2. The Background
Chatting over coffee one day ….
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3. Doing-a-PhD as an occupation
The aim: to explore my personal
experience of engaging in this
occupation.
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4. Autoethnography
• The self is the source of data
• Connecting the personal to the socio-cultural,
multiple layers of consciousness
• Data can include field-notes, diaries,
observation of artefacts etc
• A focus on the mundane, the ‘everyday’
• An ‘evocative personal narrative’ (Ellis and
Bochner 2002)
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5. Who am I?
• When I was 6 • 47 year old
years old I wanted • Partner to Paul
to be a ballerina • Sister to Norma
• Lecturer • Raised 3 step
• Ex Director of children
OT • Have a cat, Daisy
• Previously BSc, • Live in the
DipCOT, MSc and country, work in a
now the PhD city
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6. Data Collection - Systematic scrutiny
and note-taking
• Physical • Documentary
artefacts evidence
– Bookshelf – Work diary
– Desk
– Computer files
– Study walls
– Filing cabinet
– Easel
– Lever arch files
– Wall charts
– Correspondence
• Personal
reflections – telephone messages
– PhD logbook
– email
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7. Analysis
• Wilcock's (1998) ‘doing, being,
becoming’
• Yerxa (2002) - consider time, space
and the socio-cultural context of an
occupation, as well as personal
experience
• Multiple layers of consciousness – the
whole picture
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8. What did my observations
reveal?…
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9. This PhD is a significant part of my
life…
• I have time planning charts which go to
2007!
• My study walls are hung with posters
and drawings of my research ideas.
• Research papers are to be found in my
kitchen, my car, my bag ..
• I am becoming an obsessional backer-
up of computer files.
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10. My life priorities have changed….
• My reflective notes and my diary reveal
the process by which I am becoming a
researcher instead of a team manager.
• I buy more books than shoes!
• I did not plant out all my seedlings this
year, they died in their seed-tray.
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11. I am developing intellectually…
• My ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ filing systems are re-
organised occasionally to accommodate my
cognitive shifts
• If I re-read a paper, I have to make new notes
in my files – my understanding of the paper
has changed!
• My reviews of papers and books reveal that I
am beginning to have informed opinions.
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12. My social networks are shifting..
• My home diary reveals that my social
life is suffering.
• In my logbook I reflect on the PhD
being an isolating occupation
• And yet my diary and email
correspondence show that I have new
supportive social networks!
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13. My work-life balance is a problem…
• My work diary shows long working days, and
the juggling of tasks.
• My logbook reflections reveal guilt and long
unachievable lists of goals.
• Gaps in my logbook are times of distraction,
and poor motivation.
• I have a plant on a high shelf in my study at
home which taps me on the head, to remind
me that there is more to life than studying….
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14. Engaging with this occupation is an
emotional journey.
• My reflections and tutorial notes reveal
despair, doubts and dilemmas
– Am I clever enough?
– Is my research interesting / important /
sensible / worthwhile?
– Who will take this seriously?
• But there are also notes and emails
showing elation and excitement!!
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15. My past life impacts on the PhD…
• Notes and reflections following tutorials
and conversations show my struggle
with self-confidence..
• The photographs of my parents on my
wall remind me of the impact of my
social and family background on my
current endeavours – and also the era
in which I grew up…
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16. My present life impacts on the PhD…
• Packing cases and house-moves
• Packing cases and office moves
• My diary and disorganised desk reveal
the demands of my new role at work
• The kitchen calendar shows visits to
vets and holidays…
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17. End thoughts
• This is an occupation which connects
me to the world and the culture in which
I live.
• This occupation is causing me to
‘become’ a changed person.
• This research helps me to understand
other people’s experiences of their
occupations.
2004 Jackie Taylor 17
Editor's Notes
Jackie Taylor University of Salford Because I see building the research capabilities of occupational therapy as part of building the future
Jackie Taylor University of Salford Reading through my PhD logbook, and talking to other postgraduate students, I realised that Doing this PhD is changing me personally & fundamentally Doing a PhD is an occupation, and I should be able to analyse it as such. This is related to the focus of my study, because I am interested in occupations and their impact on identity
Jackie Taylor University of Salford In beginning to explore my personal experience of this occupation I had several things in mind:- Occupations are complex. The meanings of occupations are contextual (Yerxa 1998) This includes social, political and cultural contexts (Hawes 1996) The meanings of occupations change according to time and context People, and occupations, have a past, a present and an anticipated future **************** Sharrott (1983) is useful here, in placing the study of occupations alongside sociological approaches, which are phenomenological and ethnomethodological, in order to further understand meaning. Meaning of occupations can be understood against personal narratives with a past, a present and a future. Yerxa (1989) says I am more true to my humanity when engaged in occupation. She also said that meanings of occupations change (according to time, mood, age, etc). She also said that ‘ The essential qualities …… cannot be assessed from the outside by an outsider. ' (p10) Hawes (1996) Meaning is personal, individual, but it cannot be separated from the socio-political and historical contexts. Context doesn't determine human transactions, but it influences them. Hocking (2000) Occupations are culturally embedded and therefore carry cultural meanings as well as personal meanings Yerxa (2002) talks about the dialectic between ind and society She reviews habits in TIME, in PLACE and in SOCIOCULTURAL context.
Jackie Taylor University of Salford Ethnomethodology seemed the appropriate choice of method (Sharrott, 1983) to explore such personal meanings and experiences. Ellis and Bochner (2003) Autoethnography uses the self as a source of data, as a focus for research Autoethnography connects the personal to the cultural, and displays multiple layers of consciousness, Ethnography is based on a systematic study of the artefacts and other clues to the relationship between the self and society – also includes, field-notes, diaries, life histories, Autoethnographic studies often focus on key life events, but as an occupational scientist I feel drawn to study the mundane, the everyday. Evocative personal narrative – which has resonance for the listener. The usefulness of this research is to help me understand my own and other people’s experiences, and also to help other people understand their own experience better.
Jackie Taylor University of Salford
Jackie Taylor University of Salford What best represents my engagement with this occupation? Physical artefacts Bookshelf Desk Study walls Easel wall charts Documentary evidence Work diary Computer files Filing cabinet Lever arch files Correspondence telephone messages Personal reflections and notes PhD logbook email I examined each of these and made notes. Systematic scrutiny of the artefacts which appear to best represent my engagement with this occupation ( how I do the occupation and why I do it, and the impact it is having on me).
Jackie Taylor University of Salford I found these two frameworks helpful, when trying to make sense of my observations and in order to relate the personal to the socio-cultural. I liked the idea from Ellis and Bochner that autoethnography allowed me to look at multiple layers of consciousness – recognising the complex nature of an occupation.
Jackie Taylor University of Salford Here are some of my findings, illustrating how these emerged Please note that the words written in gold are those artefacts which provide evidence for my suggestions It might feel that there are no great surprises in these findings, and yet they are an illustration of how a new occupation can impact on someone’s life…..
Jackie Taylor University of Salford
Jackie Taylor University of Salford I was born in the 1950s, I am a feminist, I have certain political views. I am/was poor working class .. Lovely quote '…people are not determined by their context as long as they can critique and reconstruct it.'(Yerxa, 2002, p105)
Jackie Taylor University of Salford I conclude by linking back to the work of Yerxa, and Wilcock, and by hoping that this research suggests how we might better understand the occupations of our clients. *************** ‘ The essential qualities (of the meanings of occupations)…… cannot be assessed from the outside by an outsider. ' (Yerxa 1998, p10) Lovely quote '…people are not determined by their context as long as they can critique and reconstruct it.'(Yerxa, 2002, p105) 'People create who they are through occupations which connect then to their world and culture, enabling them to be in place there.'(Yerxa 2002. p105)
