Okay, let me be honest with you for a hot minute… Sitting back and watching these guest speakers discuss their research journey throughout this semester has felt a little daunting to me. I have found myself thinking throughout this process, “how the heck am I ever going to pull something like this off?!”
However, reflecting on the work of the guest speaker Dr. Patrick Thomsen has thankfully helped ease my mind a little. Thomsen’s story focussed on knowledge of genealogies and pacific research methodologies to explore Korean men’s experiences of coming out. He looked at this through a Samoan framework and explored the impact of religion and christianity within this context. Thomsen further enhanced his research by looking at the concepts through his own lived experiences and relationships.
Through his research, Thomsen has emphasised the importance of allowing your work to be shaped based on your own life experiences and areas that interest you.
Further, while beginning my research journey still seems a little impossible to me, Thomsen has shown me that by bringing our research closer to us, it can allow us to have a better grasp on it, and, therefore, help us to not feel so daunted by the whole process.
