Module 2 Zoom Meeting - 18th February

Our meeting last night was a lovely way to reconnect with everyone and share some thoughts on the processes and peculiarities of Module 2.

We initially focused on the point that module two is not about doing the research for your inquiry, it's about finding out what you want to investigate and mapping the field it is situated in - what different aspects there are to it; who else has discussed this topic and what they've said; what political, social, historical, and economic factors might be involved; what perspectives there are and how they view the topic differently; what experiences people may have had.

In essence, we established, it's about throwing a stone into a topical (not tropical...we wish...) pool and observing the ripples.

Understanding the different aspects of research design and inquiry - HOW to do the research - is of particular importance because, again, at this stage it is not about delving into your inquiry, but instead working out what your inquiry might look like in black and white before it's been coloured in with your actual topic.

As we only have 12 weeks start to finish, we really can't expect to explore the big and complex questions in the world. We need to be a lot more specific and focused to explore a small area in depth rather than a big area unsubstantially. 

I sort of think of this as coming across a mine with all different sections containing different gemstones, and rather than getting overexcited and trying to run around the whole mine collecting all the different types of stones, choose just one specific one and mine that gem as far down as you can. Be obsessed with that one gem and all the different places you can find it, all its different shapes and sizes, and all its different qualities. 

But again, hold back on the mining until module three and use module two to work out which gem you're going to mine and how you're going to mine it. 

Another point we focused on was the assumptions you attend your topic with - we are not trying to prove or disprove anything, but instead explore. This can be hard as often the reason we're interested in something is because of our experiences and aspects of our practice that have shaped our view of it and attitude towards it, so we have to 'de-costume' and be a simple researcher rather than a sparkly performer. All egos and all assumptions need to be left at the stage door.


I already have a small pile of books I want to read to investigate research methods and my general topic, so I'm hoping the next couple of weeks will help me to discover the questions I really want to ask and narrow down all the options. At some point I also need to open the MORE form (and not panic) so it's looking like things will be busy. 

Thank you everyone for a really insightful and helpful discussion. Looking forward to everyone's blogs as you explore more! x



Comments

  1. Alice Pettini22 February 2021 at 02:01

    Hi Roanne, I LOVED your analogy about the mine... it feels so relevant to what we are doing now. As performers we are used to doing everything we can to achieve something, so it would be natural for us to want to find answers at this stage. Have you got an idea of a general topic yet? I hope the research goes well, and I look forward to hearing about what you discover x

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    Replies
    1. Roanne Cox22 February 2021 at 05:17

      Hi Alice, I'm glad you liked the analogy! I'm thinking I want to do something around artistry but I'm not yet sure how that's going to form into a more specific question. I'll be doing blogs as I look around it more! x

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    2. Alice Pettini23 February 2021 at 12:41

      Yes, it was a really different way of looking at this unfamiliar process! I love this idea, and loved your recent blog! x

      Delete
  2. Lauren SK23 February 2021 at 12:11

    Hi Roanne, thank you again for a great blog. I took the same approach as you and tackled what Module 2 actually wants from us! You have added some extra bits and details that I didn't mention in my blog so thank you for that. I'm interested to see how you go on with Artistry, I will gladly read your blogs on the topic! I also need to open MORE ;) and my pile of books to read is also growing...don't know how I will find the time to read EVERYTHING, I guess I need to start prioritizing. Good luck xx

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    Replies
    1. Roanne Cox24 February 2021 at 23:20

      Hi Lauren, thank you for your comments! It feels like there's a lot to do but I'm sure we'll get there we just need to not panic and do one thing at a time ;) hope your research goes well xx

      Delete

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