to do each day? What mistakes will I make in the field as I struggle to juggle new things, new people, new experiences with the expectations of ISP, IRB, my professors, and the plan I make this semester?
I think that making my plan for the field simple will help. I think that focusing on conversation opportunities will be my highest priority. A close second that I'll have to have is maximizing those encounters by recording and reviewing the implications of those experiences. Maybe this week I should work on recording and reviewing experiences.
I remember learning on my mission that people aren't computers that can just download as much information as you give them. They are souls that learn in different ways and often their application isn't what you expect. People learn by personal expereinces of trial and error, they learn things deeply when they first had deep questions or when a person asks a question they can't answer. Time is a constraint that makes us realize and choose the most important things. Mistakes are made everyday and they don't mean we should lose sight of the big goals we have...
This semester my head is being filled with concepts that I may not yet fully appreciate or understand. Dave fills Intro to Development with cautions about how to perceive development, poverty, people, solutions and statistics. Field Study Prep fills my head with warnings about methods that are challenging or impractical, ethical and cultural situations I'm going to struggle with, and program items I should be focusing on. Middle East and Africa are just geography classes that delve into population, environment, and political nuances I should have known about last week or last semester. Twi is over my head and difficult to find time for with the mass of other classes I'm taking; worse still, I just record the Sister Black's lectures in religion, and otherwise it isn't even an afterthought... SID? Cultural Inquiry? Roommates? Callings? A boyfriend with a crazy schedule too??? (I promise I'm not having any sort of rant or mental breakdown, I'm just trying to express the semester's overarching emotion).
I assume that anyone reading this blog understands what I'm trying to express; there's a sense of being overwhelmed and overloaded that comes with the college experience. The constant stress and assignments are teaching me that there's a lot I don't know--which I think is mostly very good for me. If we had all the time in the world, we wouldn't have the chance to decide what was really important from moment to moment. These feelings can be motivating and absolutely, meeting expectations is sometimes necessary and always rewarding. But how come our professors expect us to absorp everything they've said, regurgitate it for the test, and remember it beyond their class for the rest of our lives? To cite ideals from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, we are imperfect people and sometimes we hold others to a higher standard than we ourselves could ever attain. I wonder if my Professors sometimes do that too, or maybe they all just overestimate how much I already know...
I think the purpose of this blog was just to express conflicts I'm experiencing this week. These are conflicts I think I'll experience every day in the field. How should I deal with the challenges of sensory and brain overload? How can I prioritize what I need to do each day? What mistakes will I make in the field as I struggle to juggle new things, new people, new experiences with the expectations of ISP, IRB, my professors, and the plan I make this semester?
I think that making my plan for the field simple will help. I think that focusing on conversation opportunities will be my highest priority. A close second that I'll have to have is maximizing those encounters by recording and reviewing the implications of those experiences. Maybe this week I should work on recording and reviewing experiences.
I remember learning on my mission that people aren't computers that can just download as much information as you give them. They are souls that learn in different ways and often their application isn't what you expect. People learn by personal expereinces of trial and error, they learn things deeply when they first had deep questions or when a person asks a question they can't answer. Time is a constraint that makes us realize and choose the most important things. Mistakes are made everyday and they don't mean we should lose sight of the big goals we have...
Friday, February 11, 2011
Journal 13 - Geography and Development
I have a five page paper to write for Monday morning, but I have a thought I've got to get into a journal before I can concentrate on anything else. The thought has to do with the link I'm finding between development and geography.
When people ask me why I decided to study Geography, the answer is simple: there is something satisfying about getting an education that has the world as it's topic. I enjoy understanding and seeing the world through a "geographic lens" - or a lens that involves the culture, traditions, perceptions of humans and the physio-graphic elements that they experience where they live. The other question I often receive is: what are you going to do with that? This question can be answered directly, "I've been considering these options" or in a way that addresses the underlying question they've posed--"is that useful somehow?" I've struggled with why I chose Geography a couple times in my life, but I've stuck with what fascinates me and note for myself the silent influence my major has had on my perception of people and the world.
I was prepared to graduate this last semester, but ran into the BYU field study program and got excited about the opportunity it provided me to apply what I'd learned as a Geography student. I was confused when each research geographic topic I considered didn't really strike me as something I'd be able to do with the limitations I'd have (90 days in a small rural community) in the field. But I realized this last week that what I finally settled on--studying the resources a local development effort has available or is lacking--fits within the limitations I'd have as a field study researcher and has everything to do with what fascinates me about Geography, namely the challenges and benefits people and communities face in the place they live.
To further cement my mounting excitement for my project, the theory Joan Dixon advised I do my research on has EVERYTHING to do with Geography. Community Capital Framework seeks to understand the sustainability of a community's development based on several different "capital" assets.
Basically with this theory lists the attributes of a place (geography), evaluates the resources that place provides to a community or organization, and further considers how each missing or weak attribute can be improved and strengthened by specific behavior or action in the community or organization policies.
I'm so glad I stuck with what I felt I should study, even if it wasn't within the geographic discipline. I'm so glad that what I've chosen to study has come full circle back to a theory involving basic geographic concepts. I feel infinitely more qualified for the research I'm doing knowing that Geography is back in the mix!
When people ask me why I decided to study Geography, the answer is simple: there is something satisfying about getting an education that has the world as it's topic. I enjoy understanding and seeing the world through a "geographic lens" - or a lens that involves the culture, traditions, perceptions of humans and the physio-graphic elements that they experience where they live. The other question I often receive is: what are you going to do with that? This question can be answered directly, "I've been considering these options" or in a way that addresses the underlying question they've posed--"is that useful somehow?" I've struggled with why I chose Geography a couple times in my life, but I've stuck with what fascinates me and note for myself the silent influence my major has had on my perception of people and the world.
I was prepared to graduate this last semester, but ran into the BYU field study program and got excited about the opportunity it provided me to apply what I'd learned as a Geography student. I was confused when each research geographic topic I considered didn't really strike me as something I'd be able to do with the limitations I'd have (90 days in a small rural community) in the field. But I realized this last week that what I finally settled on--studying the resources a local development effort has available or is lacking--fits within the limitations I'd have as a field study researcher and has everything to do with what fascinates me about Geography, namely the challenges and benefits people and communities face in the place they live.
To further cement my mounting excitement for my project, the theory Joan Dixon advised I do my research on has EVERYTHING to do with Geography. Community Capital Framework seeks to understand the sustainability of a community's development based on several different "capital" assets.
Basically with this theory lists the attributes of a place (geography), evaluates the resources that place provides to a community or organization, and further considers how each missing or weak attribute can be improved and strengthened by specific behavior or action in the community or organization policies.
I'm so glad I stuck with what I felt I should study, even if it wasn't within the geographic discipline. I'm so glad that what I've chosen to study has come full circle back to a theory involving basic geographic concepts. I feel infinitely more qualified for the research I'm doing knowing that Geography is back in the mix!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Journal 12 - Organizing Field Notes
Why did I get so excited about the reading for today (it was Bernard, "Field Notes: How to Take Them, Code Them, Manage Them")? As I read about the challenges of field notes--consistently keeping the record, the challenge of remembering, the challenge of recording, where to keep things, and what if they get lost?--I started thinking about what my challenges would be. I will really enjoy setting up a system for recording and organizing my notes, I love organizing, and finding better solutions for things that aren't working well. I'm worried most about consistency. I remember when it came down to the last twenty minutes of the day on my mission, I was so tired and had so many little things to take care of, I rarely wrote in my journal. I have gaps of about a month between every journal entry. I treasure those entries and know there's nothing I can do about that now, but I want to do better for the field study and hope I can overcome my reluctance to record.
I'm more willing to record thoughts and notes when I'm using a computer. I'll just make sure to save a couple places and put my field notes in everyday. It will also help if I set a goal to do it for a specific amount of time everyday and schedule it in. Finally if I have a small notebook and a good planner (with two columns for each day, like a missionary planner) I can jot down notes and key words to remember and and function while I'm out in the community.
I have come to really appreciate the readings in this class (a couple things about class structure are still frustrating but I'm sure they'll get worked out). They really help me feel informed and prepared for different parts of the field study. I think about that reading on interviewing all the time! The interesting thing about each of the readings is that I find myself able to apply most of them in my life, each effects my perception of this study, but also my perception of how I live my life. Wouldn't it be great if I had a system for recording regular life and made time each day to do that? Would that be important enough that I should start doing that? How could I organize it so that it was well done and each thing easily accessible? I was thinking about this class over the weekend, and I realized a lot of little things about me have changed because of what I've learned so far. I can't imagine what will change once I leave for Ghana.
I'm more willing to record thoughts and notes when I'm using a computer. I'll just make sure to save a couple places and put my field notes in everyday. It will also help if I set a goal to do it for a specific amount of time everyday and schedule it in. Finally if I have a small notebook and a good planner (with two columns for each day, like a missionary planner) I can jot down notes and key words to remember and and function while I'm out in the community.
I have come to really appreciate the readings in this class (a couple things about class structure are still frustrating but I'm sure they'll get worked out). They really help me feel informed and prepared for different parts of the field study. I think about that reading on interviewing all the time! The interesting thing about each of the readings is that I find myself able to apply most of them in my life, each effects my perception of this study, but also my perception of how I live my life. Wouldn't it be great if I had a system for recording regular life and made time each day to do that? Would that be important enough that I should start doing that? How could I organize it so that it was well done and each thing easily accessible? I was thinking about this class over the weekend, and I realized a lot of little things about me have changed because of what I've learned so far. I can't imagine what will change once I leave for Ghana.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Journal 11 - Assessing Rural Needs
I'm still trying to understand and develop my methods section of my research, specifically I'm questioning how best to evaluate the health clinic's efforts and success in Wiamoase. As I discussed in Journal 9, I plan to use Community Capitals Research to study all aspects of the clinic. To build on this, I read a book last night that has made me aware of the value of a good survey.
I read Assessing Rural Needs last night and discovered what I've decided will be a key component of my research project. The book--written to help organizations and researchers create a good development project--focused on assessing rural communities by preparing basic survey questions that hopefully highlight major issues or concerns and make communities and service needs more comparable. The book provided some sample surveys and offered some advice on what are some good questions to ask.
To take this from theory and put it into action, I've brainstormed some questions I'll include in my survey.
1. Does the clinic have excess capacity, or is the size about right, or is it too small?
2. Is the clinic in good condition or poor condition?
3. Are it's patients mainly from around here, from communities close by, or from very distant communities?
4. Are any other facilities needed to help with the patients and work that is done here? If yes, specify _________.
5. Other than the services offered by this clinic now, are there any other services that should be developed here?
6. Is the ability of the clinic to meet the needs of the community increasing since it was established, unchanged since it was established, or decreasing since it was established?
7. Is there scheduled (bus, rail, boat, air) service to the Health Clinic? If yes, what, and how often (daily weekly)?
8. What health services does your community have? (include a list health service facilities)
9. In case of emergency or major illness, where to people generally go to get help? Name of Institution_______________. Location___________________.
10. How much time does it take to travel to (Name of Institution)? Dry season ____ Wet season___
11. How do people usually get there? _____________
12. In case of emergency is transportation available?(Always, sometimes, rarely)
Some of these question might be less usable or important than others, and they demonstrate to me that I'm still in the preliminary stages of methods development, but I'm excited for the shape my project is taking!
I read Assessing Rural Needs last night and discovered what I've decided will be a key component of my research project. The book--written to help organizations and researchers create a good development project--focused on assessing rural communities by preparing basic survey questions that hopefully highlight major issues or concerns and make communities and service needs more comparable. The book provided some sample surveys and offered some advice on what are some good questions to ask.
To take this from theory and put it into action, I've brainstormed some questions I'll include in my survey.
1. Does the clinic have excess capacity, or is the size about right, or is it too small?
2. Is the clinic in good condition or poor condition?
3. Are it's patients mainly from around here, from communities close by, or from very distant communities?
4. Are any other facilities needed to help with the patients and work that is done here? If yes, specify _________.
5. Other than the services offered by this clinic now, are there any other services that should be developed here?
6. Is the ability of the clinic to meet the needs of the community increasing since it was established, unchanged since it was established, or decreasing since it was established?
7. Is there scheduled (bus, rail, boat, air) service to the Health Clinic? If yes, what, and how often (daily weekly)?
8. What health services does your community have? (include a list health service facilities)
9. In case of emergency or major illness, where to people generally go to get help? Name of Institution_______________. Location___________________.
10. How much time does it take to travel to (Name of Institution)? Dry season ____ Wet season___
11. How do people usually get there? _____________
12. In case of emergency is transportation available?(Always, sometimes, rarely)
Some of these question might be less usable or important than others, and they demonstrate to me that I'm still in the preliminary stages of methods development, but I'm excited for the shape my project is taking!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Journal 10 - Culture Games and Ethnographic Interviews
So this journal will focus on my appreciation for two things I've recently learned in this course.
First, I went to Cultural Inquiry's "rafa-rafa" night. The group in attendance was separated into two different groups and rooms, then taught a made-up culture with culture values, traditions, ways of interacting. After trading and interacting in my group for a few minutes, we went over in groups to observe the other group, some of us got to try and interact, and nothing about the other group was explained.
What I noted was my impressions as I observed them interact. I tried to drink in facts and observations, but it was difficult to remember all the nuances of their silent interaction and I felt like I had a lot of questions and didn't know who to ask or if I even could ask anyone. This was an interesting opportunity to learn how I'll react when I go to Ghana this summer. I was so glad I could watch and observe, but I'm worried about how impossible it will be to soak up and become functional in a different culture when I only have 90 days and no clue when I'm offending or how to overcome new and awkward interactions.
Also, when I returned to my own group, I felt comfortable and confident I could interact appropriately. I found myself grateful I understood my own culture and didn't have to go back to the other room. All day today, I've been considering my rapid and faulty judgments of other people's decision. I've wondered why I make those judgments or feel uncomfortable, and realized I want to develop a more accepting and interested attitude about completely foreign concepts--for example, I watched a movie about Bedouin herdsmen in Iran and in the movie they showed clips of the men killing a sheep, cutting off the head and skinning it. My first reaction was to look away, but I imagined what that would communicate if I was present and I tried to suppress the desire to look away, instead trying to adopt a practical outlook on the event. An accepting, open and interested attitude will be an important skill to have in Ghana, and I plan to continue developing that skill this semester.
The other thing I wanted to bring up is what we learned about in our readings and class on Monday. I read a definition of rapport that seriously shifted the way I view my relationship with other people. He said that rapport "refers to a harmonious relationship between [people]. It means a basic sense of trust has developed that allows for the free flow of information... However, rapport does not necessarily mean deep friendship or profound intimacy between two people." Perhaps this lacks significance for other people, but the valuable lesson I learned was that forcing or waiting for a close friendship is inferior to building trust and respect and keeping a relationship at an acquaintance level. Often in my life I've thought that in a particular setting, I need to emphasize and perhaps exaggerate how much I liked someone; this was often only in the initial stages of the relationship as an attempt to help them open up or reciprocate what I'm saying I feel--a way to deepen a relationship. I think acknowledging that is a part of changing. What I realized with this sentence was a new way to build relationships, a way that takes hard work learning to ask good questions and act honestly to build trust and respect. This is important to my life, but will prove important to my research in Ghana because it provides a way to: feel confident in the honesty of the interviews I conduct, increase the number of potential interviews I can conduct, and improve the way the interviews go. The questions the reading discussed were things I can use to develop this attitude and relationship and I'm nervous about the challenge, but excited to grow this way.
These are two ways my thoughts about my study have grown and changed. What are your thoughts?
First, I went to Cultural Inquiry's "rafa-rafa" night. The group in attendance was separated into two different groups and rooms, then taught a made-up culture with culture values, traditions, ways of interacting. After trading and interacting in my group for a few minutes, we went over in groups to observe the other group, some of us got to try and interact, and nothing about the other group was explained.
What I noted was my impressions as I observed them interact. I tried to drink in facts and observations, but it was difficult to remember all the nuances of their silent interaction and I felt like I had a lot of questions and didn't know who to ask or if I even could ask anyone. This was an interesting opportunity to learn how I'll react when I go to Ghana this summer. I was so glad I could watch and observe, but I'm worried about how impossible it will be to soak up and become functional in a different culture when I only have 90 days and no clue when I'm offending or how to overcome new and awkward interactions.
Also, when I returned to my own group, I felt comfortable and confident I could interact appropriately. I found myself grateful I understood my own culture and didn't have to go back to the other room. All day today, I've been considering my rapid and faulty judgments of other people's decision. I've wondered why I make those judgments or feel uncomfortable, and realized I want to develop a more accepting and interested attitude about completely foreign concepts--for example, I watched a movie about Bedouin herdsmen in Iran and in the movie they showed clips of the men killing a sheep, cutting off the head and skinning it. My first reaction was to look away, but I imagined what that would communicate if I was present and I tried to suppress the desire to look away, instead trying to adopt a practical outlook on the event. An accepting, open and interested attitude will be an important skill to have in Ghana, and I plan to continue developing that skill this semester.
The other thing I wanted to bring up is what we learned about in our readings and class on Monday. I read a definition of rapport that seriously shifted the way I view my relationship with other people. He said that rapport "refers to a harmonious relationship between [people]. It means a basic sense of trust has developed that allows for the free flow of information... However, rapport does not necessarily mean deep friendship or profound intimacy between two people." Perhaps this lacks significance for other people, but the valuable lesson I learned was that forcing or waiting for a close friendship is inferior to building trust and respect and keeping a relationship at an acquaintance level. Often in my life I've thought that in a particular setting, I need to emphasize and perhaps exaggerate how much I liked someone; this was often only in the initial stages of the relationship as an attempt to help them open up or reciprocate what I'm saying I feel--a way to deepen a relationship. I think acknowledging that is a part of changing. What I realized with this sentence was a new way to build relationships, a way that takes hard work learning to ask good questions and act honestly to build trust and respect. This is important to my life, but will prove important to my research in Ghana because it provides a way to: feel confident in the honesty of the interviews I conduct, increase the number of potential interviews I can conduct, and improve the way the interviews go. The questions the reading discussed were things I can use to develop this attitude and relationship and I'm nervous about the challenge, but excited to grow this way.
These are two ways my thoughts about my study have grown and changed. What are your thoughts?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Journal 9 - How might you see things going in Ghana?
In response to my "Journal 3 - A day at a Time", Andrew (my Ghana facilitator) asked me a couple follow-up questions and suggestions. I've included one of those questions in my Journal 9 topic, because today I wanted explore my answers.
I feel like Andrew's question is referring both to how I imagine I'll be conducting my study, how it might be received or perceived in the community, and what challenges or surprises I might encounter. It's a good question that will help me solidify my research focus and plan.
First I want to make a general study of the clinic's policies and function in relation to the community. Joan Dixon, the IAS 220 - International Development Professor, recommended a way to do this. Namely with The Community Capitals Framework Theory, by Cornelia Butler Flora (see below)
Sustainability in a community or organization is effected by the availability and strength of each of these "Capitals". For example, built capital for the Salvation Army Health Clinic might involve how functional, serviceable and sturdy their building is, their natural capital would involve the herbs or diseases are available/present in the area, the Human capital describes what doctors and volunteer skills are available in the community, etc. Identifying how each capital is involved and how they positively or negatively effect the sustainability of the clinic will give me a thorough description and coprehensive understanding of sustainability strengths and challenges.
Second, I want to involve the Wiamoase community opinions of the clinic's efforts. How would they measure the influence and involvment of the community on the clinic's efforts and focus? What needs does the community have? Does the clinic meet the primary needs? What challenges do they see the clinic having? What solutions would they offer to those challenges? This is a way to explore the level of participation the clinic employs and the community feels. Since this is a huge topic in Development, I want make their thoughts a focus of my study.
I'm sure that as my understanding of Development Theory and ethnographic studies, these ideas will narrow and focus, but I'm excited to study this topic in Wiamoase. I wonder if I should learn more about Salvation Army Efforts to avoid surprises and unknowns in that part of my study. I wonder who I could specifically interview to get a good sample of neighborhood opinions. Is this study too broad or am I focusing it enough? How open will people feel they can be with me about this topic? Is it something that interests them? Is it something they can see a benefit in being involved in? How will they feel when I ask them these questions? Will anything (like the influence of the clinic in the area, or the possible consequences of being open about concerns or improvements they would want to make) keep them from being open? How might studying and understanding the community politics and relationships better improve my the quality of my interviews?
I'm excited about the way this project is shaping. What are your thoughts?
I feel like Andrew's question is referring both to how I imagine I'll be conducting my study, how it might be received or perceived in the community, and what challenges or surprises I might encounter. It's a good question that will help me solidify my research focus and plan.
First I want to make a general study of the clinic's policies and function in relation to the community. Joan Dixon, the IAS 220 - International Development Professor, recommended a way to do this. Namely with The Community Capitals Framework Theory, by Cornelia Butler Flora (see below)
Sustainability in a community or organization is effected by the availability and strength of each of these "Capitals". For example, built capital for the Salvation Army Health Clinic might involve how functional, serviceable and sturdy their building is, their natural capital would involve the herbs or diseases are available/present in the area, the Human capital describes what doctors and volunteer skills are available in the community, etc. Identifying how each capital is involved and how they positively or negatively effect the sustainability of the clinic will give me a thorough description and coprehensive understanding of sustainability strengths and challenges.
Second, I want to involve the Wiamoase community opinions of the clinic's efforts. How would they measure the influence and involvment of the community on the clinic's efforts and focus? What needs does the community have? Does the clinic meet the primary needs? What challenges do they see the clinic having? What solutions would they offer to those challenges? This is a way to explore the level of participation the clinic employs and the community feels. Since this is a huge topic in Development, I want make their thoughts a focus of my study.
I'm sure that as my understanding of Development Theory and ethnographic studies, these ideas will narrow and focus, but I'm excited to study this topic in Wiamoase. I wonder if I should learn more about Salvation Army Efforts to avoid surprises and unknowns in that part of my study. I wonder who I could specifically interview to get a good sample of neighborhood opinions. Is this study too broad or am I focusing it enough? How open will people feel they can be with me about this topic? Is it something that interests them? Is it something they can see a benefit in being involved in? How will they feel when I ask them these questions? Will anything (like the influence of the clinic in the area, or the possible consequences of being open about concerns or improvements they would want to make) keep them from being open? How might studying and understanding the community politics and relationships better improve my the quality of my interviews?
I'm excited about the way this project is shaping. What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Journal 8 - "Saving Grace"
I watched a movie called "Saving Grace" (with Tom Conti) the other day. Watching this movie as I prepare to do a field study this summer helped me focus on the challenges and attitudes this man faced as he attempted to understand and help a community. I wanted to record and explore the field study techniques I noticed from that movie.
The movie was about a Pope who, after serving in administrative duties for a year, struggles to know if his efforts in the Vatican are positively effecting the people he serves. Through a series of incidences, he leaves the Vatican and ventures to a small town that has requested a priest. While he's there he works anonymously among the people to try and understand their needs and empower them to meet those personally.
I found it important that when the Pope left the Vatican, he no longer used his "position" as pope in his interactions with other people. He wanted to understand the context of others without influencing their behavior and decisions with his identity. This way, he communicated his desire for real understanding of the community. It's only through this behavior that he is empowered to understand and offer real help, as opposed to making hasty assumptions and offering rude or quick solutions. When I go to Ghana, I want to act this way, not anonymously, but detached from my identity as a 24 year old US student studying this community. Instead I want to really get to know others, really interact with them as if we're equal and the same, because although I could adopt the notion that I'm different, essentially we are the same.
Also, each of the Pope's attempt to get to know people and situations was accompanied by an observant and respectful attitude. He listened carefully to each person, with an open mind to what they shared. This included him accepting their varied reactions to his questions and curious presence. This helped those he talked to further disclose their interpretation and opinion of events, as well as allowed them to trust him more. What a difficult attitude to have, as if you have no preconceived notions or expectations, but can accept whatever they want to do or think.
Finally, because of his deep and real approached to understand this community, he often experienced unexpected and sometimes negative things. His "field work" experience was unpredictable because he didn't try to control it or sway the people. Instead, honestly working with them to discover and understand their needs resulted in frequent surprises and difficult challenges.
His development effort was not something I will be attempting as a field study student, but I think his experience held lessons for me as I prepare to go to Ghana. I will be associating with people with deep emotions and opinions, whose actions and attitudes will effect my study and may disrupt it and cause challenges. I hope that I can have the attitude that the man in this movie had: one that conveys a deep respect for others and acceptance of their decisions.
The movie was about a Pope who, after serving in administrative duties for a year, struggles to know if his efforts in the Vatican are positively effecting the people he serves. Through a series of incidences, he leaves the Vatican and ventures to a small town that has requested a priest. While he's there he works anonymously among the people to try and understand their needs and empower them to meet those personally.
I found it important that when the Pope left the Vatican, he no longer used his "position" as pope in his interactions with other people. He wanted to understand the context of others without influencing their behavior and decisions with his identity. This way, he communicated his desire for real understanding of the community. It's only through this behavior that he is empowered to understand and offer real help, as opposed to making hasty assumptions and offering rude or quick solutions. When I go to Ghana, I want to act this way, not anonymously, but detached from my identity as a 24 year old US student studying this community. Instead I want to really get to know others, really interact with them as if we're equal and the same, because although I could adopt the notion that I'm different, essentially we are the same.
Also, each of the Pope's attempt to get to know people and situations was accompanied by an observant and respectful attitude. He listened carefully to each person, with an open mind to what they shared. This included him accepting their varied reactions to his questions and curious presence. This helped those he talked to further disclose their interpretation and opinion of events, as well as allowed them to trust him more. What a difficult attitude to have, as if you have no preconceived notions or expectations, but can accept whatever they want to do or think.
Finally, because of his deep and real approached to understand this community, he often experienced unexpected and sometimes negative things. His "field work" experience was unpredictable because he didn't try to control it or sway the people. Instead, honestly working with them to discover and understand their needs resulted in frequent surprises and difficult challenges.
His development effort was not something I will be attempting as a field study student, but I think his experience held lessons for me as I prepare to go to Ghana. I will be associating with people with deep emotions and opinions, whose actions and attitudes will effect my study and may disrupt it and cause challenges. I hope that I can have the attitude that the man in this movie had: one that conveys a deep respect for others and acceptance of their decisions.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Journal 7 - Culture Thoughts
1. People in Ghana class. Since I first sat down in my twi class, which is half Ghanaian students and makes for unfamiliar and explorable relationships, I've felt a curiosity about the subtle differences I could sense but not pin-point between myself and these other students. I am curious about how they see me, what influences that perception, and how that will improve or change with time. Will I ever really understand the subtleties of their culture? How can I better improve my behavior to invite openness from them and an opportunity for learning?
Culture from reading. This article was interesting because as I read through it I noticed that the biggest barrier to understanding the dos and don'ts of a culture is language. There are undertones that no matter how hard I try, I probably won't understand after 90 days in the field. How can I overcome that barrier for the sake of my study? I am doing something completely foreign to the rest of my experiences (like on my mission) and I don't know if two transfers would be enough time for me to learn even a part of what I need to.
Twi money differences. A difference I learned about on Wednesday that's been on my mind was the differences in money mentalities in Ghana and the US. Millie explained about how Ghanaians see a thousand dollars in the bank as a selfish excess. I'd never thought about that before, but I appreciated the explanation and already I've started trying to factor it into my mental role-play when it comes to bartering, buying food, or negotiating rent. I'm grateful for explanations like that and look forward to more as a way to avoid misunderstandings stemming from culture differences.
Culture from reading. This article was interesting because as I read through it I noticed that the biggest barrier to understanding the dos and don'ts of a culture is language. There are undertones that no matter how hard I try, I probably won't understand after 90 days in the field. How can I overcome that barrier for the sake of my study? I am doing something completely foreign to the rest of my experiences (like on my mission) and I don't know if two transfers would be enough time for me to learn even a part of what I need to.
Twi money differences. A difference I learned about on Wednesday that's been on my mind was the differences in money mentalities in Ghana and the US. Millie explained about how Ghanaians see a thousand dollars in the bank as a selfish excess. I'd never thought about that before, but I appreciated the explanation and already I've started trying to factor it into my mental role-play when it comes to bartering, buying food, or negotiating rent. I'm grateful for explanations like that and look forward to more as a way to avoid misunderstandings stemming from culture differences.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Journal 6 - Sources: the Challenge and Excitement!
Today I sorted through probably twenty different sources to find the basic four I want as my beginning framework. It wasn't challenging to find related topics to my research question as much as it seemed important to me to find sources that I could build my research around. I chose what I'll term the big four, each was unique in it's emphasis on one of four aspects of my research.
I'm studying development efforts in the Salvation Army Clinic in Wiamoase, so I chose to base those efforts within the UN context and hopefully will be able to link the efforts of the clinic to the efforts the UN communicated were important in the realm of health. I think that although the Millennium goals have proved a challenge to achieve, the pin-point the major problems that development efforts should focus on.
Because I know little about health clinics, I found an article prepared for a WHO conference about health and development enlightening and think it will prove helpful to my research. I'm not sure what indicators I should use to evaluate the efforts of the Salvation army Clinic, so an article about the theory and purpose of development indicators will prove useful for helping me address this community's unique characteristics. Finally, I have been studying from a book written about the foundation of Development Theory and the intricate situations and problems with that field. I think because this book is what drew me to the topic in the first place, it will be a huge resource as I prepare for this field study experience.
Doing this research has brought to my attention the difficulties that will be involved in field research. I'm nervous and feeling a little under-prepared and under-qualified as I read these articles and documents. I think that I feel more prepared for the field after the last few weeks of class, especially as I begin to see the foundation we're slowly building for this experience. I'm sure that there will be challenges dealing with language, culture, and the shortage of time and I wonder how I'll be able to successfully study this topic within the confines of these limiting factors.
I'm studying development efforts in the Salvation Army Clinic in Wiamoase, so I chose to base those efforts within the UN context and hopefully will be able to link the efforts of the clinic to the efforts the UN communicated were important in the realm of health. I think that although the Millennium goals have proved a challenge to achieve, the pin-point the major problems that development efforts should focus on.
Because I know little about health clinics, I found an article prepared for a WHO conference about health and development enlightening and think it will prove helpful to my research. I'm not sure what indicators I should use to evaluate the efforts of the Salvation army Clinic, so an article about the theory and purpose of development indicators will prove useful for helping me address this community's unique characteristics. Finally, I have been studying from a book written about the foundation of Development Theory and the intricate situations and problems with that field. I think because this book is what drew me to the topic in the first place, it will be a huge resource as I prepare for this field study experience.
Doing this research has brought to my attention the difficulties that will be involved in field research. I'm nervous and feeling a little under-prepared and under-qualified as I read these articles and documents. I think that I feel more prepared for the field after the last few weeks of class, especially as I begin to see the foundation we're slowly building for this experience. I'm sure that there will be challenges dealing with language, culture, and the shortage of time and I wonder how I'll be able to successfully study this topic within the confines of these limiting factors.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Journal 5 - Considering Methodology and Culture Shock
I thought I'd take some time today to write about what I learned from doing that Super-quick Document Analysis today. I analyzed articles about Development views in a community and clinic policies, respectively. Each had to do with what I want to study in Wiamoase.
The first study was conducted in a Mayan community in Guatemala, where a young man interviewed people from different social strata on how they would view effective development in their own lives. As I read this article I wondered what kind of answers people in my neighborhood would give if asked the same questions - how would they seek to improve their own personal development? How would those answers differ according to age, family background, and religious involvement? How would people answer if the question was focused on what they would like to personally develop to improve the future for their children? I think their answers would sometimes concern education, some would probably involve less serious answers, some would involve making changes in government. If I was to conduct interviews like this man in Wiamoase, how could I focus my questions on development as opposed to answers about making changes in local government? I wish the study had included some of the questions he'd asked and what questions he found most effective.
As for the second study, I didn't find it as helpful in terms of methods because I felt like she lacked those in her study. She didn't really use any sources that supported or gave a context to her subject and it helped me realize the importance of paying attention to what we are going to discuss today in class. I want to get a better handle on the history of my community and clinic foundation, as well on sustainable development efforts before class to help me prepare and develop my project proposal.
After skimming and answering the questions for the assignment, I went back and read the first part of the paper where the girl discussed the feelings she had upon first arriving in India at the hospital she was going to study with. I found her thoughts and description of what the adjustment was like refreshingly open and insightful. She described how it felt to enter a community where she couldn't communicate, how alone and frustrated she felt when she couldn't conduct her study the way she'd wanted to, and she described feeling out of place and different than the people around her. I appreciated hearing those stories, even though it made me nervous for the first little while in the community, I'm not learning Twi very well and I don't feel like I know how to barter or haggle for rent. Her description made me wonder what would be most frustrating to me and how I can best prepare for that... Perhaps I should devote an three hours a week just to things that will help me adjust to the culture of Wiamoase instead of just focusing my efforts on what I'll research and how.
The first study was conducted in a Mayan community in Guatemala, where a young man interviewed people from different social strata on how they would view effective development in their own lives. As I read this article I wondered what kind of answers people in my neighborhood would give if asked the same questions - how would they seek to improve their own personal development? How would those answers differ according to age, family background, and religious involvement? How would people answer if the question was focused on what they would like to personally develop to improve the future for their children? I think their answers would sometimes concern education, some would probably involve less serious answers, some would involve making changes in government. If I was to conduct interviews like this man in Wiamoase, how could I focus my questions on development as opposed to answers about making changes in local government? I wish the study had included some of the questions he'd asked and what questions he found most effective.
As for the second study, I didn't find it as helpful in terms of methods because I felt like she lacked those in her study. She didn't really use any sources that supported or gave a context to her subject and it helped me realize the importance of paying attention to what we are going to discuss today in class. I want to get a better handle on the history of my community and clinic foundation, as well on sustainable development efforts before class to help me prepare and develop my project proposal.
After skimming and answering the questions for the assignment, I went back and read the first part of the paper where the girl discussed the feelings she had upon first arriving in India at the hospital she was going to study with. I found her thoughts and description of what the adjustment was like refreshingly open and insightful. She described how it felt to enter a community where she couldn't communicate, how alone and frustrated she felt when she couldn't conduct her study the way she'd wanted to, and she described feeling out of place and different than the people around her. I appreciated hearing those stories, even though it made me nervous for the first little while in the community, I'm not learning Twi very well and I don't feel like I know how to barter or haggle for rent. Her description made me wonder what would be most frustrating to me and how I can best prepare for that... Perhaps I should devote an three hours a week just to things that will help me adjust to the culture of Wiamoase instead of just focusing my efforts on what I'll research and how.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Journal 4 - Reading about Research Design
When I read the reading assignment for today, I knew that I wasn't going to really benefit from reading and considering all the questions included in the text, but I wanted to use some of those questions to really help me improve my study development. Since I feel like my Research Design needs some help, I spent a while brainstorming answers to the questions from that section.
The first question was What was the purpose of the study: exploration, description, explanation, or a combination? As I considered this question, I realized I'd like to become familiar with and describe the policies of the SA Clinic, AND explore the perceptions of the community of those policies. This ultimately helped me narrow my research down to a description and exploration study. I like the focus those simple categories give my research, and that what I want the purpose of my study to be fits well in these categories.
Another good group of questions that spurred thought was What was the unit of analysis? Was it appropriate to the purpose of the study? Are the conclusions drawn from the research appropriate to the unit of analysis? For example, have the researchers studied cities and ended up with assertions about individuals? From this I tried to find a unit of analysis. It is difficult for me to pinpoint, but I feel like a good unit would be the development policies in the SA Clinic. As the rest of the questions implicate, my research should focus on describing and exploring opinions about these policies. My conclusion would have to deal with whether they are effective (I'm not sure how I'll measure that yet; perhaps through opinions and the success in solving an issue the clinic or community faces). I think this question helped me see the focus my study should have on policies, without making conclusions beyond what I've studied. As I read these questions, I think it educated me on what mistakes I should avoid (confusing units of measurement and conclusions) and helping me shape my research design. All of the questions helped, but these two especially made me think.
Because I want to ask good, effective questions, I've also been thinking about how helpful it would be to participate weekly in a Development Effort in Provo. I think that could influence my research proposal if as I'm developing my method of research I have a situation where I can imagine the questions I would ask the volunteers, administrators, or community members about this effort and how those questions would be received.
The first question was What was the purpose of the study: exploration, description, explanation, or a combination? As I considered this question, I realized I'd like to become familiar with and describe the policies of the SA Clinic, AND explore the perceptions of the community of those policies. This ultimately helped me narrow my research down to a description and exploration study. I like the focus those simple categories give my research, and that what I want the purpose of my study to be fits well in these categories.
Another good group of questions that spurred thought was What was the unit of analysis? Was it appropriate to the purpose of the study? Are the conclusions drawn from the research appropriate to the unit of analysis? For example, have the researchers studied cities and ended up with assertions about individuals? From this I tried to find a unit of analysis. It is difficult for me to pinpoint, but I feel like a good unit would be the development policies in the SA Clinic. As the rest of the questions implicate, my research should focus on describing and exploring opinions about these policies. My conclusion would have to deal with whether they are effective (I'm not sure how I'll measure that yet; perhaps through opinions and the success in solving an issue the clinic or community faces). I think this question helped me see the focus my study should have on policies, without making conclusions beyond what I've studied. As I read these questions, I think it educated me on what mistakes I should avoid (confusing units of measurement and conclusions) and helping me shape my research design. All of the questions helped, but these two especially made me think.
Because I want to ask good, effective questions, I've also been thinking about how helpful it would be to participate weekly in a Development Effort in Provo. I think that could influence my research proposal if as I'm developing my method of research I have a situation where I can imagine the questions I would ask the volunteers, administrators, or community members about this effort and how those questions would be received.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Journal 3 - A Day at a Time
An Aside: This morning I listened to D. Todd Christofferson talk in a replay of the CES Fireside this last Sunday. He taught about taking things a day at a time when you feel overwhelmed, instead of focusing on the sometimes daunting future. I felt that his message applied to the "to do" list for this research opportunity. While I feel a desire to participate in this program, thinking about all there is to get done can get me quickly overwhelmed. The talk helped me see that even though it may be a challenge to get do Ghana and do field research, because I think it will be a shaping and worth-while experience, I can do it if I take things a day at a time.
Now for the thoughts I've had on my project design. Something that really helped my research process this morning came from a diagram in the library website...
From this diagram I researched the basics of a topic I've been leaning toward: International Development Theory. In my research I ran into some theories about "developmental sustainability" that caught my attention and drew my interest. The basic tenets of this idea are that once developmental aid is provided or offered, how sustainable is the aid? I didn't realize until I studied the ways that one can increase sustainability that this was something I identified with success in development efforts, the ability of the people a project helps to continue it on their own or to contribute in a major way.
A reason I can identify this as a major factor in developmental success deals with the personal experiences of my friends and myself. One example: I had a friend who volunteered to travel to Ecuador with Habitat for Humanity. She commented on her surprise that, although the members of the community were friendly, the effort her group was making to build these homes seemed less effective because members of the community weren't involved in the effort. It seems like a project would experience more success and more beneficial to people if there is more working together between a community and an organization. It might also be easier to increase the longevity and reach of the cause if it involved input and participation from the recipient community or population.
After reflecting on this theory and the points made, I thought about the Salvation Army clinic in Wiamoase that I've been considering doing my project on. What are the views of the community toward this clinic? How much involvement does the community have? What policies make community participation necessary? What SA policies might limit that involvement? Does the clinic's longtime presence in the community indicate policies that facilitate sustainable efforts? What are these? Are there attitudes of the community that help or hurt the clinic's sustainability?
What do you think about my questions?
Now for the thoughts I've had on my project design. Something that really helped my research process this morning came from a diagram in the library website...
From this diagram I researched the basics of a topic I've been leaning toward: International Development Theory. In my research I ran into some theories about "developmental sustainability" that caught my attention and drew my interest. The basic tenets of this idea are that once developmental aid is provided or offered, how sustainable is the aid? I didn't realize until I studied the ways that one can increase sustainability that this was something I identified with success in development efforts, the ability of the people a project helps to continue it on their own or to contribute in a major way.A reason I can identify this as a major factor in developmental success deals with the personal experiences of my friends and myself. One example: I had a friend who volunteered to travel to Ecuador with Habitat for Humanity. She commented on her surprise that, although the members of the community were friendly, the effort her group was making to build these homes seemed less effective because members of the community weren't involved in the effort. It seems like a project would experience more success and more beneficial to people if there is more working together between a community and an organization. It might also be easier to increase the longevity and reach of the cause if it involved input and participation from the recipient community or population.
After reflecting on this theory and the points made, I thought about the Salvation Army clinic in Wiamoase that I've been considering doing my project on. What are the views of the community toward this clinic? How much involvement does the community have? What policies make community participation necessary? What SA policies might limit that involvement? Does the clinic's longtime presence in the community indicate policies that facilitate sustainable efforts? What are these? Are there attitudes of the community that help or hurt the clinic's sustainability?
What do you think about my questions?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Journal 2 - What's Unique about Field Research?
I just read Babbie's "Qualitative Field Research and Research Design" and learned the answer to this question.
I've been involved in quantitative research methods and abstract thinking throughout my college experience, but Babbie highlights a point in his writing that makes it evident field work is sometimes the only way you can come to a real answer. He comments "Clearly we could not have discovered the nature and strength of agreements... except through field research... Only going out into life, doing it, and watching what happened gave us an accurate picture."
This method of learning (through field research) seems like a very real analysis and like it involves a great deal of observation and good questions. I'm glad for all the material we read in class, since it really helps me understand what kind of perspective I'm going to need to have for going out in the field.
Something I'm considering studying in Ghana are the ways that the education system in Wiamoase is benefited by humanitarian or developmental efforts and what the effects of that help has on the students' perspective and attitude about their community and the direction of their future. I'm curious to know if they feel more empowered to migrate from the community, or if there are any other results of the education.
Because of this article, I can see that I should consider the people I would interview, and how I would need to be involved in either the school system or with someone involved in the effort. I would need to ask questions of others about what they think about the effort and if they've noticed an influence on the community. I think I can shape what I want to study into a field research experience and reading this article has helped me figure out how to do that better, as well as helped me see the constraints that might be on my research topic.
I've been involved in quantitative research methods and abstract thinking throughout my college experience, but Babbie highlights a point in his writing that makes it evident field work is sometimes the only way you can come to a real answer. He comments "Clearly we could not have discovered the nature and strength of agreements... except through field research... Only going out into life, doing it, and watching what happened gave us an accurate picture."
This method of learning (through field research) seems like a very real analysis and like it involves a great deal of observation and good questions. I'm glad for all the material we read in class, since it really helps me understand what kind of perspective I'm going to need to have for going out in the field.
Something I'm considering studying in Ghana are the ways that the education system in Wiamoase is benefited by humanitarian or developmental efforts and what the effects of that help has on the students' perspective and attitude about their community and the direction of their future. I'm curious to know if they feel more empowered to migrate from the community, or if there are any other results of the education.
Because of this article, I can see that I should consider the people I would interview, and how I would need to be involved in either the school system or with someone involved in the effort. I would need to ask questions of others about what they think about the effort and if they've noticed an influence on the community. I think I can shape what I want to study into a field research experience and reading this article has helped me figure out how to do that better, as well as helped me see the constraints that might be on my research topic.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Journal 1 - Topic Ideas
My desire to take a more hands on apporach to geography is the reason this field study adventure began, and my struggle to nail down a particular research question has surprisingly helped me realize that desire.
I want a research topic that deals with Geography and fits into the Ghanaan experience I'm going have so the last few days I've spent a couple hours developing and discussing my ideas with three professors. The conversation with them has helped me decide on some direction in three areas--migration or population changes because of humanitarian efforts, Ashanti and Colonial Influences on Wiamoase's Local Government, and Muslim, Christian, and Anamist interaction in Wiamoase and Ashanti region.
While I talked to my professors, I realized that asking these questions was helping me explore and consider geographic concepts better than I ever have before. This hands on experience is teaching me how to do research in the field of geography, helping me think deeper about geography, and get to know by professors in a different way as I talk with them as for their advise. This realization of what i'm already learning has given me a small dose of what I'll have learned when I'm completed the field study.
I am really grateful for the help and advise that these professors gave me, the viability they confirmed in each topic, and the thought of studying any of these things. However my lingering concern is two-fold: the topics are broad and difficult to decide between--making me wish I knew more about the Ghanaan community I'm going to-- and I only have until Wednesday to narrow things to one topic.
I want a research topic that deals with Geography and fits into the Ghanaan experience I'm going have so the last few days I've spent a couple hours developing and discussing my ideas with three professors. The conversation with them has helped me decide on some direction in three areas--migration or population changes because of humanitarian efforts, Ashanti and Colonial Influences on Wiamoase's Local Government, and Muslim, Christian, and Anamist interaction in Wiamoase and Ashanti region.
While I talked to my professors, I realized that asking these questions was helping me explore and consider geographic concepts better than I ever have before. This hands on experience is teaching me how to do research in the field of geography, helping me think deeper about geography, and get to know by professors in a different way as I talk with them as for their advise. This realization of what i'm already learning has given me a small dose of what I'll have learned when I'm completed the field study.
I am really grateful for the help and advise that these professors gave me, the viability they confirmed in each topic, and the thought of studying any of these things. However my lingering concern is two-fold: the topics are broad and difficult to decide between--making me wish I knew more about the Ghanaan community I'm going to-- and I only have until Wednesday to narrow things to one topic.
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