week 8

[Last modified: December, 1 2024 11:32 PM]

For advice on this case study I would offer a few notes to make it more likely to be approved, however, I do think the topic is very sensitive and should be reworked from a different angle. The first thing to note is that the project works with vulnerable people in Sao Paulo on a very sensitive topic. Mentions of doing interviews with the community on gun violence, gang violence, and homelands can be very dangerous. I think it would be best to focus on people not actively in danger like activists. Otherwise, you could potentially put the subject at risk if they don’t have a visa to be in the country or if they are currently dealing with gang violence. This also puts the researcher at risk of going to an area with violence and unintentionally spreading information that is sensitive. It seems there are more risks than benefits to this project. There is no mention of the position of the researcher and how they are related to the people or area or why they chose this region. If there is no relation to the people or place, this doesn’t seem like an appropriate project, and the risks by far outweigh the benefits. Also, if there is not relationship already with these people, this creates a power dynamic between the researcher and the community that may make the people uncomfortable. As a researcher with a visa to go to Brazil, that may set you up to be in a position of power. On that note, there is no mention as to what the purpose or end goal of the project will be. If the project were to be considered it would be high risk, and if it were to be approved, all the data would definitely have to be anonymized to protect the identity of those the researcher is interviewing. Overall, my advice would be to go at this from a different angle. I don’t think that this research should go through, and it will be very hard to get it approved by ethics, however, if the researcher decides to continue, the topic and subjects need to change. I think the best way would be to ask about the livelihoods of activists in the area and if topics of violence come up, they can speak freely on it but the researcher isn’t asking direct questions about it.

Week 7 Theatre

[Last modified: November, 22 2024 12:46 PM]

  1. What applications could theatre of the oppressed have in our research?
    1. For my research, I think that the Theatre of the Oppressed could play a role less in dynamics and more in building a relationship. Studying conservation practices of a community, I would find it hard to see how theatre could fit in as a way to hear different voices in conservation strategies. I think that would be best suited for a game, especially the climate one discussed in class. However, I believe forum theatre could be a tactic to develop a sense of trust and familiarity in the community. It allows me to be seen as a friend, someone I can feel comfortable around and speak to freely.
  2. How could you collect data from this?
    1. Again for me, I don’t think I would be collecting any data related to my topic. I think for other projects this is a great way to record different voices and hear multiple perspectives from the audience and community that you may not pick up in a formal discussion. Using the body is a great way to visually understand the power dynamics and themes at play in the community and among the audience members. In my case, again, the data would be more informal and would relate to developing a bond with the people of the community. That in itself is data, but it’s not data about the conservation practices of indigenous communities. However, it might be, I could be surprised.
  3. What are the ethical implications?
    1. Since I would use it as an icebreaker to get to know the people, I don’t think there are any strong implications for this activity. I think if I used it as a method to collect data for my project the implications would look different. It’s possible the members of my community could feel less open to speaking during the activity, maybe feeling like what they are saying is being recorded. In a more vulnerable environment, people may say things they regret or didn’t mean to say, and feel less open for the rest of the duration of my stay. The opposite could occur as well, and allow the members to feel less disconnected from the researcher, it might help them feel like they are on the same level as the researcher (breaking down potential power dynamics)
  4. Would you use this in your research?
    1. Yes, I would use this. To not sound like a broken record, I would enjoy using forum theatre as a way to create a stronger bond with the individuals I will be living with. It’s a creative and new way to create a friendship with people.

week 6

[Last modified: November, 19 2024 05:34 PM]

Scene: Cliff jumping in Portugal

I recently went cliff jumping in Portugal. I felt excited in the days leading up to the trip as I’ve always wanted to go cliff jumping. Before cliff jumping, there was a 2-hour walk along the cliffy coast to the jumping point. The serene water and warm weather calmed my body and made me less jittery about the jump that lay ahead. I went with a group of people who didn’t plan to jump into the water (you could choose to opt out). I felt a little nervous after learning I was the only one jumping because I had anticipated more people wanting to do it with me. As we approached the cliff my body was filled with adrenaline and my hands became clammy. I am a very adventurous and spontaneous person, I have jumped off 400 ft bridges and galloped on horseback, but nothing had me as nervous as cliff jumping. I have always felt like my body was a part of water. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes; I was always swimming in some body of water for hours on end. However, water has always intimidated me in some aspects. I know that I am not stronger than the heavy waves and one wrong move could kill me. One of my greatest fears is drowning. So standing above a 40ft cliff and seeing the torrential water below me filled my body with nerves and nausea, but I still felt excited knowing that I was going to do it. Our instructor jumped first which eased my mind, but I could see how strong he was fighting against the current to not hit the rocks once he jumped in. Once the wind died down, I steadied myself at the edge of the cliff and everyone in the group watched me from a safe rock below. I finally made the jump. Mid-air I felt ecstatic and free with no care about the water below me. While I was in the water my survival instincts kicked in and told me to go straight to the ledge where the water wasn’t as rocky so I could safely head back to shore. The excitement quickly turned into flight fear as I was worried I might not be strong enough to swim back to shore. My emotions were all over the place, but I managed to make it back safely. For the rest of the day, I lay low; my body was exhausted from the mix of emotions and adrenaline.

Week 5

[Last modified: November, 4 2024 10:51 AM]

Looking at the poltical assumptions of my project.

Bedore class, I knew i had assumptions but I had though I had worked through those assumptions. However, being put on the spot during the interviews made me realize there are far more assumptions regarding the politics of my project.  Dealing with indigenous communities on Inuit Alaska and the conservation practices there definitely includes some political aspects. The Inuit communities of Alaska may not want to NGOs and government intervention which may cause tension. In terms of my positionality, I am a white woman from the US which can also cause tension as well. I may be viewed as an outsider and never as a friend they can develop a connection with. When I am conducting my interviews I need to formulate questions that aren’t bias and don’t lead the conservation down a path I can’t come back from.We talked in class how also sharing too much about ourselves can unintnetiapnlly create barriers between us and the community of we share opinions the community may not believe. In this sense everyone in the innit community may feel gaurderd or reserved, like they can’t tell me anything without me getting offended. For the outcome of my research I hope to adopt successful indigenious wildlife efforts into NGOs but that is as assumption I am making about the willingness of the community. Again, the main theme is that I’m assuming that these communities are seeking help and wanting intervention but they may be fine on their own and have no desire to collaborate with government organizations. In terms of methods I think participant observation is the most important to ensure I establish a relationship with everyone in the community, that way they feel they can speak freely with me without thinking I will release sensitive information. I will spend the first week simply engaging in thr way of life in the inuit community, eating with them, attending church or meetings, and engaging in convseration with the adults and children alike. After class I feel like I have a better idea of what I need to go to work through these assumptions and create methods and questions that are inclusive and open minded. When interviewing I am not going to come up with formal questions but rather write down ideas that way I don’t sway the conversation away from the natural flow throughout the process.

week 4 field notes

[Last modified: October, 28 2024 12:30 PM]

Setting: UCL main quad stairs

As I sit on the steps the overcast sky makes the atmosphere feel colder than usual. I’m sitting alone at the top of the stairs, looking down at students passing by in the main quad. Two groups of friends are seated on the steps beside me laughing with each other. One group is conversing about which accents and languages they find the most attractive. The other group, further from me on the steps, has a chatty conversation, that I can’t pick up, as they enjoy their pizza. While the steps are filled with buzzing conversation, below me, tells a different story. The main quad has 20-30 students walking through with their backpacks and headphones in. While the life on the stairs feels more relaxed, the individuals passing through look more rushed as if they are hurrying to class or to finish their errands. They pay more attention to their music than the people around them. Some individuals in the quad are sitting on the benches, but they too are alone and are looking at their phone rather than conversing with friends or anyone that passes by. The cold weather and gloomy sky kept the wildlife away as there was only one stray pigeon in the entire main quad, but the cold weather invited the leaves to yellow and fall.

The style I took my notes in was less narrative but I felt I gave enough detail to put myself back into the atmosphere to create a vignette. Creating detailed field notes helped me create tag lines later on that I felt related well to the experience I had in the main quad. The keywords I chose I felt captured the main theme of what I saw but also some sub-categories which I think are important for organizing field notes that are entire notebooks long. For example, the overall theme I found in my experience and notes was friendship, students, and conservation. However, in my short time on the stairs, I did spend the majority of the time listening in on the conservation of those around me which led me to the tag’s accent and language since that was the main topic of conversation in the group. I feel like those sub-tags would be useful when writing a dissertation or for future research since I may not remember the specific conversation and forget that I have some notes on accents.

Week 3 reflexivity

[Last modified: October, 21 2024 12:07 PM]

My proposed project involves living in Alaska along with the Inuit tribes and grizzly bears. Choosing a place so far from my home and from London makes my position a bit distanced from my project. My position in this project is that I am a white female, in my 20’s, who is single, Latin Native, with no children, from Minnesota, with a degree in Wildlife. When reflecting on these positions I noticed how far removed I was from these communities, but I was more surprised to find a few things I could relate to that I hadn’t expected. I will go through the list of positions and state what this position means in relation to my project.

White female/Latin Native: I am a white female from a white suburban neighborhood. I am native to Latin America which provides some reliability, however, I do not know my native history. This position immediately makes me an outsider as I do not possess the knowledge or skills the Inuit have in Alaska.

Single/23 years old: After doing some research on the Inuit culture, I learned that the average age of Inuit people is 24 years old. I may be able to carry conversations better and connect with people seeing as we are similar ages and may have familiarities in that aspect. However, I found that most ladies in the community wed young and have children young. We spoke in class about this specific situation and how that might disconnect me from the women in the Inuit community, at least it makes it harder to relate for a while (and I only have 6 weeks).

American/Minnesota: This is one of the positions that relate to Alaska the most. I initially thought it was too shallow of a position only to relate geographically, but my classmates informed me that even geography is important in making connections. Being from Minnesota, I am very acclimated and love the cold weather. Alaska is known for its frigid temperatures, massive snowfalls, and icy appearance. Minnesota is no different, so I would not have to make any adjustments in that aspect. I am also American so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a visa to travel to Alaska. The only barrier is that in Minnesota the first two languages are English and Spanish, so there may be a language barrier in the Inuit tribes.

Wildlife Degree: Hoping to work on grizzly bear conservation while in the Inuit communities, my wildlife degree will definitely come in handy. I also researched grizzly bears and took a few courses on large predators,

Week 2 Vignette

[Last modified: October, 14 2024 12:46 PM]

Gordan Square Vignette

I went to Gordon Square Gardens to conduct this brief observation. My dissertation focuses on indigenous communities in Alaska, which is far different than the busy streets of London. I decided to take a broad theoretical approach to link the two by looking at how people interact with the environment around them (flora and fauna).

I initially sat in the corner of the park by the pop of cafe. The park was busy with students and young adults walking through the grass and buying pastries at the cafe. As I sat I noticed people weren’t interacting with the environment hardly at all. Friends mingled with each other rather than looking around them at the park, and individuals were either studying, eating, or on their phones. I noticed plenty of pigeons, squirrels, and falling leaves but no one else paid any mind to them. It was interesting to see how people outside the park would intentionally walk around it to the other side, instead of walking through it (which would have been faster). This all was observed in the first 30 minutes of my observations but the last 30 had a different feel. Two large groups of people walked in and started performing vocal exercises in circles around the park. I asked what was going on and they informed me it was vocal exercises for a drama class. They took up a large part of the park and started stretching, marching, and shouting in all directions. Everyone around them seemed unphased. Towards the last 15 minutes, I also noticed a few individuals who stood in the middle path soaking in the sun. Individually, these students would cross their arms and look up in the sun soaking in the warmth. It looked like they were feeling the world around them or energizing for the rest of the day. Both the drama group and the sun-soaking individuals, sought out the park whether it was for its green grass, natural areas, or warmth from the cold, they intentionally chose to spend time in the park rather than inside.

Overall the theme from the observation is that people aren’t very in tune with nature and the environment around them. Even those who sought out the park intentionally didn’t actually interact with the environment, other than the few who stood in the sun. This might look different in Indigenous communities in Alaska where they have lived on the land for 10,000+ years and know every inch of the flora and fauna. These communities are connected to land and my educational guess is they pay attention to their surroundings more than the individuals I saw in the park.

 

Week1_ResearchProposal_NatalieBever

[Last modified: October, 6 2024 11:43 PM]

Topic: Grizzly Bear conservation between Inuit communities and NGO’s.

Research Question(s):

  1. How does grizzly bear conservation in Alaskan Inuit communities compare to large NGOs working in Alaska? What are the implications for management?
  2. How does Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of grizzly bears shape conservation? How do these strategies compare to NGOs?

Methods: 

  1. Interviews (Inuit and NGOs): I will speak to locals in the community to gain insight into their TEK and what their conservation practices are for grizzly bears as a whole. These interviews would be with elders, leaders, and land managers. I will also reach out to NGOs to interview them and learn their side of grizzly conservation in Alaska. This will help me gather multiple perspectives to compare the strategies.
  2. Observation: I will observe the way of life in the Inuit communities to gain more insight into their culture. This could involve attending community meetings or observing how they conserve grizzlies with management out in the field. This could also be as simple as following typical day-to-day duties in the community.
  3. Cultural Analysis: I will examine the tools used in the Inuit community for grizzly conservation. This could include tools such as spears used for hunting. This gives insight into how conservation is practiced.
  4. Storytelling: I will listen in on Inuit stories to understand the origins of grizzly conservation. This provides historical context and insight into their traditions, values, and TEK.
  5. Document Analysis: I will read and analyze literature and documents on grizzly bear conservation in both Inuit communities and NGOs (maybe a specific NGO that has a history in Alaska/grizzly conservation).

Findings:

A potential finding may be that NGOs and Inuit communities already effectively collaborate within grizzly conservation. Another finding may be that there is not much grizzly conservation that happens and efforts may be towards another species or landscape. There is the possibility of NGOs not overseeing management in the Inuit communities. I hypothesize my findings to reveal Inuit communities use more TEK and cultural practices to conserve grizzlies while NGOs have a more analytic and scientific approach toward conservation. Inuit communities may use more holistic approaches, handed down through oral communication, to conserve the landscape and species, and NGOs may be focused solely on policies. Overall, I expect to find Inuit conservation to include more long-term management practices since these communities have been rooted in Alaska and its wildlife for generations, while NGOs lack that indigenous knowledge of the land and wildlife, leading to conservation being practiced from a newer scientific lens.

 

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