Historical Reactions to Analogous Events in the Prehistorical and Historical Past:
Books and Articles documenting human reaction to past events
Study of artifacts in Museum(s) of Natural History and other extreme event collections
Myths evolving from ENE's ( Books by Joseph Campbell, C. Levi-Strauss, Mircea Eliade, CG Jung)
Technology Coverage and The Media:
24 hour coverage:
CNN Footage
Al-Jazeera Footage
New York Times Articles
Web Coverage from News Bureaus
Twitter Reaction
Social Networking Information (Facebook)
YouTube Videos
Scientific Reaction:
Scientific Journals and Periodicals
Expert Interviews with Seismologists, Volcanologists, and Meteorologistics (forEnvironmental Etymology and Impact of the Event)
Videos using Heat and Chemical Sensitive Scanning
Scientific Studies of Animal Behavior and ENEs
Sociological, Societal, and Psychological Effects:
Study of Behavioral Journals (for stress and fear effects)
Hospital Records for Psychological Trauma experienced pre-and poat-ENEs
Newspaper articles and e-articles from near and far locations from the epicenter
Religious and Philosophical Perspectives:
Interviews with Religious Leaders
Books by Environmental Philosophers (Gregory Bateson, et. al)
Business and Political Perspectives:
Business Week, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal
Studies of pre-and post- EPE business Statistics
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
(You've Got A) Case Study
From reading Appendix F, there were a number of insights I garnered from the work on Campus violence. Amongst other things, I was able to follow Creswells, et als.'s setting of parameters and clarification of how their study fit within the technical parameters of qualitative research. It was a bit more elaborate than my introduction is likely to be, but it at it set some kind of model framework. I was also impressed with the clarification of the "need" for the study, something I've been wrestling to explain, as well as the explanantion of ethics. I did feel there was a little less self-reflexion than in other studies. Overall, I felt like case study might be defined as "situational ethnography".......But instead of studying a "group" case it's a "situational" case with the multiple groups and sources as the "wild cards." I didn't have that sense going into the reading, but I came out with that sense. I have a feeling, with enough time and the right subject, I really might enjoy doing this approach to research some time in the future.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
(Finely) Grounded Theory
I've been looking at the Grounded Theory approach to Qualitative Research for about 5 months now, since Eric R brought it to my attention. Given my subject matter and the way I am looking into Shame and its impact on ESL education (investigative methods), Grounded theory seems to make the most sense, with Phenomenology a distant second choice. The idea of when and how to introduce the theory has been (and to some degree still is) what I am trying to evolve an understanding of. Between the appendixed Study in Creswell, a supplemental book Eric lent me, and various articles I've borrowed and read, the "standard" is slowly becoming clearer. What I am now also dealing with is adjunctive data that has been brought to my by my interviewees; ideas and data that expand, support, or contradict my original suppositions. arguments, and assumptions. I am learning how experienced researchers "deal with" surprises and corollaries to their research. The idea of seeking "Theoretical Sampling" as opposed to the more standard Quantitative "Random Sampling" is a whole new process. (I was an NP Tester for a Health Project using random sampling from 1999-2004). Especially with the semi-structured interview format most prevalent in GT approach. There is also a reiterative process where different aspects of the theory can be reviewed and re-tested for greater refinement, sophistication, or inticacy. Understanding "Formal Theory" is what I am really looking at now.
Interviewing Doing
As part of my Thesis project/process, I did 6 interviews this week (since last Friday night), four with Native English-raised and educated teachers of English in Korea and two with Native Korean raised and educated teachers of English. Last week I did three interviews with Native Korean raised and educated teachers only. And by next Monday I will one more English-raised and one more Korean-raised interview. The interviews, as what might be called somewhat typical for the Grounded Theory approach, were conducted with a selected phenomenon-experiencing group. The questions were semi-structured, with more structure generally coming at the beginning and end. When I got what felt like leads to different experiences, observations, and attitudes, I encouraged pursuit of those with such comments as "please tell me more about....." The interviews have thus far (with 9 of 11 completed) taken from 17-40 minutes. I have used microcasettes and standard cassettes to record the interviews (Koreans and Waygookin beware, I could not find new microcassettes anywhere)......Establishing rapport was not a problem, nor was the assurance of ethical questioning and the use of the data.
What has been most interesting about the process is the different tangents and stories on which the (so-called) informants have taken me. (I always thought an informant was a "snitch")
These bits of information could potentially lead to other deeper, more specific studies based on the theory which I am proposing here. I will need to assess at the end of my interviews and coding whether I will need to "re-interview" anyone, using tangential issues which later interviewees brought to light.
What has been most interesting about the process is the different tangents and stories on which the (so-called) informants have taken me. (I always thought an informant was a "snitch")
These bits of information could potentially lead to other deeper, more specific studies based on the theory which I am proposing here. I will need to assess at the end of my interviews and coding whether I will need to "re-interview" anyone, using tangential issues which later interviewees brought to light.
Interviewology: Questioning questions
"To be.....or not to be. That's not really a question" Francois Truffaut
A fascinating little (well not so little, and rather dense) overview of the interviewing process. Philosophically, the whole process (hole process) of interviewing has the potential for so many
pitfalls in every stage from the creation of the questions, to the appropriateness for the target group, to the answers from the target group to the assessment of the collected interview data or answers via quantitative or qualitative coding assessments, that we must be careful to, at very least, be concerned about accuracy. At very most, we should acknowledge as many of the pitfalls as possible. In short we must question ourselves at each stage. It is probably a good idea to get a peer review or "second set of eyes" to look at questions from a different (hence less subjective than just one's own) point of view. I see interviews as beyond conversations in that they are intentionally purposeful. And end when the purpose the purpose is complete. And some how recorded and reviewed for the intended pupose. While conversations can have purposes (all in some ways do actually).....but the intention from the beginning is made clear, either explicitly or implicitly. When you walk in for a job interview, even if you are not told to do so, you are to attempt "professional behavior."
By the way if one is doing a an "ethnographic autobiography, " does one need to be sure to have an interview ready to keep oneself on task or appropriately un-subjective for the task at hand? Does one "question oneself" in this instance? That was just one question I didn't see addressed.
A fascinating little (well not so little, and rather dense) overview of the interviewing process. Philosophically, the whole process (hole process) of interviewing has the potential for so many
pitfalls in every stage from the creation of the questions, to the appropriateness for the target group, to the answers from the target group to the assessment of the collected interview data or answers via quantitative or qualitative coding assessments, that we must be careful to, at very least, be concerned about accuracy. At very most, we should acknowledge as many of the pitfalls as possible. In short we must question ourselves at each stage. It is probably a good idea to get a peer review or "second set of eyes" to look at questions from a different (hence less subjective than just one's own) point of view. I see interviews as beyond conversations in that they are intentionally purposeful. And end when the purpose the purpose is complete. And some how recorded and reviewed for the intended pupose. While conversations can have purposes (all in some ways do actually).....but the intention from the beginning is made clear, either explicitly or implicitly. When you walk in for a job interview, even if you are not told to do so, you are to attempt "professional behavior."
By the way if one is doing a an "ethnographic autobiography, " does one need to be sure to have an interview ready to keep oneself on task or appropriately un-subjective for the task at hand? Does one "question oneself" in this instance? That was just one question I didn't see addressed.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Pause that Refreshes
This is a bit of a time to reflect on where I am with my thinking. planning, reading and writing on the thesis paper. I need to complete the proposals for Woosong and the KOTESOL funding ASAP. I have an adequate enough plan of where I am heading, have- at least- a basic bibliography and framework.
I got my feet wet this week by doing 4 semi-structured interviews....They went fairly well....I was amazed at the fact that there were issues and explanation the interviewees brought up which opened new possibilities. I also continued to discuss the particulars of grounded research with Eric. I need to look into periodicals and articles by other topic subject headings: Avoidance, reluctance, etc, in the literature.
Beyond the field notes (this week's homework) and the readings, I feel like I got a bunch done. The research process is certainly proceeding forward....if not in a particularly linear traditional path.
I look forward to writing the proposals, interviewing more subjects (mostly waygookin next week) and digging into more literature.
I got my feet wet this week by doing 4 semi-structured interviews....They went fairly well....I was amazed at the fact that there were issues and explanation the interviewees brought up which opened new possibilities. I also continued to discuss the particulars of grounded research with Eric. I need to look into periodicals and articles by other topic subject headings: Avoidance, reluctance, etc, in the literature.
Beyond the field notes (this week's homework) and the readings, I feel like I got a bunch done. The research process is certainly proceeding forward....if not in a particularly linear traditional path.
I look forward to writing the proposals, interviewing more subjects (mostly waygookin next week) and digging into more literature.
Week 6 Field Notes.....
(Goldarnit.....I wish this site had Comic Sans font)
I took field notes Tuesday April 6, 2010 from 9:15-10:30 pm at Pan Dorothy Coffee Shop
From past experience (daily observation), I had noticed that this venue reaches its business peak between 7-11 pm. I wanted to observe the demographic make-up of a typical in-semester, middle-of-the-week evening "peak" crowd. There were three observations I was intentionally making: Korean University students vs. non-Koreans/other-aged Koreans, those working at their tables vs. those socializing, the number of computers in use. I was able to observe the number of Koreans by listening to conversations or asking, those who were working by open schoolbooks or computers in use. And computers just by counting. I took a count of all three items every 15 minutes from 9:15-10:30.
9:15-53 people total
Korean U Students 49
Other people 4
Working 50
Socializing 3
Computers 8
9:30-47 people total
KUS- 45
OP-2
W-45
S-2
C-8
9:45-46 people total
KUS- 44
OP- 2
W-41
S-5
C-7
10:00-42 people
KUS-40
OP-2
W-24
S-8
C-7
10:15-44 people total
KUS-44
OP-0
W-39
S-5
C-7
10:30-42 people total
KUS-42
OP-0
W-34
S-8
C-7
Other noted factors: The number of notebook computers remained relatively unchanged, as did the cluster groups of students who were around them working together. There were very few students who, during this time changed from working to socializing modality. During this time I saw no "older than 30" Koreans. There were only 2 native English teachers from 9:3o onward, and 4 total at 9:15.
It may a result of the student-centered dominance of this shop during these hours that discourages older Koreans, older teachers, or parents with kids from coming at this time.
I took field notes Tuesday April 6, 2010 from 9:15-10:30 pm at Pan Dorothy Coffee Shop
From past experience (daily observation), I had noticed that this venue reaches its business peak between 7-11 pm. I wanted to observe the demographic make-up of a typical in-semester, middle-of-the-week evening "peak" crowd. There were three observations I was intentionally making: Korean University students vs. non-Koreans/other-aged Koreans, those working at their tables vs. those socializing, the number of computers in use. I was able to observe the number of Koreans by listening to conversations or asking, those who were working by open schoolbooks or computers in use. And computers just by counting. I took a count of all three items every 15 minutes from 9:15-10:30.
9:15-53 people total
Korean U Students 49
Other people 4
Working 50
Socializing 3
Computers 8
9:30-47 people total
KUS- 45
OP-2
W-45
S-2
C-8
9:45-46 people total
KUS- 44
OP- 2
W-41
S-5
C-7
10:00-42 people
KUS-40
OP-2
W-24
S-8
C-7
10:15-44 people total
KUS-44
OP-0
W-39
S-5
C-7
10:30-42 people total
KUS-42
OP-0
W-34
S-8
C-7
Other noted factors: The number of notebook computers remained relatively unchanged, as did the cluster groups of students who were around them working together. There were very few students who, during this time changed from working to socializing modality. During this time I saw no "older than 30" Koreans. There were only 2 native English teachers from 9:3o onward, and 4 total at 9:15.
It may a result of the student-centered dominance of this shop during these hours that discourages older Koreans, older teachers, or parents with kids from coming at this time.
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