Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Amy Nagle's Inquiry Presentation
I listened to Amy's presentation about her projectand wanted to comment on it a little bit. She talks about some of the different physical activities that are related to core stability in Ghana- she mentions specifically the way women carry things, including their children. We have all seen the pictures of African women carrying large loads on their heads, as well, I am always amazed at how they will carry their children on their backs all day. This seems like anobvious difference between the African cultur and the American culture. I question if i will be able to find these same types of postural activities in Mexico. It makes me think that the kinds of activities that will affect core stability will be more subtle and therefore harder to recognize. It also brings to mind that perhaps there will not be a difference in core stability between Mexican and American children. If this is the case, there isn't really anything that I can do and the results willnot show as different. But if there is a difference, I need to be making very close observations and figuring out what the differences are caused by. I will really try to involve myself as much as possible in the activities of the people in order to not only observe the differences with my eyes, but to also feel the affects of the acitivities on my own muscles. I wonder though if I will be able to participate in all of the activities. I will probably be able to easily participate in the activities of the younger women or even the older women. It might be more difficult to participate in the activities of the children and especially of the men. I will do my best to be able to do what the children dobecause they represent the population that I am studying. I don't want top be seen as strange though and I don't want to overstep my bounds with the kids either. I'm not sure how much I'll try to participate in the activities of the men. I feel like that would seem even stranger to the people. Iwill try to make good observations though (even then I wonder if they will think that I am strange for watching them in the fields.) I'll try to do it in a way that is inconspicuous. If I just sit and watch- that would seem weird. I'll have to make observations while I am walking from place to place and listen carefully without seeming too strange. Hopefully, I will be able to be doing something while I observe so that they do not realize that I am observing them.
Language again
Matt you should still give me credit for doing this post. It was insightful and from a specific conference lecture that Ashley recommended that we listen to. So here it is again.
I listened to "Where's my Babel Fish" yesterday and have been thinking a bit about language in general. First off I think it's great that we were given a list of slang and profane words and phrases to help us understand a little bit better what is going on. In addition, I have been thinking a lot about language from doing the translation work for my consent and assent forms. There are so many words that are just not common in Spanish. For instance some of the exercises and equipment that I will be using just are not common words in Spanish- at least not for a common person. I think I could say the same thing for English sometimes. If I start talking about lateral flexion of the I.S. joint, most people are not going to understand what I'm talking about. This is also something that I have seen when I work in the physical therapy clinic. The PT will explain certain structures of the body or procedures using words that I just learned in my anatomy class last semester. So, I am sure that the patient does not quite understand what he is talking about. This is just not too helpful for that person. This is something that I will need to be careful of when I am in the field. Common words for me may be uncommon to the people I will be living with. Even Spanish words that I have learned in class may actually be rarely used in rural Mexico and there will be other words that the people use for what I want to say. I imagine I will have frequent headaches while I am there trying to understand what is going on. So while this difficulty and problem is inevitable, I hope that it will not hinder me too much in my field study experience. In fact, I am excited to figure out how the people living in the rural areas outside of Irapuato speak and communicate differently than I have imagined here. It will be neat to learn some of the appropriate words and phrases that are unique only to Mexico and even only to Irapuato and the Ranchos.
In addition, it is not only language that differs between cultures, but as Liann described, there are concepts and ideas that vary greatly. Some ideas in American English just do not exist in India. I anticipate that there will be some similar difficulties that I find in Mexico. I am especially interested to find out the differences in their understanding of health and physical activity and then see how these differences in ideas bring about differences in behavior. At the end of Liann's discussion she mentions that she wishes she had emphasized the qualitative data more because it helps interpret the significance of the quantitative data so much more. This is something that I have been thinking about. I hope that three months in Irapuato is sufficient time to shed some light on the cultural reasons for physical differences between Mexico and other areas of the world.
I listened to "Where's my Babel Fish" yesterday and have been thinking a bit about language in general. First off I think it's great that we were given a list of slang and profane words and phrases to help us understand a little bit better what is going on. In addition, I have been thinking a lot about language from doing the translation work for my consent and assent forms. There are so many words that are just not common in Spanish. For instance some of the exercises and equipment that I will be using just are not common words in Spanish- at least not for a common person. I think I could say the same thing for English sometimes. If I start talking about lateral flexion of the I.S. joint, most people are not going to understand what I'm talking about. This is also something that I have seen when I work in the physical therapy clinic. The PT will explain certain structures of the body or procedures using words that I just learned in my anatomy class last semester. So, I am sure that the patient does not quite understand what he is talking about. This is just not too helpful for that person. This is something that I will need to be careful of when I am in the field. Common words for me may be uncommon to the people I will be living with. Even Spanish words that I have learned in class may actually be rarely used in rural Mexico and there will be other words that the people use for what I want to say. I imagine I will have frequent headaches while I am there trying to understand what is going on. So while this difficulty and problem is inevitable, I hope that it will not hinder me too much in my field study experience. In fact, I am excited to figure out how the people living in the rural areas outside of Irapuato speak and communicate differently than I have imagined here. It will be neat to learn some of the appropriate words and phrases that are unique only to Mexico and even only to Irapuato and the Ranchos.
In addition, it is not only language that differs between cultures, but as Liann described, there are concepts and ideas that vary greatly. Some ideas in American English just do not exist in India. I anticipate that there will be some similar difficulties that I find in Mexico. I am especially interested to find out the differences in their understanding of health and physical activity and then see how these differences in ideas bring about differences in behavior. At the end of Liann's discussion she mentions that she wishes she had emphasized the qualitative data more because it helps interpret the significance of the quantitative data so much more. This is something that I have been thinking about. I hope that three months in Irapuato is sufficient time to shed some light on the cultural reasons for physical differences between Mexico and other areas of the world.
asking questions to get good answers
I have been thinking a little about the conversations that I am going to have in Mexico and how I would like to find out more about their ideas of health and the role it plays in their lives. I am not planning on doing any formal interviewing for my project but I thought that it would be helpful to go over one of the readings about asking questions to gain some insight into how to get answers to some of the questions I have. While reading through it I have tried to come up with some useful questions that I could ask while engaged in friendly conversation. Some of these questions are not formed in a descriptive way, but by asking them I can then ask the ones that are more descriptive. Here they are:
· Why do you cook the food that way?
· When you cook, what is the most important part of it?
· What would you say that your husband would say is most important?
· What would you do differently if your child were sick/ too skinny/ too fat?
· What types of activities do you do that you feel make you stronger?
· Do you ever do anything just to make you stronger?
· When is it that you start to feel tired while working? Do you ever?
· What is an interesting question about health?
· If a group of mothers was talking after cooking dinner/ doing chores what kinds of questions would they ask each other?
· Could you describe a typical day in the fields/ doing chores/ at school?
· Could you describe your day yesterday from the time that you finished school to the time that you went to bed?
· Tell me about the last time you had to run? The last time your muscles were sore? Why?
· The next time you ______________ (do laundry, go to the town, cook that) can I come along?
· What is your activity/play like now and how is it different from when you were younger?
· How would you refer to someone who runs a lot? Is very athletic?
· How would you refer to someone who is very healthy?
· If you were talking to your friend _________ would you say it that way?
· If you were talking to a child how would you refer to it?
· What are some other ways in which I could use that word?
· What do you do during free time? What would you do if you had free time? What do you do during _________’s free time?
Some of these questions are better than others. I think that it gets the ball rolling though. I think that as I am there I will be able to clarify the questions a little more to the specific situations. I also think that some of the way these questions are worded doesn’t work for just friendly conversation. And even reading through the reading, I felt that some of the example questions he gave were rude. For instance, asking a waitress to give an example of someone giving her a hard time, can be a terribly rude thing to ask if she is emotional about a specific incidence. Or asking someone to play a game of bridge and explain to him what they are doing along the way, can be really obnoxious. I think that is why it is so important to first build rapport with the interviewee. Also, I see how these questions can work, I just also see that if he’s not careful he could end up bothering someone and not get any information out of them. As for my questions, I think that I will have to work on them a bit but writing them down does help me focus a bit more on the types of questions that will get me more meaningful answers.
Religion in the Ranchos- La Misa and other such stuff
I have had a few opportunities this semester to attend religious "events" in Spanish- meaning that it was in Spanish with native Spanish speakers. I also finished reading Pedro Paramo- which was a weird book, perhaps a little too existential for my purposes- but I drew a lot of insight about religion from it. So I thought that I would start with a little report on La Misa and then try to tie in a few other things that will/might apply to my experience in the field.
There were several differences that I noticed in La Misa than what we usually find in Mormon worship services- or even American worship services. One was the food that was there. I regret now that I didn't stop to eat something- but knowing the kind of person I am- shy at first and then I branch out a little- I know that would have been hard for me. If I did it again I would definitely stay for food. Maybe I'll get a chance to go again before leaving. So from that aspect of the Misa and from what I've heard about Mexican culture and even seen- food is a big part of the culture and is even present in religious situations. Of course Mormons do this too- just in other ways. I wish I had more insight about this- that just tells me I should have gotten a churro or something and I probably would have more insight.
As well, in La Misa people were dressed in more casual clothes. I also saw a lot of different types of people. It wasn't just old ladies or families, there were young adults and men alone etc. They all also seemed to have a different way of worshipping- meaning that some of them sang, some did not, some knew the words of the prayers and some did not- or at least didn't repeat them, some held their arms up when they prayed, some did not. In a setting where I was living among them- for instance, I might be able to do this in the field- I might be able to draw conclusions about why each person acted they way they did. Even if I had talked to more people that day, I could not have gotten to know them so well to know what type of person they were and why they were at Mass and why they did or did not repeat the prayers. But in a field study situation, this might be something that I will be better able to do. And since my project doesn't deal so much with religion, this might not be part of the questions that I try to answer, but I could perhaps gain insight into why certain people eat what they eat and the types of physical activity they engage in and why. I'm sure that there are variations within the community. I want to understand their perspective as a whole on health etc, but in order to do that I have to find out what the individual differences are.So the point of this thought is that, only given one afternoon to make observations about people is not enough. It is good practice and can open up some questions, but spending three months will give me so much more opportunity- even at that, I'm sure that three months will in some ways feel insufficient.
Another aspect of religion that I wanted to comment on was that it seems as though it is starting to change. For instance, more people were wearing jeans and more casual clothes than people used to in the past. Also, there were some electric guitars, which several decades ago would most likely not have been permitted in church. In class we have also discussed some of the changes in religion that are happening in Mexico. Roman Catholicism is still the predominant religion, but other religions are giving rise. There is supposed to be an Evangelical Church going up in the Ranchos. I am interested to see how the people respond to this and the changes in religious dynamics that it causes. In the book Pedro Paramo, religion was not portrayed well. The book was written several decades ago during what was probably the beginnings of some of these religious changes in Mexico. The author portrayed the Padre as a hypocrite, preaching of virtue but displaying none of his own. The people of the town were portrayed as ignorant followers (for the most part) going to the Padre for final judgment on their acts but in the end, dying and ending up in a heavenless state- like the idea of purgatory. The author seems to be saying that despite their beliefs there is nothing after death. The history of Mexico reports a very strong influence of religion, especially from the Catholic Church, it will be interesting to see if the people in the Ranchos still hold to this tradition, or if some of the philosophies of other religions/ideas are seeping into their culture.
Of course, I'm not really sure how I would go about answering these questions. It is not connected to my academic project, and religion can be a very sensitive subject. I also wouldn't want to get into a situation where I was presenting my beliefs in an inappropriate way. I think, though, that by participating in and observing the religious events, I will be able to gain some insight and maybe even be able to come up with some questions or engage in some harmless conversation.
There were several differences that I noticed in La Misa than what we usually find in Mormon worship services- or even American worship services. One was the food that was there. I regret now that I didn't stop to eat something- but knowing the kind of person I am- shy at first and then I branch out a little- I know that would have been hard for me. If I did it again I would definitely stay for food. Maybe I'll get a chance to go again before leaving. So from that aspect of the Misa and from what I've heard about Mexican culture and even seen- food is a big part of the culture and is even present in religious situations. Of course Mormons do this too- just in other ways. I wish I had more insight about this- that just tells me I should have gotten a churro or something and I probably would have more insight.
As well, in La Misa people were dressed in more casual clothes. I also saw a lot of different types of people. It wasn't just old ladies or families, there were young adults and men alone etc. They all also seemed to have a different way of worshipping- meaning that some of them sang, some did not, some knew the words of the prayers and some did not- or at least didn't repeat them, some held their arms up when they prayed, some did not. In a setting where I was living among them- for instance, I might be able to do this in the field- I might be able to draw conclusions about why each person acted they way they did. Even if I had talked to more people that day, I could not have gotten to know them so well to know what type of person they were and why they were at Mass and why they did or did not repeat the prayers. But in a field study situation, this might be something that I will be better able to do. And since my project doesn't deal so much with religion, this might not be part of the questions that I try to answer, but I could perhaps gain insight into why certain people eat what they eat and the types of physical activity they engage in and why. I'm sure that there are variations within the community. I want to understand their perspective as a whole on health etc, but in order to do that I have to find out what the individual differences are.So the point of this thought is that, only given one afternoon to make observations about people is not enough. It is good practice and can open up some questions, but spending three months will give me so much more opportunity- even at that, I'm sure that three months will in some ways feel insufficient.
Another aspect of religion that I wanted to comment on was that it seems as though it is starting to change. For instance, more people were wearing jeans and more casual clothes than people used to in the past. Also, there were some electric guitars, which several decades ago would most likely not have been permitted in church. In class we have also discussed some of the changes in religion that are happening in Mexico. Roman Catholicism is still the predominant religion, but other religions are giving rise. There is supposed to be an Evangelical Church going up in the Ranchos. I am interested to see how the people respond to this and the changes in religious dynamics that it causes. In the book Pedro Paramo, religion was not portrayed well. The book was written several decades ago during what was probably the beginnings of some of these religious changes in Mexico. The author portrayed the Padre as a hypocrite, preaching of virtue but displaying none of his own. The people of the town were portrayed as ignorant followers (for the most part) going to the Padre for final judgment on their acts but in the end, dying and ending up in a heavenless state- like the idea of purgatory. The author seems to be saying that despite their beliefs there is nothing after death. The history of Mexico reports a very strong influence of religion, especially from the Catholic Church, it will be interesting to see if the people in the Ranchos still hold to this tradition, or if some of the philosophies of other religions/ideas are seeping into their culture.
Of course, I'm not really sure how I would go about answering these questions. It is not connected to my academic project, and religion can be a very sensitive subject. I also wouldn't want to get into a situation where I was presenting my beliefs in an inappropriate way. I think, though, that by participating in and observing the religious events, I will be able to gain some insight and maybe even be able to come up with some questions or engage in some harmless conversation.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Fresh Ideas
So I have been thinking some more about the challenges that I will face when I am in Mexico attempting to apply some of these cross-cultural skills and actually do this project that I have been preparing for. It is quite difficult to figure out what to do when you don't actually know what it will be like and you kind of just have to wait and see. But as I was giving my presentation today one of the challenges that I am most concerned for is helping the kids be motivated to do the exercises that I have for them. I mentioned that I would try to find common movements that the kids do everyday and compare them to the movements that I would like them to perform. Someone suggested somehow making it into a game. I think that is a great idea. I'm not quite sure how I will do it but I've been brainstorming a bit. SOmething that I have thought of is explaining the exercises through some sort of story or rhyme. Kind of like the rhyme about the bunny when you tie your shoes. This is the rhyme that I found online: "Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold."
I'm not sure if I could come up with a rhyme but I think that I could come up with some sort of a story.
For instance, with the squat I could have them pretend they are ducking under something overhead. The bar they have to hold straight over their head could have some sort of food that they can't spill balanced on it. They have to keep their heels down- maybe their heels are on a mouses tail and if they lift them up the mouse will get away.
These are just ideas that came from the top of my head. I'd also like to incorporate cultural practices or other things that they are familiar with. For instance, I could have story with food they eat every day, or animals that are around the Ranchos. I could even use specific people that they know- like their teachers.
I'd like to come up with some ideas now of how I would do this with kids here in Provo just to have some sort of a base to work with. Then I can change the stories or rhymes to make them fit the culture of the Ranchos. Maybe there are already some rhymes or songs that the kids are familiar with. I could try to modify these somehow.
It's nice to have an idea like this because I have honestly not been sure what I can do to prepare myself for some of the difficulties that I am sure I will encounter. This gives me more of a concrete idea to work from. Maybe it won't work at all but it will probably lead me to figure out something that will work.
I'm not sure if I could come up with a rhyme but I think that I could come up with some sort of a story.
For instance, with the squat I could have them pretend they are ducking under something overhead. The bar they have to hold straight over their head could have some sort of food that they can't spill balanced on it. They have to keep their heels down- maybe their heels are on a mouses tail and if they lift them up the mouse will get away.
These are just ideas that came from the top of my head. I'd also like to incorporate cultural practices or other things that they are familiar with. For instance, I could have story with food they eat every day, or animals that are around the Ranchos. I could even use specific people that they know- like their teachers.
I'd like to come up with some ideas now of how I would do this with kids here in Provo just to have some sort of a base to work with. Then I can change the stories or rhymes to make them fit the culture of the Ranchos. Maybe there are already some rhymes or songs that the kids are familiar with. I could try to modify these somehow.
It's nice to have an idea like this because I have honestly not been sure what I can do to prepare myself for some of the difficulties that I am sure I will encounter. This gives me more of a concrete idea to work from. Maybe it won't work at all but it will probably lead me to figure out something that will work.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
challenges
So from preparing my presentation I have been thinking about the possible challenges that I might encounter while I'm in Mexico. The challenge that I wrote down in class the other day that I'm scared of the most- or that would be the worst to encounter was that I would somehow offend someone to the point where I lost their trust and couldn't do my project and that this would cause problems for future field study students. Yeah- I'm just going to try really hard to not do that. I don't foresee any big problems that I could cause. But I guess my plan for fixing that would be that I would try and talk to someone within the community about how to repair what I may have ruined. I don't have bad intentions so I don't imagine I could do anything too harmful but I guess we'll see. I've been dilligently studying those mexican obscenities so that I know what words to steer away from :)
I was also thinking about the difficulties that I'll have trying to get the kids to do planks and things. I think that they will think it's really weird and stupid to try and hold a plank position for so long. So that is another challenge that I am worried about- getting the kids to cooperate. I have a few ideas in mind. Someone today suggested making it a challenge for them or some sort of a competition. I'm not sure if that is ethical or how to make it ethical.Maybe I could give a prize to the student that performs the best on each exercise. We'll see though. I'm not sure it that would even work very well. I just want them perform their best on the tests and not be lazy or unmotivated about them.
I was also thinking about entering the community and the gate keepers that I will need to get through. I think it will take some time to figure out how to present my project to them. Especially to the parents of the children that I will ask to participate. So I will have to figure out how to talk to people about it.
I was also thinking about the difficulties that I'll have trying to get the kids to do planks and things. I think that they will think it's really weird and stupid to try and hold a plank position for so long. So that is another challenge that I am worried about- getting the kids to cooperate. I have a few ideas in mind. Someone today suggested making it a challenge for them or some sort of a competition. I'm not sure if that is ethical or how to make it ethical.Maybe I could give a prize to the student that performs the best on each exercise. We'll see though. I'm not sure it that would even work very well. I just want them perform their best on the tests and not be lazy or unmotivated about them.
I was also thinking about entering the community and the gate keepers that I will need to get through. I think it will take some time to figure out how to present my project to them. Especially to the parents of the children that I will ask to participate. So I will have to figure out how to talk to people about it.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Culture Shock
So I really enjoyed the discussion in class today. I have a few thoughts about culture shock. First I think that it is important to realize that it is inevitable. Thinking that I will be somehow immune to it will not help me prepare for it. Also, this makes it so that I can realize that it is normal. Someone mentioned in class today that they would think to themselves- I'm not usually this grumpy/irritable- and this would help them understand that it was just a part of the culture shock. I think that this is a good thing to keep in mind. As well, it would be good that when in the honeymoon stage of the summer, to realize it and know that even though things seem so great now, ups and downs will come and that it is not biculturalism. Anyway, I think being aware that these stages and ups and downs are normal is a good way to cope with them while they are occurring. It is good to be self aware and not think that something is a bigger deal than it is.
With that said, I was also thinking of other ways to cope with culture shock. Someone mentioned not having too high of expectations or at least not too specific of an idea of what things will be like. We really can't tell beforehand what the experience will be like and when we have too specific of an idea it is for sure not going to be like that when we get there. So we will for sure be disappointed or shocked or it will somehow be harder to cope with it than if we had neutral expectations for the experience. Or even know that there will be some nights when I might cry or just be unhappy. This is not having low expectations, but it is being realistic and aware of the potential negative moments I might experience.
I also liked the coping mechanism mentioned- to use humor, or to laugh. I'm not sure which. I used this alllllll the time on my mission. I had a companion who said - you're either laughing or you're crying- so when we had hard days- which was often- we would laugh and joke around. Some of my later companions thought I was crazy but I was much more happy and could work better.
I also have a personal theory that when we're in a tough spot and are doing something really hard or uncomfortable just think of what a great story it will make someday. Even some of the uncomfortable moments that Ashley shared in class. They weren't pleasant at the time I'm sure but it was a great story to tell later and even a really unique experience that taught her a lot and she uses it now to teach us. I like thinking of the potential of a good story when I'm experiencing something really tough. It seems to give me a little perspective that the experience won't last forever- and even that thought can make me appreciate the experience a little more because I know that it won't last forever.
With that said, I was also thinking of other ways to cope with culture shock. Someone mentioned not having too high of expectations or at least not too specific of an idea of what things will be like. We really can't tell beforehand what the experience will be like and when we have too specific of an idea it is for sure not going to be like that when we get there. So we will for sure be disappointed or shocked or it will somehow be harder to cope with it than if we had neutral expectations for the experience. Or even know that there will be some nights when I might cry or just be unhappy. This is not having low expectations, but it is being realistic and aware of the potential negative moments I might experience.
I also liked the coping mechanism mentioned- to use humor, or to laugh. I'm not sure which. I used this alllllll the time on my mission. I had a companion who said - you're either laughing or you're crying- so when we had hard days- which was often- we would laugh and joke around. Some of my later companions thought I was crazy but I was much more happy and could work better.
I also have a personal theory that when we're in a tough spot and are doing something really hard or uncomfortable just think of what a great story it will make someday. Even some of the uncomfortable moments that Ashley shared in class. They weren't pleasant at the time I'm sure but it was a great story to tell later and even a really unique experience that taught her a lot and she uses it now to teach us. I like thinking of the potential of a good story when I'm experiencing something really tough. It seems to give me a little perspective that the experience won't last forever- and even that thought can make me appreciate the experience a little more because I know that it won't last forever.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Proposal
Going over the proposals in class was really helpful to me. I have been a little bit confused as to exactly what it is supposed to entail- I think that is partly I already did the IRB protocol, and it is similar to that but encompasses a lot more of the cultural aspects of a field study. Also, its hard to propose a plan for EVERYTHING you are going to do in a three month time span in a place you've never been before doing something that you've never really done before. So, while I have more clarity on what I am supposed to put into my proposal, I still feel like I am just giving my best guess as to exactly what I am going to be doing out in the middle-of-nowhere Mexico :)
But I thought that I would share some thoughts that I have about my proposal- mostly this is just for my benefit in being able to write it down just after discussing it in class today.
First- I think that because we had to write the IRB proposal in sections without the more formal format of a regular paper, I have been writing the proposal in a similar way. It's been kind of hard. And now that I understand that it should have introductory paragraphs and conclusions etc, I think it will be a lot easier for me to organize my thoughts and help my reader better understand what I am talking about.
Also, I think that in order to incorporate the cultural immersion aspects of the field study, I have just been tagging those parts in a paragraph at the end of an explanation of my project. That is actually a very easy way to do it. Now I understand a little better that I need to include those things throughout my proposal and they shouldn't feel so separated from my project. I think this part will take a little more effort on my part. Especially with the nature of my project (I am not really using interviews or observations to collect data) it is a little less obvious how immersing myself in the culture is going to help in the project. But luckily, I think that it will. My professors are going to Hungary for about a week to do this project. I don't feel like that is a lot of time to really see how the differences in culture change the results from area to area. And I think that a lot of scientists (especially in the more biological and physical sciences) don't really see the need to get the whole picture when collecting data. I think that the data they collect will be good and valid. I just also think that it could be even better with more time spent there and more effort to immerse themselves in the culture. So I am excited about the different insights that I will gain as I really live among the people in the ranchos and do what they do. I think that it will personally benefit me as a researcher and a person. Still, I'm not sure exactly how I will do this or what I will find so its going to take a little bit of brainstorming on my part to figure out how to incorporate it into my proposal. I think it will come together though.
So those are the thoughts that I have right now. Have a great day :)
But I thought that I would share some thoughts that I have about my proposal- mostly this is just for my benefit in being able to write it down just after discussing it in class today.
First- I think that because we had to write the IRB proposal in sections without the more formal format of a regular paper, I have been writing the proposal in a similar way. It's been kind of hard. And now that I understand that it should have introductory paragraphs and conclusions etc, I think it will be a lot easier for me to organize my thoughts and help my reader better understand what I am talking about.
Also, I think that in order to incorporate the cultural immersion aspects of the field study, I have just been tagging those parts in a paragraph at the end of an explanation of my project. That is actually a very easy way to do it. Now I understand a little better that I need to include those things throughout my proposal and they shouldn't feel so separated from my project. I think this part will take a little more effort on my part. Especially with the nature of my project (I am not really using interviews or observations to collect data) it is a little less obvious how immersing myself in the culture is going to help in the project. But luckily, I think that it will. My professors are going to Hungary for about a week to do this project. I don't feel like that is a lot of time to really see how the differences in culture change the results from area to area. And I think that a lot of scientists (especially in the more biological and physical sciences) don't really see the need to get the whole picture when collecting data. I think that the data they collect will be good and valid. I just also think that it could be even better with more time spent there and more effort to immerse themselves in the culture. So I am excited about the different insights that I will gain as I really live among the people in the ranchos and do what they do. I think that it will personally benefit me as a researcher and a person. Still, I'm not sure exactly how I will do this or what I will find so its going to take a little bit of brainstorming on my part to figure out how to incorporate it into my proposal. I think it will come together though.
So those are the thoughts that I have right now. Have a great day :)
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