Module Three Skype - 29th Sept 6pm

In this evenings Skype discussion we talked about where we all are in terms of carrying out our inquiry. 

We agreed that COVID-19 has altered the way we collect data in terms of not being able to carry out interviews in person. Additionally, many of us stated how we are working full time now whereas before lockdown we had more time to focus on the degree work. 

I asked how everyone found writing the questions for the focus groups/ interviews. It was stated that the broader the question the more of a response was given by participants. Adesola suggested that a great way of asking a question was to state "I experienced this..., what's your experience been...". This makes the participants feel comfortable in sharing their experiences after hearing yours, also this makes it more personal. 

Again we spoke about the importance of keeping a reflective journal. Not only for our personal development but also for information from interviews and notes that have been made throughout the data collection. This makes it easier to collate information and link it to themes, literature and own experiences. Many people have focused on themes and collecting data in categories.

Ethically, we looked at how things have changed. COVID again has caused issues in terms of recognising and appreciating where participants are working within their practise and their own privileges. Everyone has had a different impact due to this pandemic and questions that were at first going to be asked may now be more sensitive than before. This may lead to creating a different procedure towards asking certain questions. Additionally, a negative cloud may overhang certain responses because of the arts being so effected. There must be a consideration of participants emotions and distress in this time. 

This call was great to see how everyone is getting along with their inquiry. I found it useful in terms of finding out how everyone is collecting and storing their data. Thank you to all who attended. 

Questioning and reflection - Skype Call 23rd Sept 9pm

To begin we all introduced ourselves - stated what module we are on, what we are currently doing and what we would like to discuss in the call. 

I suggested looking at how COVID-19 is affecting daily practise and if this is having an impact on planning or carrying out the inquiry. Helen offered to start a blog post regarding this topic as it could create a large conversation and will give the opportunity to give people a space to offer their experiences.

We then discussed the idea of questioning, looking at what questions are good for, how we structure them and what are their intentions? A few tips were given from module three students about interview questions. These included starting with broader questions to warm up a focus group or ease into an interview and then semi-structuring the questions more to create a deeper understanding around more specific topics. Overall the notion of questioning others is to gain information and gather different views and experiences. 

We then looked at what is it to question without the purpose of getting a direct answer. By asking ourselves questions we challenge our assumptions. This can help us to analyse our own practise and its relevance and then further open up to different views and ideas. Avoiding assumptions also allows us to avoid bias. We are all learning by questioning so avoiding a narrow pathway is crucial in order to open up space for more knowledge. 

In relation to my inquiry, I have found it crucial to look beyond my immediate subject area and find out more by asking questions on the broader topic of my inquiry. Although I am studying inequality in relation to dance, I am finding it important to increase my knowledge on inequality in general. I'm currently seeking answers through feminist literature from authors from various backgrounds-  not specifically dance as such. This knowledge this will allow myself to have more background information on the inquiry topic which can help shape my understanding. 

The idea of reflection was then discussed. Reflection can be done by questioning actions or can create personal questions. I mentioned how useful keeping a reflective journal can be and that I have found it significant in monitoring progress in terms of knowledge and thoughts. It is essential to constantly question yourself even if, like myself, you are in the process of questioning others. This can allow time to look at and analyse our personal processes and focus on developmental aspects as well as manageability. 

From this discussion it has highlighted to me how important it is to focus on the journey of learning throughout this course. I can get hung up on meeting deadlines and focusing on the work at hand instead of taking a step back to see progress and reflect on how I have developed from what I have learnt.

Please comment below if you missed this Skype and have any further questions regarding the discussion. It would be great to hear if anyone has specific questions they ask themselves which they use to reflect on often. I find it useful to ask myself 'how has this impacted my learning?' after reading literature or watching a video as it focuses my thoughts and guides my future research.

Module Three Begins...

 

Hello everyone. 

New term, new ideas! 

I have had a one-to-one tutorial with Helen this week and it has focused my mind before starting with module three. After discussing my intentions and visions I can already see new paths and different ideas forming regarding my inquiry proposal. I am excited to start researching and exploring further into the topic of inequality in dance. 

I have noticed immediately that I am focusing too much on specific genders within my proposal. Looking at feminism, I have previously felt that it is essential to look at genders in terms of their different responses. After reflection, gender is not key in my inquiry and I believe I am conforming too much to the cut-dry definitions of gender- male and female. Inequality can happen to anyone and I want to examine how diverse it can be. This means my research will be more all-inclusive and encompass a wider range of perspectives. 

One thing myself and Helen did discuss were ideal terms to use when addressing participants in relation to keeping my research neutral. When I carry out my focus groups I will create an open forum in which I will address all participants as 'performing artists' as opposed to 'female performers' or 'male performers'. This allows all participants to openly express their views without having a gender label. I am unsure how this will effect my analysis but I believe it's essential to hear every response in a neural manor and without any preconceived presumptions. I plan to keep my research ethical throughout. It will be interesting to hear how others in module three are ensuring ethical considerations are applied within their proposal. Please comment below. 

Within these first few weeks of the module, I will focus on reading more into feminism, not just in a performance based setting, but at feminism in general. If anyone reading my blog has any recommendations on feminist literature I would appreciate your suggestions. It would be great to hear from others regarding their inquiry and if there are any connections that we can discuss or share knowledge on. 

Good luck to all starting module three as well as those who are new or returning to the course.