Dr Patrick Thomsen’s lecture was undoubtedly the most entertaining session I have witnessed so far. Thomsen fuelled his lecture with his past experiences, allowing us to understand his story.
Building a research question from personal lived experiences was my key takeaway as Thomsen used his lecture to demonstrate just how powerful intertwining research content with personal experiences can be. I was engaged and interested while he spoke as I learnt how his now ex-boyfriend was unable to come out as gay to his family and ended their relationship after Thomsen moved to a new country for him… Drama!
Thomsen’s research topic stemmed from here as he questions why Korean gay men find it difficult to come out? This lead to exploring the inherent bias which the academic world has towards Western knowledge and traditions. This notion made me question whether I had been sucked into a Western paradigm and clouded by Western knowledge throughout my life? My entire family and I identify as NZ European, thus I am surrounded by Western traditions which I rarely question.
If the key is to build my research topic from lived experiences, while simultaneously breaking away from Western biases which I may hold naturally due to my upbringing, then I have a big challenge ahead of me as I embark on this research journey.
