At the start of the course, I had thought for a long time that 'research' generally adhered to the preconceived notions I had of it. I thought it involved reading and poring through pages and pages of materials that hold information beneficial to the researcher's goal. Of course, this is still a large part of what research is and how it is carried out, but this course has expanded my view of the different ways in which research can be done. One of my favorite readings we've discussed so far this semester has been Baker's research she did on automobile bumper stickers. I thought that the comprehensive history of their creation was a really interesting story that I'd never really given a lot of thought about. The method of compacting qualitative data into charts also struck me as very effective, particularly for subjects that compare qualities over a large amount of objects. This kind of encapsulation of information is a method that I'm definitely keeping in mind going forward, since it could very well be used for nose art information as well as bumper stickers.
The other research method that I thought was particularly striking was used by Fekete during her research on the garbage plate. In order to gauge local opinions, she used online surveys to gather information. This is a method that is relatively new, and growing more viable every day. With social media and communication technologies having advanced so far in recent years, surveying the local populace online is easier than ever. The information that is gained through this method would have been far more difficult to obtain in the past, and that made this method seem pretty useful to me.
Bibliography:
Whitney Baker, “Soapbox for the Automobile: Bumper Sticker History, Identification, and Preservation,” Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 251-270 (Summer 2011).
Emily Fekete, “‘I Know I’m Home When I Have One:’ The Cultural Significance of the Garbage Plate of Rochester, NY,” Material Culture, Vol 46, No. 1, pp. 25-43 (2014).
Its very interesting that the bumper sticker thesis stood out to you. I love the comparisons between your thesis and hers. You both are interested in people decorating their machines with imagery that is important to them! And I know this isn't helpful but my grandpa still might have photos of his jeep in Vietnam that his buddies painted on in a similar fashion to nose art.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree that social media can be quite useful for surveying individuals within a certain grouping, demographic, or region. One thing that I think is important to remember, however, is the ways in which this method can affect the information gained in the survey. It can often skew toward younger respondents, as was the case in Fekete's article, and I expect it will could also impact participant characteristics such as economic status, race/ethnicity, etc.
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