I started this blog partly just because we all have a lot to say, and the idea behind LOCA was always to stimulate and facilitate discussion on race, gender and other topics that might concern women of colour. My other motivation is more selfish: I'm studying a subject called Feminist Research at uni, and I wanted to do my research project LOCA -- looking at the anti-racist feminist politics of the group through its/our shows, and particularly ideas around performance and performativity -- how identity is negotiated, expressed, performed and played in life and theatre.
It's important to me that research is relevant and accountable to the subjects of its "study", especially when those research subjects are a marginalised, under-represented and misrepresented group like women of colour. I thought a blog might be a better format than a traditional academic paper as it enables dynamism, demonstrates subjectivity, solicits interaction and thus perhaps suggests a greater reciprocity and responsibility -- all characteristics I value in research. But it also risks less theoretical rigour, a degree of self-indulgence, and insularity within a particular ideological community. I'll try to avoid these risks but I think I prefer to speak with excessive solipsism than unearned authority.
As well as submitting the blog itself, I will be writing a paper discussing my experience of undertaking this research project. So at the risk of sounding like a Centrelink disclaimer, I would like to use any discussion on this blog in my research so please let me know if you don't want that to happen. I will try to contact people whose comments I use, and post the finished paper here so everyone can read it and respond. It's unlikely to be seen by anyone other than my lecturer while obviously comments here are visible to the whole wide web world, but I understand that some people have reason to be suspicious of academia and are reluctant to participate in anything labelled "research", so let me know if you think this whole exercise is problematic, pointless or perfunctory.
At the same time, while it'd be nice if it helps me with school, my primary hope is that this blog will provide a space for some interesting conversations on things I would like people to think and talk about more.
Cheers,
Lia Incognita
It's important to me that research is relevant and accountable to the subjects of its "study", especially when those research subjects are a marginalised, under-represented and misrepresented group like women of colour. I thought a blog might be a better format than a traditional academic paper as it enables dynamism, demonstrates subjectivity, solicits interaction and thus perhaps suggests a greater reciprocity and responsibility -- all characteristics I value in research. But it also risks less theoretical rigour, a degree of self-indulgence, and insularity within a particular ideological community. I'll try to avoid these risks but I think I prefer to speak with excessive solipsism than unearned authority.
As well as submitting the blog itself, I will be writing a paper discussing my experience of undertaking this research project. So at the risk of sounding like a Centrelink disclaimer, I would like to use any discussion on this blog in my research so please let me know if you don't want that to happen. I will try to contact people whose comments I use, and post the finished paper here so everyone can read it and respond. It's unlikely to be seen by anyone other than my lecturer while obviously comments here are visible to the whole wide web world, but I understand that some people have reason to be suspicious of academia and are reluctant to participate in anything labelled "research", so let me know if you think this whole exercise is problematic, pointless or perfunctory.
At the same time, while it'd be nice if it helps me with school, my primary hope is that this blog will provide a space for some interesting conversations on things I would like people to think and talk about more.
Cheers,
Lia Incognita
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