I'm delighted to report that Bonnie Kaplan's Master of Technology Dissertation from Durban University of Technology in South Africa on, How do I use my living and lived experience to influence creative economic independence in others? can now be accessed from:
http://www.actionresearch.net/living/kaplan/KaplanMTech032014.pdf
(it is at the top of the living theory section of http://www.actionresearch.net )
Here is Bonnie's Abstract:
"Abstract
Due to the high levels of unemployment in Durban South Africa, the New Venture Creation (NVC) groups I coached/mentored were seeking to become self-employed, to find social and economic independence. I have observed that many of the people in my NVC groups seemed to lack, self-confidence and self-esteem in the start-up process of their business. These lacunae pose a problem, as they are all necessary if one wants to create a viable, sustainable and profitable business. The reason that I coach these emerging entrepreneurs is to assist in building their self-confidence and self-esteem so that they have the courage to “go for it”.
The problem I have sought to address in this research is: How do I influence emerging entrepreneurs to become sufficiently self-confident to be able to design, establish and sustain their own employment and employment for others? I work on the assumption that most people have the capacity to be self-employed.
I have used autoethnography with action research to describe the interventions that I initiated, report on their implementation, as well as the evolution of new perceptions and understandings that developed as a result. By using my own and the participants visual data with still images and video with visual narrative I demonstrate the evidence of my living theory and self-study to influence creative economic independence in others and reflect critically on what has been done and achieved, and critically assess the way forward.
I verbally explained the ethical issue of obtaining consent to use names and photographs in my study to the participants. My explanation was followed by obtaining written consent from the five key participants and others in the pictorial data."
Holle - Bonnie's Dissertation might help you with answering your three questions:
"Three (beginner) questions are currently of greatest concern to me:
Is the proposed research an appropriately framed AR project?
I appreciate the importance of reflecting on my practice. I like to see my practice as socially robust research. Do I have to start a professional journal to capture my learning’s? Or is data gathering through workshop reports and interview documentation sufficient?
What is the next step? Do I simply continue doing what I am doing, gathering data and holding conversations and then document it all in my thesis…? Or are there may be elements that I am missing?"
I'll respond to your questions later, but I just wanted to say that your proposed research is appropriately framed as an AR project. I'd also think about supplementing some of your written data gathering with some visual data (digitalised video) on your practice. I'll send on references later that explain how you could analyse visual data. Bonnie has also explained how she has used visual data to demonstrate the evidence of her living theory and self-study to influence creative economic independence in others:
"I have used autoethnography with action research to describe the interventions that I initiated, report on their implementation, as well as the evolution of new perceptions and understandings that developed as a result. By using my own and the participants visual data with still images and video with visual narrative I demonstrate the evidence of my living theory and self-study to influence creative economic independence in others and reflect critically on what has been done and achieved, and critically assess the way forward."
Love Jack.
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