An article by Aida Hurtado, published in the international journal of qualitative studies in Education (2003). I’m trying to read it ready for a webinar tonight.
I’ve read it once. The first time I’ve just underlined things. I love how coming back to it a second time different words ‘speak’ to me.
I feel I’m one of the others that Dr Dillard refers to, back to intersectionality I guess.
On the first read I’ve underlined:
“Theory should emanate from what we live, breathe and experience in our everyday lives and it is only in breaking boundaries, crossing boarders, claiming fragmentation and hybridity that theory will finally be useful for liberation.”
That in itself feels liberating to me. I’m mindful of a kings fund report I saw, note the substantive difference in reach between that and a NICE strategy document I read.
Find myself drawn to the word METHOD underline:
“What possible truths are we ignoring.”
Is it arrogant to compare what I’ve written about my lived experience to Professor Dillard’s deep dive. Sometimes this feels like home this “darkened epistemology”.
Then I catch myself, unsure, embarrassed, shy. Look again to the article, moving swiftly on from that vulnerability I feel. The next underlining
“the power of lived experience”.
Thinking about what might be going on for me. How I wish I could have greater awareness of those dreams, the peeps into internalised racism, the work of the unconscious that Dr Turner works with. What additional information that might bring.
Remembering my husband saying when he woke up how he’d dreamt there was someone else in the room. A fleeting remembrance that he wouldn’t connect with those dreams of the oppressed that Dr Turner cites. Anyway perhaps I digress.
…”transform them through the process of consciousness raising about the invisibility of educational inequality.”
It reminds me of the equity and diversity conference the other day. How truths were spelt out during the chat. How freeing and enriching that felt. Feeling positive about useful contributions, building on others assertions. Feeling the magic, perhaps the power of the erotic that Audrey Lorde speaks of, the depths that are womanly magic, that we are taught to be afraid of. There’s something here about knowing your worth, a flavour.
Interesting that as I return to the article, looking again at those initial underlinings it gets straight on to spirituality. Perhaps I was just remembering. Anyway back to the article…”the goal is toward a holistic understanding of human beings at all levels”.
I’m interrupted by the bunny scratching at the door, in passing wonder if this should be extended to all living things, what difference that might make to how we wreck this world.
Accounts posted through the door.
…”not by only complaining and deconstructing but by being useful and multiplying.”
It’s funny isn’t it how this is working out now, the addition of other species, our laws and how we are held to account, account for the damage done. Like you I’m getting bored now. A different way to read. I think about articles I’ve waded through not really understanding wanting them to cut to the chase. Funny hey. Is that how you experience this writing?
As who was it who said, there is more that unites us than divides us.
Then to the line that leapt out at me yesterday “Non problematic social identities do not require psychological work to make congruent the internal perception of self and the stigmatized view of others. In other words, fragmentation and the struggle to make oneself whole happens primarily when social identities are devalued”. Or as Dr Kinouani described it epistemic homelessness.
So here I am trying as Dr Dillard described to be coherent in my recognition of my fragmentation towards knowledge production! Doubt that would have been thought worthy with yesterday’s rant yet Dr Dillard and Dr Kinouani both have mentioned the worth of poetry, others too especially in finding ways out of trauma.
Funny that as I picked this up for the second time the word that shoots out at me is storytelling.
So yep, that’s the article we’ve been asked to look at this evening.
I’m guessing I’ll add to this after our meeting, perhaps mull it over over the long weekend… remembering the value of that slower thinking.
Wondering as it’s Friday, the day I did the volunteering, who’s stories are yet to be heard and how that might be different their access to health care equitable? Knowing their worth.