ANTHMETHGRP3-2425-MARIE-POISSON

[Last modified: December, 2 2024 10:39 AM]

5. Young women’s perceptions of breasts and breastfeeding

As the topic treats of women and their bodies, we deemed this one to be a sensitive topic and have come up with a lot of ethical concerns and questions.

We believe similar research and outcomes could be achieved with an 18+ group, ideally 20+. The participation of 16 to 19 years old young girls seems too risky as it is a sensitive topic that might bring up upsetting conversations for them. We believe it would be best to not do group work (more on this in the data protection part).If group work does happen, we recommend to conduct one-to-one interviews beforehand to build trust and potentially identify individuals that have been sexually assaulted etc. We also believe these interviews to be important in order to remind the students that consent is an ongoing process, that it can be taken away any time they feel uncomfortable or want to etc, and that they do not have to answer any questions if they do not wish to.

Power/ coercion: We worry that there might be a power imbalance within the  school groups as the framework of a school might make them feel like they ‘must’ answer questions, participate etc and therefore lead to non-consensual conversations. If the researcher identifies as a man, we worry about potential power dynamics that might ensue.

Positionality: Who is the researcher? If it is a man, we think it might be unwise and risky to do such research especially with the group of teenagers (age 16 to 19). Wh are they doing this research? What is their interest in it and where does it come from? We need to know more to understand the positionality and therefore make a decision based on these parameters.

We would also like a detailed list of the questions that will be asked and more details on the methods used.

Data protection: As it is quite a young group and a sensitive topic we recommend that pseudo-anonymity is ensured and the researcher makes sure all data is encrypted. We worry that this topic might lead to conversations around sexual assault etc and want to make sure the researcher does record anything on that topic, as w believe it is off-limits. We also worry that the group sessions go against data protection rules as what is said within the group can be easily repeated and spread, especially for two sixth-form student groups within the school and friend groups etc. We therefore advise against the conduction of said group discussion.

We would recommend the presence of a psychologist at all times when asking questions, conducting interviews etc as these are all sensitive topics. We believe the guidance and experience of a psychologist to be necessary and useful, both for the protection of the participants and the researcher.

We want to ensure that the researcher is serious about conducting research, has evaluated the risks and is well prepared.

In conclusion, we think this is a medium to high risk topic which would need the approval of UCL REC.

[Last modified: November, 25 2024 11:25 AM]

Multimodal ethnography of early of winter as a liminal space:

For this session, my group and I went outside and sat on the chairs located between the archaeology department and the park. This space in itself feels like a threshold between the urban city life and the quiet autumn feeling of the park.

It was a cold sunny day, the sky was blue and the sun peaking through the leaves of the tree. This led us to think about this transitional liminal time of the year, between autumn and winter, when the leaves are still orange/ red ish, most still in the trees, some fallen on the floor.

We decided to map where the sun hits our face and where the cold bites it (see Figure 1). The crosses represent the sun and the circles the cold. Most of us were cold on our noses, Mark felt it on the top of his head (an unfortunate consequence of ageing and balding), and Tarun scribbled his entire face, his way of telling us that he was freezing and it was time to head back inside.

By mapping the light of the sun, we realised that most of us could barely feel it, as the trees and their leaves were filtrating the sun rays, leaving us with the illusion of a beautiful day without really feeling it ourselves. Being closer to the ground, where the sun couldn’t reach us, we were actually quite cold, but seeing the sun and the blue sky above was sufficient to lift up our spirits.

Figure 2 and 3 are out attempt at mapping the area around us. Martha mainly mapped the wind, herself (see zoom in Figure 3), the pigeon next to us and a couple embracing. The top right corner of Figure 3 represents the texture of the bench I was sat on, made of wood. This was done by layering the paper on top of the wood and using a pencil to imprint the wood grain and pattern onto the paper.

We also paid attention to the sounds around us, which Mark recorded on his phone. We noticed that the sound of the wind in the leaves was similar to that of the sea and the waves crashing slowly onto the beach which led us to reflect on the misleading aspect of  audio recordings.

All in all, this was an interesting experience and one that opened up a lot of conversations with my classmates on multi modal ethnography as well at its ethical aspects.

[Last modified: November, 25 2024 11:24 AM]

Analyse the body in a quotidian context :

Riding my bike in South East London.

In the mornings, when I have time, I like to go on a bike ride around my neighbourhood. I got a bike a few months ago and although I have not yet rode it all the way to UCL (not sure I have the cardio and the roads are so scary), I love riding around New Cross and Peckham when going out to my pilates class, dinner with friends, dates and nights out. I have noticed such a change in my body and my perception of the area since getting this bike. I observe things differently, some more quickly than when I walk (when you’re cycling there’s no time to stop and observe everything, walk into a shop just out of curiosity etc) but it has opened a whole new world of possibilities. What used to be a 35 minutes overstimulating bus ride is now a 10 minutes, body and mind cleansing bike ride.

I have learnt to appreciate and even crave the feeling of my sore back and legs after an hour of cycling or a shorter but no less painful ride back home after a yoga or pilates class, being out of breath when I go up the hills of Dulwich on my way to the community garden, the thrill of the ride back home as it is fully downhill etc. Not only does my body crave these bike rides, it makes me feel strong and confident in my body’s ability to push itself and ‘progress’.

I often cycle to my local community sauna, as one just opened near my place. The sauna is truly a unique space of community gathering and wellbeing, located in a semi industrial warehouse zone which somehow still feels quite green thanks to the presence of a few trees here and there, the relaxing warms of the sauna and the outside woodfire. I feel myself releasing the stress and anxiety of the week alternating between the hot saunas that make my body sweat profusely and the ice cold baths. I find the combo to be the best thing to stop a anxiety attack or when I feel my adhd brain spiralling. I love this connection between the body and brain and my bike and the sauna remind me to take care of both, as they are one.

At the end of the session, I cycle back home in a. state described by my housemate as ‘floating on a cloud of comfort’, mind and body at ease.

[Last modified: November, 25 2024 11:24 AM]

Does the project design include any political positions, orientations or assumptions? How does your own positionality interact with these political dimensions? What are the potential political implications and outcomes of your research findings? How might your methods be adapted to account for these political elements?

 

I don’t think there is much political assumptions that can be made when looking at the (re) emergence of spirituality within the UK. I suppose one might already be biased and look at it as a cult but I don’t feel that way about the topic.

Perhaps my own positionality and beliefs make me want to explore the capitalist aspect of spiritual retreats, the irony behind wanting to reconnect with nature and escape your daily life, routine, and the city by spending a lot of money on a weekend away but it seems to me that it is just an important part of the topic and one I would not want to brush over.

 

 

[Last modified: October, 25 2024 05:08 PM]

Clearly Destiny – tarot reading, psychic and crystals:

In order to progress further into my review of spiritual sites around the UK and the revival of spirituality, witchcraft and paganism, I decided to pay a visit to Clearly Destiny, a psychic / crystal shop found on Google Maps.

I walked into the store with Martha, not knowing what to expect. 3.8 stars rating on Google maps, the first review states “I had the most accurate and life changing reading today” accompanied by a picture of a lit up crystal ball next to a praying angel. Why not. Although I am a spiritual person and I am deeply interested in this research topic, I found myself joking with Martha about what the tarot reading might reveal about her life: will it be life changing or completely inaccurate? Perhaps I have more preconceptions and judgment on the topic than I thought. Either way, we walk in. The inside is very cold and the smell of incense floats around. On the shelves, crystals  of all kinds, incense, sage, tarot cards, books about spirituality and a couple of unicorn sculptures. Although this kind of shops usually feel warm and welcoming, this one is oddly very cold. I look at Martha. I tell the shop owner that it smells good in here, and ask her how long she’s been in here for. “12 years. I own this place with my business partner”. Martha asks her how much a tarot reading is and how long it would be. “Half an hour, 50 pound. But why do you want one?”. Martha looks at me, visibly disconcerted so I answer jokingly “Yes perhaps we should have set a proper intention before coming”. The lady answers dryly “We don’t do love life readings”. Great. We ask more questions,  about her, her life, “when did you realise you had a gift or a calling”, “do you get a lot of people coming in” etc. As she is answering one of her many questions, she looks over her shoulder and says “ah yes, Archangel Michael”. I remain unsure of if she was crediting him for what she had just said or if she had just heard him whisper something in her ear.

Behind her is a pair of angel wings, and on her desk a few earrings on sale (Martha bought a pair for herself, partly because they were cute but also out of nervosity). It felt odd being in this shop observing her and asking questions, hiding our notebooks in our coats’ pockets without letting her know we were there to write on her, discuss her every moves afterwards and post on this blog.

We left –  “thank you goodbye, see you soon” – and sat at the terrace of a cafe to write down our notes.

I loved doing this fieldwork with someone else, and it made me reflect on the solitary nature of anthropology.

 

[Last modified: October, 18 2024 12:35 PM]

What is your research topic

The revival of paganism and spirituality in the UK: convents, retreats & spiritual practices in the context of capitalism.

An investigation of spiritural practices, retreats, contemporary witches rituals etc and they revival in contemporary UK in regards to how it relates to capitalism and the

Why is this of particular interest to you

I am fascinated by spirituality and beyond-human x human relationships. I would like to explore it not only because I think it is anthropologically interesting but also out of personal curiosity and desire to join these communities/ circles/ retreats myself.

I grew up half in Paris half in the forest, in a very nature-oriented family myself with a quite witchy mom who is a naturopath and herbalist and invites shamans and all sorts of fascinating and very spiritually inclined people over. I have already participated in shamanic circles, guided meditations, hug trees on a regular basis etc. I am not a religious person but I do believe that spirituality is an important component of our lives and opens up new doors in our brain/ consciousness.

I’m very interested in this revival of spirality and what it says about our (lost) relationship to nature in a capitalist society.

What preconceived ideas are you bringing to this research ? Do class, race, gender, sexuality or other identities inform your approach to the research? Might it offer particular insights? 

I guess I have a romanticised “women who run with wolves” preconception of what these spiritual circles and retreats are like. To me it is directly linked to our lost connection with nature and the need to reconnect in a fast-paced ultra-urban environment.

I also have a preconception about this need foe spirituality being linked to the “death” of traditional knowledge and medicine by capitalism and big pharmaceutical industries. Although it light seem like a different topic, I think once again it all links back to capitalism and its impact on our lives. A lot of people in the UK are disconnected from nature, from their bodies, from their health and are fully reliant on pharmacies and supermarkets to feed themselves. I believe these circles are also a way to reconnect with their bodies and health, by taping into the spiritual realm and learning herbalism, (re) learn to harvest food (a lot of these retreats include mushroom foraging, herbalism workshops, organic vegetarian meals etc).

In terms of gender, I am rooting my theory/ methodology in feminist and queer anthropology and environmental anthropology.

[Last modified: October, 11 2024 07:02 PM]

Participant observation:

What did you record and how useful do you think it will be ?

As I left the UCL building wondering where to find sources of inspiration for my plot project and things to observe, I found myself naturally walking towards Waterstones to review the existing literature and the literary “trends”.

I went to the second floor and found the first books on the topic next to the gardening section. A few books about folklore, magic and nature, ‘The green witch guide to navigating ups and downs“, “We are all witches“, “Modern Witch’s book of manifestation, spells and rituals” etc.

As I progressed further into the shopI reached the personal development/ self help section next to which (or within which)the spiritual section was located. It was made of different subsections such as mythology, mysticism, mysteries and witchcraft, mind body and spirit. On a table, ‘mystical readings’ were laid out, a mix of books ranging from “The mysteries of Lochness” to “Raise your vibrations”. I found that mix rather intriguing. By the window, “Everyday folklore” and other manifestation books, almanacs, and crystal books all processing happiness and a balanced life.

Although my initial research topic aims to explore Pagan communities with the UK and their relationship to nature and the motivations behind their beliefs/ lifestyle if I may call it that, I found myself wondering about the correlation between contemporary witchcraft, paganism and well-being/ personal development.

I also observed people coming and going in the section, including this person who picked up “Mythology for dummies” and flicked through that condensed version of all mythology in 100 pages (or so the book promises).

I also noted that the Spiritual/ Pagan/ Witchcraft section I just described was put on a different floor (2) from the Religious one (floor 3). I found that observation interesting as Paganism is arguably a growingly important religion spread all over the globe.

Digital anthropology brief research results:

I typed “Spirituality” into Google maps and found that there are 3 psychics in a 10 minutes walk radius fro campus, multiple astrology/ crystal shops and a bookshop specialised in “Magic, spiritualism and tarot readings”.

I think these observations have been useful in the sense that I got an overall idea of what the literature is like but also left with many questions and a potential new angle for my topic.

What form of recording seemed most productive?

I used both note-taking and photography to record my observation. and found both useful. If I was to conduct interviews or have discussions I would try to add to these some audio recording.

 

 

[Last modified: October, 11 2024 07:03 PM]

Topic

United Pagan Kingdom: Contemporary spirituality, folklore & the need for mysticism in the urban environments: a study on spiritual circles, rituals and retreats.

There has been a revival of ancient witchcraft, nature-related mysticism and overall spiritual beliefs related to nature these past few years. More and more people are aware of the different phases of the moon and their impact on themselves, participate in pagan rituals etc. How and why can this phenomenon be explained and why is it important to study it?

This research project will aim to understand  why these retreats are so important and what lies behind them as well as observe contemporary witches and spiritual practitioners.

Research Questions 

• why is there such a revival of witchcraft, witch circles, mysticism, folklore and spirituality in the UK, especially in urban environments?
• how does this spiritual revival stem from a need to (re) connect with nature
• what is the correlation between this phenomenon and the era of ultra-capitalism we are in?
• who are these “urban witches” ?
• how is this an important phenomenon to interrogate and study?

Methods 

• Participant observation => I will be joining these circles, observing and asking participants where their interest in spirituality. I will attend retreats in order t try and understanding their functioning, what motivates people to join, what one gets out of it etc.
• Interviews: conducting interviews with different people, organisers of spiritual retreats, modern witches etc.
• Ethnographic research & fieldwork
• => Focus on one case study (to be found)

Potential findings:

 

Literature & other sources:

Berger, H. A. (2019). Solitary Pagans Contemporary Witches, Wiccans, and Others Who Practice Alone / Helen A Berger. University of South Carolina Press.

Frampton, A., & Grandison, A. (2023). “In the broom closet”: exploring the role of online communities in shaping the identities of contemporary witchcraft practitioners. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 42(27), 23800–23820. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03441-z

PAGAN MYSTICISM: PAGANISM AS A WORLD RELIGION. By MichaelYork. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019. Pp. xi + 337. Hardback, £64.99. (2019). Religious Studies Review, 45(3), 399–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.14243

https://advaya.life/

https://www.lilyoftheherbs.com/