Doctoral Research Project Research Articles

From Representation to Corposubjectivation

Abstract As part of the doctoral research project “Social Transformations and Corporeal Micropolitics: A Study on the Process of Normalization of Trans* in Mexico City,” the author has acted as a participant observer in the Trans* Support Group of the Condesa Specialized Clinic of Mexico City since 2012. The support group is inside the first and primary public health institution that has offered medical attention to trans* persons, whether transsexual or transgender, since 2009 as a part of public insurance. This article presents as much the history of the group—its origins and particularities, as well as its development as a project under the aegis of the clinic but not planned or regulated by it—as a first dialogue between processes of corposubjectivation among those who attend the group and the clinic context, as well as with the process of the normalization of trans* in Mexico City in general. The objective is to reflect ethnographically on the embodiment of gender as norm and leakage, showing the constant tension between the representation and the experience of it.

Exploring language attitudes in ELF research: Contrasting approaches in conversation

AbstractWith reference to two recent doctoral research projects on ELF, the present article examines the characterisation of language attitudes as either stable or variable evaluative phenomena, and provides a detailed account of methodological practices that may be favoured from each ontological position. The durability of language attitudes is more specifically conceptualised as a stable (but not enduring) construct directed to a linguistic phenomenon in one thesis, and as variable and emergent forms of evaluative social practice around a language-related issue in the other. With these two different approaches in conversation, the authors consider the extent to which stability and variability of language attitudes may be two sides of the same coin, and question whether it is safe to assume a priori the inferability of stable language attitudes from the observation of evaluative practice. This article evidences the need for ELF researchers working in this area to contemplate what and how it is being researched in the name of language attitudes while having awareness of possible alternatives in any given study.

Lessons learned on approaches to data collection and analysis from a pilot study.

Background Pilot studies are more commonly associated with quantitative research, and their use is under-reported in qualitative approaches. This paper discusses the value of undertaking a pilot study in a doctoral research project to examine nursing students' understanding of recovery in mental health by adopting what is called a phenomenographic approach, which in research is concerned with the variation in how particular phenomena are experienced. Aim To explore the usefulness of three different methods of collecting data - interviewing, completed exam papers and a written response to a scenario - and the Dahlgren and Fallsberg ( 1991 ) framework for phenomenographic data analysis. Discussion Methodological issues experienced during the collection and analysis of data in the project are discussed. Conclusion The pilot study provided an opportunity for valuable insights to be gained into the methodological issues related to phenomenography and to revise the research plan for the larger study. Implications for practice While it may not be generalised to other qualitative studies, this paper may help others undertaking studies that adopt this approach and points to the general value of pilot studies in qualitative research.

The Harkive Project: Rethinking Music Consumption

This report is an overview of my progress through a 3-year, AHRC-funded doctoral research project looking at the changing nature of Popular Music consumption, with a particular focus on digital technologies. I am undertaking this project within the School of Media at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom. After providing an overview of the project and work completed so far, I will then highlight some of the key challenges I am facing now that I have reached the halfway point in my studies, before outlining some of the ways I am seeking to address these. I will end this report with a short reflection on the process of working towards a PhD.

Cognition or Spiritual Disposition? Threshold Concepts in Theological Reflection†

The article explores threshold concepts in theological reflection. Threshold concepts and a conversational model of theological reflection are defined and some features shared between them are identified. A doctoral research project among students for licensed lay ministry is summarized. Three threshold concepts in theological reflection are identified relating to the interpreted nature of texts, the complexity of theological reflection, and its pervasiveness. These are related to some key features of threshold concepts. The article then turns to threshold concept negotiation in the author's learning about theological reflection. Two further threshold concepts are identified relating to an internally held disposition or habitus of faith and spirituality. The article concludes with a reflective conversation with a biblical text before suggesting that exploration of habitus may have relevance for threshold concept transitions beyond theological reflection.

Dissertations 25 years after date 46. Treatment of mandibular fractures

In the 1980s, professionals wanted to determine what the best method was for treating fractures of the mandibula. The emergence of osteosynthesis plates in the late 1960s, bringing with them the possibility of immediate functional restoration, had had a dramatic effect. This type of plate was most often placed by means of an extra-oral incision. A decade later, a system of smaller plates was introduced, which were placed intra-orally. A doctoral research project from 1991 investigated the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of treating a mandibular fracture in order to determine which was most applicable. The importance of careful assessment on the basis of the type of fracture and the desired firmness of the osteosynthesis, described in the dissertation, is still decisive in conclusions concerning surgical treatment method and choice of material.

Selección de parejas y estratificación social: hacia una agenda de investigación

El objetivo de esta nota de investigación es discutir la importancia teórica y empírica del análisis del proceso de selección de la pareja desde una perspectiva de estratificación y desigualdad social, así como presentar la estrategia metodológica de una propuesta de investigación comparativa que busca analizar ese proceso en las ciudades de Buenos Aires y México, y que constituye mi proyecto de investigación doctoral. En relación con el objetivo propuesto la nota se organiza en tres apartados. En la siguiente sección discutimos el andamiaje teórico que sustenta nuestro estudio. Posteriormente, reseñamos algunos resultados de investigaciones previas realizadas en América Latina. Y por último, delineamos los principales componentes de nuestra agenda de investigación.

Public relations practice in the emerging ‘powerhouses’ of South East Asia: Some views from within

Much has been written and theorized about public relations practice and the ways in which practitioners view themselves and their work. But little of the available international research has embraced the worldviews and perspectives of practitioners operating in the rapidly developing countries of South East Asia, which include Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, its sister state, Malaysia, the nearby international business hub, Singapore, the increasingly vigorous yet still tightly controlled one-party state of Vietnam, the business-friendly but politically fragile Thailand, and Asia’s only majority Christian nation, the Philippines. The broad social, political, economic and cultural diversity to be found among these major member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) arguably may have important implications for the ways in which public relations programs should be conducted in these locations. This paper reports on a doctoral research project conducted among public relations practitioners working across the ASEAN region, giving glimpses into how successful operators in these locations view their work, their working environments and the challenges they face in seeking to balance sensitive considerations of localism, regionalism and globalism in increasingly fluid cross-cultural environments. The concerns they report confirm some general observations around ‘cultural difference’ raised previously in other quarters, but also highlight more strongly some particular pre-occupations including sensitivities around political power, personal values conflicting with the values of clients, employers and target publics, the importance of understanding local linguistic issues, the distinctiveness of local media systems, and pressures arising from rapidly increasing pace of life in countries of the region. The paper argues that local and regional issues of this nature deserve greater recognition by public relations scholars as a step toward the development of more truly inclusive international theories and models over time.

‘Understanding things from within’. A Husserlian phenomenological approach to doing educational research and inquiring about learning

ABSTRACTThis article describes a phenomenological approach to doing educational inquiry and understanding learning. Working within the qualitative tradition, the research is conceived as ‘narrow and deep’, intimate research that focuses definitively on internality and on first-hand experiences of learning. The theoretical background for doing phenomenological research is explained, especially in regard to the ideas of Edmund Husserl. Then, the author’s own systematic process for doing phenomenological research in education and exploring learning is offered with examples from his doctoral research project in which he investigated doctoral students and their experience of negotiating their learning. Samples from the author’s writing in regard to one research participant are used to illustrate the research process explicated in the article.

Psychosocial perspectives on end of life care

Personal and professional experience has made the author aware of the way in which emotional responses to vulnerability, life threatening illness, death and dying can significantly influence the course and outcome of medical and social interventions, as well as the provision and quality of care provided. In recent years psychoanalytic studies have enabled a deeper understanding of the unconscious primitive anxieties and associated defences that are part of being human, and to think about the implications for health and social care workers as society strives to meet the needs of an increasingly ageing population. Aspects of psychoanalytic theory, including contemporary applications, have been useful in reflecting on what it means to provide care for those at the end of life. The author will discuss the value of applying psychoanalytic understanding and faculties to this developing area of health and social care. Early findings from a doctoral research project, “Bringing Death Home”, will be referred to. The conclusion will reflect on personal knowledge and lived experience of palliative care social work to consider the significant contribution that relationship-based social work practice can make to the ongoing implementation of the end of life care strategy and the wider integrated care agenda.

Who do you want me to be? An exploration of female and male perceptions of ‘imposed’ gender roles in the early years

ABSTRACTThis paper provides an exploratory discussion surrounding the views and experiences of women and men who work/train in the early years (0–8 years) by bringing together select findings from two independent doctoral research projects. In an effort to weave together the voices of females and males working/training in the early years sector, this paper focuses its attention on the different ways in which their working roles are constructed and the possible ways in which this leads to the imposition of gender roles upon professionals in the 0–8 workforce in England.

Negotiating democratic relations in a doctoral project examining university conditions and pedagogical praxis

This article is a critically reflexive account of how collaborative processes and democratic relations were negotiated in a doctoral research project which combined elements of institutional ethnography, self-study, and, significantly for this article, critical participatory action research. The critical participatory action research dimension of the project involved a group of academics working in the same university faculty, critically and collaboratively examining their own pedagogical practice and the conditions which constrain and enable critical pedagogical praxis in their setting. The article explores what possibilities for democratic participation were created and limited by the circumstances and conditions that constituted this critical participatory action research. I consider the kind of democratic participation that was possible, what enabled this kind of democratic participation, and challenges that emerged in attempts to realise democratic goals. The discussion highlights some of the complexities of fostering democratic participation in critical participatory action research within doctoral research.

Kraus operator solutions to a fermionic master equation describing a thermal bath and their matrix representation**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11347026), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Grant Nos. ZR2013AM012 and ZR2012AM004), and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program and Scientific Research Project of Liaocheng University, Shandong Province, China.

We solve the fermionic master equation for a thermal bath to obtain its explicit Kraus operator solutions via the fermionic state approach. The normalization condition of the Kraus operators is proved. The matrix representation for these solutions is obtained, which is incongruous with the result in the book completed by Nielsen and Chuang [Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, Cambridge University Press, 2000]. As especial cases, we also present the Kraus operator solutions to master equations for describing the amplitude-decay model and the diffusion process at finite temperature.

Attitudes towards and perceptions of the rationale for parent–child group music making with young children

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the findings of an interview study (phase one of a three-phase doctoral research project) that attempted to establish practitioners’ and parents’ views of why parent–child group music making activities are offered in interdisciplinary Children's Centres in England for the 0–3 years age range. These settings are community hubs where a range of services is available for families with children under five. The responses of individual parents and practitioners (total 20) to a standardised interview schedule gave rise to eight main themes: social, emotional, learning, teaching, parenting, musical, links-to-home, and organisational. Practitioners emphasised the learning and development benefits, whereas parents were more concerned about the social and emotional reasons for attending music groups. Practitioners and parents both emphasised the emotional benefits that resulted from participating in musical activities. These findings suggest that socialisation may be multi-dimensional in the music group: between parent and child and amongst the wider group. Practitioners’ knowledge of the benefits of music may not necessarily lead to appropriate pedagogical musical approaches and there are questions raised about musical ‘culture’ and links to and from home.

Womanism and Snowball Sampling: Engaging Marginalized Populations in Holistic Research

Womanist and feminist qualitative researchers continue to identify research methods and techniques that harness the power of social networking and personal connections while engaging with marginalized populations. Many have found that the use of snowball sampling allows increased access to individuals and groups that may otherwise remain inaccessible. The purpose of this article is to discuss the use of snowball sampling techniques within womanist and feminist research. The authors offer critical reflections of the use of this sampling technique as a tool that allows researchers access to “hidden” and marginalized populations. An example of the use of snowball sampling in a doctoral research project, which looks at the experiences of Black women faculty in New Mexico’s institutions of higher education, is provided. The article concludes with recommended strategies and key considerations about the use of snowball sampling in womanist research.

Pushing too Little, Praising too Much? Intercultural Misunderstandings between a Chinese Doctoral Student and a Dutch Supervisor

To understand the challenges and their causes in interactions between Western supervisors and international doctoral students, we conducted a self-study of our experiences as a Chinese international student and her Dutch supervisor during her doctoral research project. We found the supervisor and the student to differ in their expectations of the learning goals and procedure for the doctoral program. We analyze three types of misunderstandings, regarding how formal the supervision should be, how feedback and assessment should be provided and understood (e.g. strict versus implicit critiques, open praise for excellence versus praise to encourage), and how the student is expected to learn (e.g. expecting answers versus providing questions, learning from modeling versus learning by trial and error). We also illustrate how implicit these misunderstandings were in daily supervision interactions and how deeply they were rooted in the cultural (i.e. power distance, individualism, masculinity, and indulgence) and educational (i.e. education oriented toward qualification versus personal development, level of competition, and degree of teacher regulation) differences between the supervisor and the student.

A Politics of the Urban Ordinary: The Material Ad Hoc-ness of Shops in London

This visual essay offers an urban photographic exploration of the politics of the urban ordinary in and around commonplace shops. It draws from a visual ethnography of corner shops and kiosks in Bloomsbury, Central London—places that are not developed through the holistic design narratives familiar to most urban retail, but ones that emerge through everyday material and practice. The images, field notes, and quotes presented here are part of a larger doctoral research project that used in-shop ethnography to explore how the shops’ practices of curation and lively materials intersect with forces of the city. These forces are numerous, but might include the dynamism of urban matter, the currents of neighborhood change, the fluid manifestations of the urban brand, and the translocalism of the shopkeepers and precarity of their lives. The project came to see these forces not merely as external pressures, but intrinsically wrapped up in the material ad hoc-ness of the shops and their ways of quietly getting by. This photo essay touches on these threads through the collection and curation of fragments; not unlike the unruly aesthetics of these shops, this piece uses an ad hoc montage to tell some of their stories. The juxtapositions of image and text represent an experiment in visual storytelling and acknowledgment that the shops—and their politics—are difficult and multiple.

Bridging the Gap: A Study of Artistic Research in Composition in Flanders

In this article an exploratory study of artistic research in music composition in Flanders (Belgium) is presented. More specifically, the interaction between artistic practice and research in master and doctoral research projects is examined. The results indicate that there are three gaps, one between the discourses on artistic research and results of artistic researchers on the other, another between the artistic practice and the research part and a last one between master and postmaster research. Next the author makes proposals to tackle these problems, improve the dissemination of research outputs and suggests to focus on a shared environment for composition research and the expression of an explicit design and method, in dialogue with existing knowledge fields in music composition.

Challenges in Doctoral Research Project Management: A Comparative Study

This paper presents quantitative results of a comparative study evaluating the management skills of doctoral candidates working toward a PhD and additional information related to their lifestyles. We conducted a survey among enrolled doctoral candidates at five universities in Israel and three technological universities in Western Europe. 1013 Israeli candidates and 457 Western European candidates replied to our survey. In our analysis, we compared the answers of Israeli Science and Engineering candidates to those of Social Sciences and Humanities candidates; in addition, we compared the answers of Israeli Science and Engineering students to their Western European peers. Our analysis focused on finding significant patterns by comparing these groups of students. In order to identify such patterns, we analyzed each question using the Pearson chi-square test. The current study’s main finding is that the majority of candidates, regardless of their chosen academic field or the region where they study, have no training or expertise in managing a doctoral research project. Based on these findings, we suggest that all doctoral candidates be taught basic research-project management. We believe that such training will provide them with a powerful tool for better managing their research as they advance towards successful completion of their doctorate.

Ben Lawers, an archaeological landscape in time

This volume presents the results of archaeological investigations between 1996 and 2005, carried out as part of the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project, a multi-disciplinary project based on north Loch Tayside in the Central Highlands of Scotland (NGR: NN 63763 41298). Archaeological surveys and excavations formed the core of the Ben Lawers Project, but many other disciplines also contributed to researching this landscape. Some of these partner projects are reported here, while others have been presented elsewhere (Tipping et al 2009), and some have formed part of doctoral research projects (Watters 2007). The results of the 13 field seasons, particularly the nine evaluation and excavation seasons, together with the results of the partner projects, specialist studies and scientific analyses, have provided a body of evidence which permits the story of the land of Lawers to be told. The historical continuum in that story can be used to curate and manage this landscape for generations to come.