It won’t let me respond to your post, Courtney, so I’m replying here. Good luck with this week/finals/prepping for our trip, everyone! The trip is starting to feel much more real now that we’re so close. At the beginning of the semester it felt like we would never end up here; it’s kind of amazing how much we have all been able to pull together. I agree that I’m starting to feel the pressure, between this course and everything else, and I think there’s an added layer of stress because I don’t want to forget something and let down our community partner. In general, that’s what has distinguished this class for me– I’m used to schoolwork being a very personal task that only affects me, rather than a collaborative project that has an actual impact on someone else and the possibility to positively or negatively affect their organization. I’m really enjoying doing something with a tangible output that I know will be useful, and I think it’s a very refreshing change from most of the academic work I’ve done so far. How does this class feel the same/different for you guys?
mielle
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mielle
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mielle
I’ll be talking about triangulation and the group leadership survey, feel free to start another thread or add to this one! First off, I think that triangulation is a really interesting method of research that addresses some of the problems of various scales– either aggregate data that says very little about each individual, or smaller-scale research that does not illuminate the bigger picture. The differences between Craig’s survey and focus group data was striking, and it seems likely that many of us may encounter this effect as well if we are using more than one data collection method. Craig’s differing results did not invalidate any of his findings, but they did give him a perspective that he could not have gotten elsewhere. It was a good reminder to me that even though we use empirical methods and work to find the “truth”, this truth is almost always going to be framed differently by different people or kinds of data, and we should be aware of this in our research.
The leadership survey would be such an interesting place to use triangulation– while the researchers collected the survey results, I imagine that an interview or focus group with the participants might produce a different picture about their views of masculinity and femininity, and could get into some of the issues we discussed, like how personal experience shapes opinions. A further angle might be to interview someone about their combined choices of traits for an ideal leader, because the holistic picture could be different than each trait individually. If anyone wants to talk more about the gender associations, I think they’re equally fascinating and frustrating! I was surprised at how some of the traits were gendered– any particular surprises for you?-
Emily Dunn
I definitely agree with you Mielle, triangulation is a valuable method and one I wouldn’t have considered before Craig’s talk. The only downside I could see to it would be costs in terms of time as exploring different methods and avenues isn’t always an option during research, although it depends on the specifics of projects. I thought his point about surveys and the cost of them was an interesting one too as I have never considered that cost before and how it may limit research undertaken by academics – as well as any future research I may do in the future. However, with triangulation, I do believe that the benefits outweigh the cost and I think it’s an avenue I’ll definitely pursue in any future research. Even for our research at Williams Lake, the fact that we are now aware of it as a method has definitely made me more receptive to questioning assumptions I have and refusing to take any data at face value without a more social interface in order to be sure of my research.
As for the leadership survey, the gendering of the traits didn’t surprise me in the slightest – although some of the percentages (such as 96% vs 4% for confidence) did surprise me as I had thought – especially among students – that gender associations weren’t as prevalent in society as the leadership survey made them out to be. I think part of that can be explained in the categorization of the survey though – with only two categories, male or female, people were forced into a polarizing decision. I feel that if there had been a box for ‘both genders’ the results may not have been as divided and extreme as they were. I think what would be really interesting if interviews and focus groups had been conducted would be to find out how each gender expressing the trait would come across in a leadership context e.g. would an aggressive male be perceived more positively as a leader than an aggressive female? All in all, I thought it was an extremely interesting activity that has many implications for the way we perceive these issues, -
Eleanor Shorrock
I agree with Mielle that triangulation methodology can address problems on varying scales. Although one methodology cannot invalidate the other, having a second method with differing results can either highlight potential biases or raise awareness of potential phenomenon that we had not yet considered. Adding a third methodology on top can increase the validity of findings if they point to similar conclusion. Craig noted that using a range of research methodologies enabled him to attain general data through census, get expert opinions of his initial findings using interviews, and finally, challenge assumptions he had initially made through the use of focus groups. Whilst we may not have the time/resources in to conduct such a large scale project in Williams Lake, it is important that we do not just use one method and label our findings as ‘truth’. The mining team will be using surveys which we intend to analyse prior to our visit and then use these findings to construct interviews during our visit. Whilst it would be convenient for these two methods to provide us with the same outcome, what is most exciting about field work is that initial assumptions can be challenged!
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ernielly leo
I can’t seem to start a new thread in discussing gender, and in particular our conversation around International Women’s Day but thanks for bringing this up Mielle. There weren’t any surprises for me in terms of the experiment we did in class, it was a relief to see that our class’ response was slightly different than what is usually the case at large. However as we discuss and celebrate international Women’s day, I can’t help but consider the conversations and the meaning behind these worldwide celebration. I feel that we must consider intersectionality and how it further convoluted the conversation on genderization of characteristics. What does it mean to be a person of colour who are also assigned gendered characteristics on top of assigned characteristics due to ethnicity? Where do trans bodies fit in this space? What does it mean to be a woman in certain places where values, cultural practices, and relationship holds a different meaning from our North American context? I think it’s important to think about how we are celebrating International Womens Day, keeping in mind that its initial conception was at a very different time and that it was meant to celebrate a certain type of women. I think decolonizing our celebration and engaging with the intersectionality of gender, race, and sexual orientation is difficult but also so important! That being said, it is a very tricky thing to be doing, any ideas on how may broaden the conversation surrounding international Women’s day?
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Donna Liu
To continue the discussion on survey and gender, I felt extremely frustrated seeing the results of the perceived masculine and feminine traits! I think that the setup of the survey put pressure on participants to define attitudes and qualities of males and females in a black and white way. There was no opportunity in the participation of the survey for the participants to contextualize their answers and give their reasoning. Thus, we also do not have information either and only see the results of a more traditional culturally defined masculine and feminine traits. With this survey, it may have been interesting for the researchers to continue with a triangulation method and conduct interviews or focus groups to hear what the participants were thinking during the survey activity. Moreover, if I had completed the gender version of the survey, I would have given many positive traits that males scored higher, such as confident, powerful, and strong as a feminine trait. However, I recognize that my choices would be based on my experiences and attitude towards females in my life as well as my role models. I think it is also encouraging to see examples of many women are become strong leaders with leadership styles that don’t necessarily take on male caricatures. Similarly, there are many men who are sensible and relationship oriented!
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amy luo
I thought the activity Siobhan conducted with the class regarding gender and leadership was extremely interesting and it hit close to home for me. As a female athlete who has competed at an international level, I face gender issues all the time, especially playing a co-ed sport. Recently, I was playing ultimate at a recreational level with some friends, and oftentimes they look to me for leadership and advice due to my experience in the sport. However, another teammate arrived who has played at as high of a level as I have, but was a male. All of a sudden everyone started turning to him for leadership and advice, despite asking him questions that I was also perfectly capable of providing answers for. After the activity we did in class, I started reflecting on the possibility that these gendered stereotypes of leadership are so deeply engrained in our society that we don’t even realize it happening, as I’m sure my friends were not intentionally deferring to my male counterpart over me. (We were also the same ethnicity if that makes a difference!)
I apologize if my story was a bit of a digression, but I wanted to share this personal experience regarding gender and leadership as it felt very timely with Siobhan’s in class activity.
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courtenay desiree crane
Just adding to the conversation about gender, I think that the research that was conducted showed less about what traits are characteristic of men and women, but instead reflected how gender is constructed in society. I think that this week’s reading “Navigating the city: gender and positionality in cultural geography research” really complimented this week’s activity as it discusses gender and research. I found it really useful in helping to consider the relationship between gender and the methodology that we employ in our research. The authors write: “When we consider gender, we not only reference the physical qualities associated with gender differences but most importantly also refer to socially constructed gender roles” (Kusek et al., 153).
I think that the results of the survey illustrated the limitations that come with only recognizing two genders, male and female. I believe that gender should not be something that you just tick off in a box as either as male or female; perhaps a blank space for the participant to provide their own way of identifying would be more suitable. In the article “Native gay and lesbian issues: The two-spirited” Terry Tafoya offers a good overview of traditional Indigenous concepts of gender that are quite different from the Canadian constructions of gender that were long imposed on Indigenous peoples. In mainstream Canadian society, gender is often constructed as “polar opposites, or different ends of the same stick. One is either/or, male or female, gay or straight. Native American concepts usually prefer circles to lines. If one takes the line of male/female, gay/straight, and bends it into a circle, there are an infinite number of points. Just so, there are theoretically an infinite number of possible points of gender and sexual identity for an individual who can shift and differ over time and location” (Tafoya, 407).
This article is quite appropriate for our discussion of leadership, which, in Canadian society, has been dominated by men. If I remember correctly the leadership gender survey took place at a university in the states, which, like Canada is a settler colonial society, where males have dominated leadership positions. Prior to contact, many Indigenous communities were matriarchal and women often occupied leadership roles. This changed with the imposition of the Indian Act, which made it mandatory for Indians on reserves to vote in band office elections instead of using traditional forms of Indigenous governance, and denied women the right to vote or to be elected chief until 1951. These imposed Canadian concepts of gender and leadership were very different from traditional Indigenous understandings.
“Historically the status of a two-spirit person was valued in many native communities, since an ordinary male sees the world through male eyes and an ordinary female sees the world through female eyes. However, a two-spirited person (who possesses both a male and female spirit, regardless of the flesh that is worn) will always see further. For this reason, many two-spirited people have become medicine people, leaders, and intermediaries between men and women… Their greater flexibility provides them with greater possibilities of discovering alternative ways of seeing themselves and the world” (Tafoya, 407)References
Kusek, Weronika A., and Sarah L. Smiley. “Navigating the City: Gender and Positionality in Cultural Geography Research.” Journal of Cultural Geography 31.2 (2014): 152-65. WebTafoya, Terry. “Native gay and lesbian issues: The two-spirited.” Psychological perspectives on lesbian, gay, and bisexual experiences (2003): 401-409.
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mielle
Hello all, I guess I’ll get started with the week six discussion forum! I thought our guest speaker today had some really interesting projects to share, and I’m looking forward to how other people connected with them. As we have talked about in this class and in others, GIS and other techniques we learn are really about data visualization, and have the power to translate confusing data into forms that are easy to understand. To me, this has huge political implications. Too often, data is only used by powerful groups to further their own interests, both in that large institutions have the resources to commission studies (and therefor decide which questions to ask) and the ability to disclose, hide, or strategically represent findings. Data, numbers, maps, statistics, etc. are all tools that can be used by marginalized groups as well, but they (/we) face many barriers in obtaining and using them. Along with increasing people’s familiarity with how to read basic statistics, creating more accurate and easy to understand graphic representations of data can be an excellent way to resist efforts by powerful institutions to shape our opinions and understanding of the world for us.
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Eleanor Shorrock
To build on what Mielle has said, I found this week’s guest speaker, Joey, quite encouraging, as he assured me that I have built skills over the past 3 years that make me employable. Having set on the human/physical geography fence up until this year, I have been getting increasingly concerned that whilst I have learnt a plethora of skills, I have not developed any in particular. Joey has enlightened me however that having had a taste of coding, mapping, blogging, making models, historical research (the list goes on!), I have had the opportunity to explore and touch on many fields that less diverse degrees perhaps do not. As Joey said – us geographers are a “bi-curious” bunch and instead of being concerned that I know a lot in little depth, I should utilise the skills that I have and enjoy, to develop them and find something to offer an employer.
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Cheng Yee Seah
As Eleanor suggested, this “bi-curiosity” is definitely something that stood out to me from Joey’s lecture. As Geographers, but also as learnings it’s more and more important to be able to make linkages between different passions and interests, and Joey was able to clearly show us an example of using data visualizations as a method of mapping and sorting out massive amounts of information. It is also quite scary to think about how our world revolves around the use of computers and technology yet most of us (at least, definitely me!) don’t know how our information is being used or who has access to it – leading to privacy issues.
Even if we aren’t able to code, I think this lecture definitely pushed for us as “researchers” to think outside the box – how can we best present large amounts of data in ways that will be approachable and relatable to our targeted audience? It’s also interesting to think about how we can display information that can be useful e.g. Joey’s app on Taxi-pooling in NYC.
As someone mentioned in class, which I found to be incredibly important to consider – is the challenges that we may face in presenting information in “unique” and “out of the box ways” when there is limited access to computers, laptops and general technology/internet. This may not be such a big issue in Canada, but definitely if you were to work in other countries or in more rural areas, this would be a huge factor to consider.
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eleanor shorrock
To follow what Mielle has said, I found this week’s guest speaker, Joey, quite encouraging, as he assured me that I have built skills over the past 3 years that make me employable. Having set on the human/physical geography fence up until this year, I have been getting increasingly concerned that whilst I have learnt a plethora of skills, I have not developed any in particular. Joey has enlightened me however that having had a taste of coding, mapping, blogging, making models, historical research (the list goes on!), I have had the opportunity to explore and touch on many fields that less diverse degrees perhaps do not and develop them. As Joey said – us geographers are a “bi-curious” bunch and instead of being concerned that I know a lot in little depth, I should utilise the skills that I have and enjoy, to improve on them and find something to offer an employer.
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alison fung
Similar to Mielle and Eleanor, I also found Joey’s talk inspiring. While it is true that as geographers, we do not have necessarily have the easiest skills to describe, he made a very good point that it is up to “do a lot of stuff” to show what we can do. For myself and others that are not going in the direction of maps, design and technology, I realized this class is something that shows other non-academic skills such as working with a community partner and different stakeholders, facilitating focus groups etc. For my group, we are starting to see interactions of human, environmental and spatial issues with trail use in the Williams Lake Community Forest. This is quite exciting to me, as it combines different interests and values and seems like a very geography-oriented project to me.
Also, like Eleanor, I agree that not necessarily specializing in one thing in particular can be beneficial since it keeps options open to potential future jobs.-
Emily Dunn
Similar to above, I found Joey’s talk fascinating as it came from someone who has been through the system the same as us, someone who has undertaken a Geography Undergraduate degree and shown how well it can be applied within the context of the real world. More often than not, people either typecast Geography as something that is useless or vague and I think what Joey showed was how dynamic the degree truly is. The skills we learn throughout our undergraduate through various methods classes – for example, I’ve taken a GIS course and now a human geography methods course – will be instrumental into helping us with future employment and I believe that the dynamic nature of Geography will offer us an edge. In a world that is constantly changing, GIS skills will soon become instrumental and offer advantages as Geography graduates to apply our skills in a real life context that other degrees may not be offered. Even in the way Joey described himself showed the diverse applications of Geography and how it has become a subject that touches on many disciplines and is not simply an art or a science, but a mixture of both.
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Donna Liu
I totally agree with all the sentiments shared above and I think perhaps we were all drawn to Joey’s presentation because he shared similar academic and personal experiences as our own, with interests and skills across different disciplines. His portfolio of projects encouraged us to see that we have opportunities to combine our geographical skills and other interests in interesting and surprising ways. I also related to how he shared about his fears and uncertainties in creating his work and overcoming those feelings by continuing to develop his skills and finding the right medium and outlets to facilitate his learning. In this course, it has been exciting how we have so much flexibility to explore and build upon our academic and personal skills. In my group project so far, we have been introduced to a lot of data and information and as Joey suggested, it will be important to present our data in an accessible and inclusive way for our community partner. While we may not be as techy as Joey, we hope to work towards creating a readable and engaging project for our community partner!
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Anton Metalnikov
It’s interesting that you mention that Joey’s talk was encouraging for you, because it actually made me quite nervous! His thorough knowledge of technology and ability to intertwine geography with it made me question my own abilities and what I would be able to provide to a potential employer. I really admired his creativity and it actually has made me reevaluate the way I work and study the past few days. Graduating students are becoming more and more creative lately and Joey has in a way inspired me to start thinking outside of the box in my own interests. Since his presentation, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how I could use new technologies to come up with a fresh perspective, both for my community project as well as for my future career goals. I haven’t come up with anything yet, but it’s certainly given me a lot to think about as I move forward with my degree.
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theriseofthesun
Hey Anton,
I would have to agree with your sentiments, as I also felt super overwhelmed by all his accomplishments post-undergrad. After class I decided to return to a website called “Code Academy” where I started learning how to code on but completely forgot all I had learned since it has been over a year since I started. I remember feeling super inspired to take a Computer Science course at UBC but was discouraged to do so because I felt like I would not be able to keep up with the pace of a University level course.
However I appreciated Joey’s discussion on the importance of picking something you’re passionate about and investing a lot of time into it, such as coding or blogging. For me, I have taken on a personal project to write 365 days of poetry as a side project, ever since I was inspired from taking Creative Writing courses here at UBC. I was amazed by the numerous ways Joey collaborated with other talented individuals, which makes me wonder in awe of the potential that exists out there in the real world, for me as a cross-studies Human Geography and Creative Writing fanatic. And thus, what are some of the ways I could creatively integrate my skills from both fields into a career path?
– Therise
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Kianna Zivny
Sorry my week 6 post is a few days late, but I also wanted to briefly mention something about Joey’s talk. I definitely thought that his presentation was the most interesting one we’ve had yet and I agree with everyone else that it’s because it’s so relevant to what we are learning. Even though I found it very interesting, I agree with Anton that it was also quite overwhelming. This is the first time in my geography degree that i’m taking classes like GIS and cartography and although I really like what we’re learning and it’s such a good skill to have, it’s going to take me a while to wrap my head around using this technology let alone becoming really skilled at it. (I can’t imagine even trying to learn coding at this stage). Something that Joey mentioned that I looked into was the MapTime meetups in Vancouver, and I’m hoping to make it out to attend one sometime to learn something new in an environment like that!
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Cheng Yee
As Eleanor suggested, this “bi-curiosity” is definitely something that stood out to me from Joey’s lecture. As Geographers, but also as learnings it’s more and more important to be able to make linkages between different passions and interests, and Joey was able to clearly show us an example of using data visualizations as a method of mapping and sorting out massive amounts of information. It is also quite scary to think about how our world revolves around the use of computers and technology yet most of us (at least, definitely me!) don’t know how our information is being used or who has access to it – leading to privacy issues.
Even if we aren’t able to code, I think this lecture definitely pushed for us as “researchers” to think outside the box – how can we best present large amounts of data in ways that will be approachable and relatable to our targeted audience? It’s also interesting to think about how we can display information that can be useful e.g. Joey’s app on Taxi-pooling in NYC.
As someone mentioned in class, which I found to be incredibly important to consider – is the challenges that we may face in presenting information in “unique” and “out of the box ways” when there is limited access to computers, laptops and general technology/internet. This may not be such a big issue in Canada, but definitely if you were to work in other countries or in more rural areas, this would be a huge factor to consider.
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angelaho
I really like how Joey emphasized the use of open access data visualization programs. From my understanding, software programs such as ArcGIS and Adobe software products can be quite unaffordable. I think this contributes to the power dynamic that Mielle talked about, where those with money and power are the ones who control the production and framing of knowledge. I think that open access programs provide opportunities for the public to take part in the production of knowledge. Although there may be issues with the quality/validity of information that is produced, I think these programs can enhance the accessibility of knowledge production, and promote a diversity of perspectives. For me, I will definitely explore different open access programs out there, and try to integrate it into my group’s final project if possible.
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ernielly leo
Really good point on power, Mielle and Angela! This was something that I had been thinking about as well. It really is concerning that I don’t really know the workings of a lot things that I use, or even depend on daily. It made think about how easy it is to be an ignorant user but how that in itself creates opportunity for exploitation by large corporations.
It was really nice to hear that there is a counter movement against that, on meet ups and people helping each other to better access technology and information. What I found most refreshing was the emphasize on inclusivity in these push backs again the status quo, creating spaces and encouraging those who are usually underrepresented in the field and making it truly a safe space to learn in many ways. I find that usually the hardest part in learning as an adult is that there is a lot of pride as well as fear of mistakes that usually discourages us from practicing, even though practicing is the only way to get better. -
atherias
I agree with you about the importance of open source data, and I enjoyed how Joey particularly emphasized how in the “real world” we will not necessarily have access to all the same software and data as we do in university. I’ve often thought about this through my experience in learning GIS and cartography, realizing that if I was left alone to do a project with no guidelines I would be completely lost! I am also going to look into using more open access data in this and other research projects. I think this links back to the concept of community mapping (even if it might take place on a smaller scale, and using a different format) because it seems to me that a place is created by the intersection of the institutions that organize it and the people that live it, therefore it only makes sense that both should take part in representing it on a map.
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Angela Ho 12:44 am on April 4, 2016 Permalink |
This class has been an eye opening experience for me. I’m used to being in control of whatever I do for my classes, and the fact that my group members and I don’t have full authority over our project is something new for me. Because we are relying on our community partner to help us complete various parts of our project (such as administering surveys and collecting the results), this class is definitely encouraging my community partner, group members and I to develop our trust for one another, which I really appreciate!
Anton Metalnikov 11:28 pm on April 4, 2016 Permalink |
I totally agree with Mielle. I went into this course hoping to gain real world experience that could be applied outside of the “ivory tower” of academia, and it’s exactly what I’ve gotten so far working with my community partner. Being able to put my abilities such as research and GIS into practical uses all with a large, busy team has been an valuable opportunity I do not take for granted! The feeling of pressure is also very different as well. In a typical university setting, while I do worry about disappointing my professors if I don’t work to my best ability, at the end of the day I am the only one to suffer. Throughout this term, not only do my actions affect my fellow team members, but they also affect my community partner, and even the people of the Williams Lake Indian Band. I could almost consider this my first geography related job! Overall, I can’t give away too much from my final reflection for this class, but already before we’ve even made the trip up I have had a great time and would recommend this class to anyone.