It’s good to talk

Time for a shameless plug for my research….

Would you like to be involved in a research project about crafting and blogging?

I’m looking to connect with craft makers who would like to participate in a research project that I’m doing as part of my PhD called ‘online interactions and identities in craft practice’.

I am interested in exploring how craft makers (particularly those who practise their craft part-time or whilst fulfilling other responsibilities) use different forms of internet [Web 2.0] technologies such as blogs and social networking sites. In particular I am interested in how ideas and information about craft is communicated, how individuals communicate with others using such media and how this form of communication informs individuals’ own practices and their sense of what it is to practice a particular craft (I’ve tried to capture the essence of my research project in my little doodle).

Essentially I am looking to interview craft makers who use the internet, and to observe their internet interactions (such as blog posts and public posts to social networking sites) over a particular period of time.

Through this research I hope to develop valuable insights into the ways in which internet communications, such as blogging and social networking help us to connect with others, to learn about and develop craft practices, to communicate with others about our own practices and to contribute to a sense of what it means to practice a particular craft. It will also help to develop an understanding of how a craft makers benefit from the process of sharing information with others via the internet. I hope to reflect on these issues and possibly provide some insights into how to develop practices and derive further benefits in the future.

If anyone’s potentially interested in participating, please send an e-mail to me at ronni.littlewood@virgin.net and I can provide further details of what would be involved.

Many thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Shameless plug ends

The truth is out there*

using a ‘hook’ to loop together different strands into a coherent structure. Also perhaps a metaphor for research (hooking together theory and practice; ideas and empirical work).

I’m not sure if it’s just me. Does anyone slightly dread the moment that someone asks them ‘what’s your PhD about’ whilst looking expectantly at you to enliven them with details of an enthralling project and enlighten them with the benefit of your wisdom.

‘Erm, I’m researching the Psychology of Creativity’ has been my initial attempt at a response. Inevitably this leads to more questions.

‘That’s interesting,’ comes the usual response ‘what aspect of creativity in particular?’

And then I’m faced with a couple of choices. Do I talk about the theoretical roots of the research; the work socio-cultural psychology research on collaborative creativity and creative work; the importance of situating creative work in a broader social and cultural context?

Or is it better to tell people about the empirical focus of the research – the focus on how amateur crafters (in particular knitters and crocheters) develop their identities and creative practice through Web 2.0 interactions (such as blogs and social networks). Or simply, how knitters and crocheters use the internet to communicate about their work.

I usually opt for the latter approach as the first generally tends to alienate most people I speak to. I can understand that. Truth be told lots of the socio-cultural psychology literature can alienate me at times and I’ve been reading it for years – it should be an old friend by now. And talking about the practical focus of the project genuinely engages people (I think) – it’s talking about things that people know something about, whether that’s practising a particular craft or using blog sites or social media. And I find something quite rewarding about that. It leads to more of a conversation and less of a mini-lecture which wasn’t invited in the first place.

But it taking this approach often results in a question for my own internal monologue. ‘Nice crafty stuff and a bit of messing about on the internet, all very well and good and that but why is this a suitable social phenomena for a piece of research?’

Hmmmm.  I’m not necessarily going to answer that one right now.  Partly because I’d be giving everything away too soon, but mostly because I’m still pondering that one. The slightly unnerving part for me is that talking about my research, whether in conversation or in a blog, gives it a life and allows it to take on a form other than that which exists in my head or in any writing which I have done as part of my PhD. And readers will make of this what they will, bringing their own assumptions and providing their own interpetations. That is an exciting and a scary prospect at the same time. The truth is out there … somewhere.

Let’s just say for now it’s a PhD in knitting, crochet and the use of the internet – or ‘spinning yarns and webs’ as I’ve decided to call the blog.  I quite like the sound of that.

*From the popular 90s TV programme ‘The X files’: http://www.xfiles.com/

‘Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?’*

In some ways starting a blog is worse than starting a new piece of writing using traditional media.  Not only do you have the blank page/screen taunting you, but at least I know how to use the more traditional media.  I know how to pick up a pen or pencil and make a mark on a piece of paper, and I know how to use word-processing software. I’ll let you into a secret – I’m using Word to draft this initial piece just to get over the hurdle of getting to grips with new technology whilst trying to order my thoughts.  I can’t multi-task. And Word kindly checks my spelling and grammar for me.

I have several motivating reasons for wanting to do this; all of which have converged nicely at this point in my life.  Firstly, I am in the processing of doing my PhD on a part-time basis with the Open University. It seems as though I have been doing this for ever, and still have for ever to go.  The opportunity to blog about the research presents a good opportunity for me to inject some life into it.  Life as a part-time PhD student with the OU is often a lonely one, and by blogging I hope to encourage discussion and dialogue with others in a way that is not accessible through being co-located with fellow PhD students.

Secondly; digital tools, web 2.0, social media, blog sites; call them what you will – they form a central part of an empirical project as part of my PhD research.   My next blog instalment will talk more about my research.  In short, my PhD research is about the ways in which part-time or amateur crafters and makers use such technologies as part of their practice to promote their craft and communicate with others.  Understanding more about the process of interacting using such technologies will, I hope, provide valuable insights into this aspect of my work, as well as providing some data as a reflective participant observer. More on this anon.

Thirdly, I am proposing to include an ‘auto-ethnographic’ element of my work.  I’ve put this term in quotation marks as the term, like most others in the social sciences, it is a contested and debated term (a potential theme for a future blog post perhaps?) but essentially I’m interpreting this to mean that as both a researcher and amateur craftsperson, I will develop my own dual purpose blog as part of my data collection strategy, and will write reflectively on this.

Finally, I have been given an opportunity to participate in the ‘Digital Tools for Research’ programme run by the University of Warwick Library.  In my other life (i.e. when I’m not a PhD student) I work in the Research Support Services department at Warwick, and I support researchers in the Social Sciences, particularly in Warwick Business School, Economics and Politics and International Studies departments. I hope that my participation in this programme will help me in my ‘professional life’ by giving me an insight into the type of support that is available to researchers in the University to help them raise the profile of their work using digital media.

For now, at least, the process of constructing a blog doesn’t seem to be that painful.  It is greatly helped by the resources made available through the programme on the ‘Publishing on the Web’ module, so my thanks go to the course organisers and authors for that. The main thing that the course materials encourage you to do is to think strategically about your blogging and to get your thoughts and activities into some sort of order. For me it has generated lots of ideas for future posts

My main challenge to work through in the forthcoming weeks is that there is so much useful information out there about establishing and maintaining a blog, how to you filter what’s useful, and where does the reading and absorbing of information end and the active, participative process of constructing a blog begin?

*Richie, L. (1984) ‘Hello.’ Can’t slow down. Detroit; Motown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_(Lionel_Richie_song)

In the true spirit of academe – I am duty-bound to cite my source appropriately.