We’re about to move between data collection phases for our project. Having done about 100 initial telephone interviews and about 35 follow up telephone interviews (well not all personally we have been very ably assisted by Haley, Mav and Zolani here), we are now about to embark on the focus group phase. This is very exciting as it gives us an opportunity to delve even deeper into some of the issues emerging.
We are using Bourdieu’s theory of field, capital and habitus with a particular aim to find out more students “technological habitus”. A tricky thing to do as some researcher’s tell us what a hard concept it is to operationalise (see Maton) whilst others lament the un theoretical methods in which people are starting to appropriate the terminology (See Reay)We had a really useful meeting with our colleague Lucia on Thurs and she gave us a great idea of using a metaphor as a way of getting students to unpack their dispositions, values, views etc about ICTs in their lives as a way of getting not just at habitus but also at other forms of capital (which is key to understanding habitus).
Now obviously I’m missing out on a whole lot here (skipping chunks of the methods, theory and focus group process). But just to explore something - if you were to describe the technological part of your life in terms of this metaphor what would you say?Imagine the digital highway ( yes I know it’s a very 90’s / early internet metaphor, but it could still work .....)
- What does this road look like to you?
- Where does it come from and where is it going?
- Are you on the road? Where are you positioned?
- Why you are going on the journey
- How are you travelling?
- Which direction are you going in
- Who is traveling with you?
- What are you taking along with you?
- What else could you tell us about your journey along that road?
BTW - hows this image? A digital highway originating straight out of South Africa. I always knew we were the centre for the digital world (lol)
