Reading What is Not Said: using methodology  which  reads ‘between the  lines’ in research. Sarah Calvert. PhD. Jane Gilbert Phd.
Three different  projects Women and STEM science. Youth  Connectedness. Alternative  Education. Hypothesised that answers sometimes lay outside of conscious knowing. Wanted to use a relational process which acknowledged that  the researcher is also a participant. Both  Subject and researcher  changed by the  interaction.
" A social self would come to be partially in and through powerful affective relationships with other persons. These relationships  with others and our feelings and fantasies about them, along with experiences of embodiedness also mediated by such relations can come to constitute an "inner" self that is neither simply  fictive nor "natural". Such a self is simultaneously embodied, gendered, social and unique. It is capable of telling stories and of conceiving and experiencing itself in all these ways”.  Jane Flax. 1990.
“   (The researchers feelings) tell us about how a researcher comes to produce  such an account and opens it to the possibility of different readings of the same material. It tells us that the process of reading itself is not all in the text, but is produced out of a complex interaction between reader and text. But perhaps it tells us more than this: as a researcher, I am no more, no different from the subjects of my research ” .  Walkerdine, 1997
Psychoanalytic Ideas Focus on developmental processes. Focus on the relational processes of the interview. Use of Adult Attachment  Interview and  Child Attachment Interview. Evidence of  unconscious material- parapraxis, affective states, what is avoided. Use of Grice’s maxims- consistency, richness of perception, coherence, order. Themes and  patterns. Relationships. How the ‘self’ was present or not The place of  fantasy and the symbolic.
Narrative Theory. people construct their sense of self in relation to others. people bring themselves into being through narratives people present themselves to the world through narratives people make sense of their lives through narratives all narratives have a audience the audience is part of the performance of a  narrative (researcher not a detached observer).
Analysis Multiple levels of Analysis. Undertaken by the research group as a whole. Conventional Qualitative Analysis-what was said, how people, places, events and experiences constructed into stories. Look for the data at deeper levels- what was the subject saying and to whom. Production of  selves and the  stories. Psychological issues  which arise from the  telling and our listening. Listening with the psycho-analytic lens.
The  Women and  Science  Project. Initial  work using a group of ‘experts’ to  develop the  research questions. Nine  STEM scientists, all recognised  leaders in their  field. Importance of the  ‘story’, both for its developmental, relational, affective and symbolic qualities. Complex relationships with both mothers and  fathers.  How  to manage being ‘female’.  The  importance of relationships.
Youth  Connectedness . 41 young people, 31% Maori. Aged between  10-14 in Year One and  13-17 in Year Three. Part of larger  computer based study of 2,000 (allowed us to see how our data ‘fitted’). Also made a Digital Story every year- another lens on their  development.
Maori Indigenous people of  Aotearoa. Economically and socially marginalized by colonization. Schooling where all schooling is done in Te Reo Maori (the language of Maori). Limited research on Maori youth and their  progress through development.
 
Secure  attachments  and a sense of  achievement provide  scaffolding for development.  Most important  generally, Family and  Friends. However the more connections  they have the  better. But some young people make use of  very little in the way of support and  not be connected to family.
Most  distressed  had no ‘sense of self’, passive in their lives, outcomes  include  anxiety, depression and  suicidality. Impact of the research (research is not neutral). Research itself  created  connections among the young people and with us (which are on-going). Young people  could  articulate the  ways in which  being part of this  research had  helped them think about things in different ways. Some talked about it as a life changing  experience.
Animee,  Manga and Cosplay Japanese  cartoons and comics with highly stylized characters. Now a significant  part of ‘youth culture around the world. Cosplay- costume play, a form of performance art. A form of active role play.
 

S Calvert, The connectedness in youth project

  • 1.
    Reading What isNot Said: using methodology which reads ‘between the lines’ in research. Sarah Calvert. PhD. Jane Gilbert Phd.
  • 2.
    Three different projects Women and STEM science. Youth Connectedness. Alternative Education. Hypothesised that answers sometimes lay outside of conscious knowing. Wanted to use a relational process which acknowledged that the researcher is also a participant. Both Subject and researcher changed by the interaction.
  • 3.
    " A socialself would come to be partially in and through powerful affective relationships with other persons. These relationships with others and our feelings and fantasies about them, along with experiences of embodiedness also mediated by such relations can come to constitute an "inner" self that is neither simply fictive nor "natural". Such a self is simultaneously embodied, gendered, social and unique. It is capable of telling stories and of conceiving and experiencing itself in all these ways”. Jane Flax. 1990.
  • 4.
    (The researchers feelings) tell us about how a researcher comes to produce such an account and opens it to the possibility of different readings of the same material. It tells us that the process of reading itself is not all in the text, but is produced out of a complex interaction between reader and text. But perhaps it tells us more than this: as a researcher, I am no more, no different from the subjects of my research ” . Walkerdine, 1997
  • 5.
    Psychoanalytic Ideas Focuson developmental processes. Focus on the relational processes of the interview. Use of Adult Attachment Interview and Child Attachment Interview. Evidence of unconscious material- parapraxis, affective states, what is avoided. Use of Grice’s maxims- consistency, richness of perception, coherence, order. Themes and patterns. Relationships. How the ‘self’ was present or not The place of fantasy and the symbolic.
  • 6.
    Narrative Theory. peopleconstruct their sense of self in relation to others. people bring themselves into being through narratives people present themselves to the world through narratives people make sense of their lives through narratives all narratives have a audience the audience is part of the performance of a narrative (researcher not a detached observer).
  • 7.
    Analysis Multiple levelsof Analysis. Undertaken by the research group as a whole. Conventional Qualitative Analysis-what was said, how people, places, events and experiences constructed into stories. Look for the data at deeper levels- what was the subject saying and to whom. Production of selves and the stories. Psychological issues which arise from the telling and our listening. Listening with the psycho-analytic lens.
  • 8.
    The Womenand Science Project. Initial work using a group of ‘experts’ to develop the research questions. Nine STEM scientists, all recognised leaders in their field. Importance of the ‘story’, both for its developmental, relational, affective and symbolic qualities. Complex relationships with both mothers and fathers. How to manage being ‘female’. The importance of relationships.
  • 9.
    Youth Connectedness. 41 young people, 31% Maori. Aged between 10-14 in Year One and 13-17 in Year Three. Part of larger computer based study of 2,000 (allowed us to see how our data ‘fitted’). Also made a Digital Story every year- another lens on their development.
  • 10.
    Maori Indigenous peopleof Aotearoa. Economically and socially marginalized by colonization. Schooling where all schooling is done in Te Reo Maori (the language of Maori). Limited research on Maori youth and their progress through development.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Secure attachments and a sense of achievement provide scaffolding for development. Most important generally, Family and Friends. However the more connections they have the better. But some young people make use of very little in the way of support and not be connected to family.
  • 13.
    Most distressed had no ‘sense of self’, passive in their lives, outcomes include anxiety, depression and suicidality. Impact of the research (research is not neutral). Research itself created connections among the young people and with us (which are on-going). Young people could articulate the ways in which being part of this research had helped them think about things in different ways. Some talked about it as a life changing experience.
  • 14.
    Animee, Mangaand Cosplay Japanese cartoons and comics with highly stylized characters. Now a significant part of ‘youth culture around the world. Cosplay- costume play, a form of performance art. A form of active role play.
  • 15.