Several years ago I was involved in my dissertation research
project. My qualitative study explored the perceptions a group of
first-year male students had about interacting with faculty outside of class.
Talk about exploding one’s research scope; not only were my participants
first-year men, but they were also White, and first in their family to
potentially graduate from college. So, I had a veritable smorgasbord of
identities to deal with as I set up the study.
Each participant sat for three individual interviews, each
of which lasted between 45 minutes and 2 hours. One of my participants – let’s
call him Dave – was one of my favorites (I wasn’t supposed to have those but it
happened). He was funny, open-minded, smart, expressive, vulnerable,
confident, and inquisitive. His story was one of hardship and success,
misunderstandings and friendship, and family love and strife. “Breaking
Away” emerged as the central theme from Dave’s three interviews. He was
from a small town and he perceived its people to be racist, homophobic, and
intolerant of most non-Christian religions. All he wanted growing up was
go to college away from home, beat the odds most believed he couldn’t, and be
successful in college and in life. He visited the campus by himself over
the summer, registered for classes, and when it came time to move into his
residence hall, he did so by himself as well. I was entirely enthralled
by his story. Months later I could still hear his voice and see his smile
as I combed through the transcripts working on a publication.
Long story short, I completed the interviews, finished the
dissertation, and ended up moving to another state with my family. I
friended some of my research participants on Facebook later that year, Dave
among them. I suppose we stayed in loose contact over the years. He
graduated and moved far away from his home state. Every once in a while I
“liked” one of his posts or he one of mine, but no substantive messages were
ever exchanged. That changed a little over a year ago when Dave Facebooked
me indicating how much he had been thinking about the interviews (more than
half a decade ago after they took place), how he wondered what he had said
then, and how he wished he would have known then what he knew now. I was
elated about him reaching out and inquired more about his motivation to contact
me. He shared more of how much the interviews meant to him, and how I was
the first person with whom he wanted to share more of his identity at the time
because I was open to listening, because I wasn’t judging him, and because I
wouldn’t share anything with anyone. He trusted me as a researcher - and
perfect stranger really - with some of his secrets. This exchange of messages
was eye-opening to me and reaffirmed what we as educators hope for whenever we
connect with a student: that we can make a difference, perhaps not noticed in
the moment, but over time.
Since reconnecting, I have interviewed Dave twice on the
phone and am interviewing him once more in person in a few weeks when I am in
his city. The focus of the manuscript I will write for publication will
rest on self-authorship and identity development of college men through participating
in qualitative research.
I have also since talked with others who conducted similar
research with college men. One good colleague mentioned that during a
follow-up study with participants two summers ago, most of the men said the
original interviews were among the most powerful experiences they had during
their undergraduate careers. One of the most powerful?! It is
telling that research participation can mean so much to students, specifically
to college men. College men are often at odds with the way they perceive
to be socialized by families, schools, and society and how they may conceive of
themselves. The resulting conflict can lead to a host of concerns, chief
among them the fear to show emotion or vulnerability. Yet, the need to
explore and reflect on these feelings exists and remains in men.
Dave’s story, and those of so many other college men who
participate in a variety of interpersonal, communicative, or expressive
activities paint an image of positive identity development through prolonged
individual or small group conversation and engagement. Not all college
educators are trained counselors or may have time to engage in qualitative
research with young men. But the rapport qualitative researchers build
with participants is near synonymous with the rapport student affairs
professionals or faculty must create to reach, guide, counsel, advise, teach,
and mentor students. Finding ways to engage men in deep conversation or
reflection is necessary in coursework, during educational programs, during
conduct or advising sessions, on alternative spring break trips or study abroad
sojourns, during service learning experiences, or simply in everyday
face-to-face conversation. Research has suggested for years that critical
conversation and reflection in one-on-one or small group settings may do
wonders for men’s positive identity development. Over time this kind of
engagement may lead college men away from attitudes and behaviors associated
with performing masculinity and becoming more self-actualized and authentic
individuals. Finally, men who have been encouraged to engage in this
personal exploration and reflection may more easily commit to acting in
solidarity with marginalized students on campus and members of society.
So, whether you conduct a research study with college men or sit across
from them during a regular one-on-one meeting, don’t underestimate the
potential influence a conversation will have on them.
Jörg Vianden is Assistant Professor of Student Affairs
Administration at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. His scholarship
focuses mainly on college men and masculinities. Please consider
following him on twitter at @jvianden.
1 comment:
I have go through your site, this is a good one. If you want to know more about this please visit our website :
The event assist software will be found to have great utility. The event planning software that assists in planning the event will basically have a very prominent theme. The event assist apps are often downloadable for free, but even if they are not, they can be pretty cheap. It is important to notice that event assist programs and utilities will basically have to do everything from scratch.
Post a Comment