Patrick Thomsen’s seminar on genealogies of knowledge and the construction of research questions made me reflect on why I even want to do research. He described the complexities of the social world, such as how the several intersecting aspects of his ex-partner’s identity impacted their relationship. These complexities can often be incredibly difficult to illustrate through academic research, especially through methodologies which require strict anonymity or the classification of subjective experiences. As a result, he explained how important it is to avoid ‘othering’ or orientalising knowledge about other people.
After this lecture on the several ways in which research can be done wrongly or for the wrong reasons, I realised that perhaps bigger is not better. It doesn’t have to be a United Nations-scale inquiry into every social issue that has ever existed. It is not always better to extend the research question to a broad or unfamiliar group of people, or to study other people at all, for risk of over-generalising and objectivising people’s lived experiences. Instead, my research could focus on something narrow and more personal, for the simple purpose of telling that story in my words, according to my experiences.
Now that I am equipped with this new outlook on what research can be, I look forward to the challenge. My view of this task has changed from a daunting mission to something more like a personal project. A project which involves both work and enjoyment, like knitting a cool scarf.
