Research methodology: experimental & alternative

Here are examples of different forms of experimental and alternative research in cultural geography. Articles available via Hamersly Library. Login maybe required.

• This article reports on research with "audio geography": Michael Gallagher, "Sounding ruins: reflections on the production of an ‘audio drift’," cultural geographies 2015, Vol. 22(3) 467-485. 
• This article reports on a collaborative photography project: Claire Dwyer, "Photographing Faith in Suburbia," cultural geographies 2015, Vol. 22(3) 531-538. 
• Some geographers have started to do work that is more directly literary or artistic. Here is a selection of poems by geographer and poet, Tim Cresswell.
• This is the urban performance work I mentioned in class; Heather McLean developed the character of "Toby Sharp" to play with different perspectives on urban development.
• And here is a recent short film of mine, which is part of a series I am doing on landscape:

Landscape is ... from Shaun Huston on Vimeo.

Comments

[Regan Garrett]

I personally think that these more controversial methods for research are a good way to become part of the society around the experiment. It can lead to more discoveries. I personally think that art, video/film, writing is all part of what cultural geography covers as well as what humans physically do. In one way this I think is necessary to fully engross oneself with the culture around it and that is what leads to the best results. Though they may not be as analytical as other observational methods they still get research out of the experience and a better understanding of the culture around them.

[Danyelle K]

I agree with Regan when saying that these methods are a good way to become a part of the society around the experiment, as well as that they give a better understanding of the culture around them. I agree because I think it's a good idea to get clear observations of things and document them in a manner that is easily reviewed over other methods. It makes it easier to get an image of the culture that you're trying to explain and gain a better perspective of it. Using different art forms is a 'different' approach but it's not necessarily a bad one.

[Alyssa Adams]

I like the creation of poety to describe geographies and cultures. To me, this can open up what the author is trying to convey much more than formal writing or even interviewing. Trying to fit just the right words together seems like it would be a challenge but once it clicks, it is worth the struggle. When I read the poem phase shift, I could see and picture just what he was describing and the way I read the words with the pauses and breaks helped the images to linger in my mind. This method, at least in my opinion, captures my attention more than the traditional methods of cultural geography.

[Connor Thompson]

I think that all of the above research methods can have unlimited uses. The thing with cultural geography is that there are so many possible ways to conduct research because of the extremely broad definition of cultural geography. The stated experimental and alternative research methods seem to be great ways to get a different perspective when studying cultural geography. These different methods can allow the researcher to immerse themselves into the situation they are studying much more so than with the traditional research methods.

[jenae]

I like this way of research. It's creative and it appeals to people. More so in this generation when we spend a lot of time looking at images and watching videos.

[Morgan Taylor]

Cultural geography goes deeper in the meaning of what society is. It not only looks at how humans interact with each other but it also goes deeper into the way humans react with the world around them. I agree with Connor that cultural geography is extremely broad. Because cultural geography is so broad, I believe that is the reason why there are so many different methods of researching and study this field. For a cultural geographer, these methods are important because it allows the geographer to understand in-depth with what he is studying and to not only see but to really feel what he is studying.

[Samantha]

I also like this way of research. I think its also a good way to look at traces. I noticed as I was watching I was picking out what I thought way Natural and Normal since there really wasn't any Novel. but I think the radio helped with that. I was a sort of calm happy tune that set the scene. If hard metal were playing in the background your interrogation on the study and the producer would be completely different.

[Hailey Hummer]

The video is interesting because it shows how quickly a place can transform. Vendors take and make the place that is vibrant and filled with people, but by the end of the day it is just a normal street and the people are gone.

[annie]

I thought the video was interesting to see how one place can be used for many things. One day is just a street where people are parking their cars and going to business near by, and the next day there is farmers market happening. In the clip you noticed that everyone is pretty much doing the same thing. Walking up and down looking at the vendors or people are all parking cars on that street.

[Cindy Rosales]

It was interesting to see how one place can quickly change into another. I think this goes back to when we were looking at the concept of how people make and take place. The vendors in the video, are taking and making the place into a mini mall on the street when it was once a parking lot. Although the parking lot is still there, they quickly transformed it into a place of their own.

[Jacob Fricke]

It was interesting to see how throughout a week, or even just a day, a place can change so much.