Concluding Remarks
This blog has been my attempt to document my development as a researcher and has encouraged me to be much more self reflexive than I have previously been taught to be. As a women’s studies researcher, I have been encouraged to reflect on how my research ideas are influenced by my identity and experiences with the world.
As a deaf woman and a deaf researcher, I find that my viewpoint differs on how effective face to face interviewing is, for example. I considered using this research method for my Masters dissertation but felt that deaf women may prefer to communicate their personal experiences by electronic method rather than having to arrange an interpreter or note-taker for both people, depending on their communication preference.
This may prove awkward in an interview situation, so I have opted to explore electronic and written methods of interviewing, such as Instant Messaging conversations or letter writing. My skills as a feminist researcher have developed as I find myself thinking about the possibilities that different research could open up for documenting deaf women’s voices and their experiences.
I have found that this module has offered me a chance to think about texts and media that I had not thought of investigating in my research project. It has encouraged me to think about how, among other things, I read texts and what I bring to a text; and whether this is helpful in regards to my research. The module has inspired me to think about different ways that I can research, and as a result I feel more confident about the methods I will be using for my dissertation.
The module has also taught me the merits of textual analysis – not just with texts (books) - but also with interview transcripts, interview accounts and other media such as film; and the different ways that you can analyse them. My writing style has also developed and my confidence in my ‘writer’s voice’ has grown.
Reflecting on my experiences and undertaking autobiographical reflection exercises have also had an influence on the type of research I will be doing for my dissertation. I have chosen to focus on the autobiographical experiences of deaf women and how their experiences differ from hearing women’s experiences. I will be looking for the experiences that bring to light the access issues and barriers deaf women face within the UK.
The module also piqued my interest in how many texts are authored by men and whether they are addressing men exclusively. It has made me think about how I read texts and whether I am aware of this gendering of the reader. Is my interest in women authored science fiction and fantasy writing because the author has experience of being a woman? Do I find it easier to accept films about women if they are directed by women? Many of my favourite television series are directed by men, but does this mean their representation of women is suspect? Who or what determines the meaning of a text? Who defines whether a text is feminist? I find these questions interesting and the session on textual analysis and film analysis encouraged me to think about these questions.
This module has taught me the merits of autobiographical reflexivity, how to think about methodological questions and how to implement this knowledge to plan and design a research project. The knowledge gained will be particularly useful for my Masters dissertation.
