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.”
Monday, February 28, 2011
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?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)