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.

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!

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!

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?

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.

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?

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.