Research project proposal.

Original project proposal submission -- written around 20 September 2008. Posted here to further elucidate my intentions and motivations.

WMN3020/4020/WSM4020

FEMINIST RESEARCH

PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

(approx. 500 words)

1. Name

Real Name Lia Incognita

2. Title of your project

Performance and performativity -- the politics of the Ladies of Colour Agency (LOCA)

3. Brief description of project (including the types of material to be used)

My project studies a Melbourne-based group called the Ladies of Colour Agency, self-defined as an “autonomous anti-racist activist group, performance troupe and superhero trio”, of which I am a founding member. I will attempt to examine the ideas and intentions of the group through its theatrical performances and written statements, drawing upon existing feminist, queer and anti-racist literature, performance and action to situate the group theoretically within broader academic, activist and artistic contexts. My project will be structured around the idea of performativity, and the emancipatory potential of such a theory as a dynamic conception of identity, as well as when deployed strategically to deconstruct and counter dominant ideas of identity. I intend to devote a good proportion of the project to methodological considerations, including reflections on my research experience.

4. What are your key questions?

What are the core ideas of the Ladies of Colour Agency, as evident in their performances and written statements?

How do these ideas relate to broader themes and trends in feminist theory?

Is the idea of performative identities a viable one, and if so what are its implications for our understanding of (ethno-cultural, racial, gendered, sexual) identity?

5. Why do you feel this topic is important and interesting?

Obviously I feel the group is interesting as otherwise I wouldn’t have helped to found it, but also I feel that I would be intrigued by the particular intersection of queer, feminist and anti-racist politics in performance even if I weren’t involved in the group. I find the idea of performative identities curious, intriguing and exciting, and I would like to look at how the idea might be actualised in relation to different identities (for example comparisons of drag, burlesque and blackface minstrel shows).

6. How would you describe your intended research method(s)?

My primary text for studying this group will be two performances, one in November 2007 and one in October 2008. In conducting a close reading of these performances I hope to draw out the group’s actions, intentions, challenges and responses, and situate the group’s politics within women of colour feminisms. This will compose the first half of the project, which I will send to the two other members of LOCA for review.

The second half of the project will consist of the review of my work by the other two ladies, my response to their review, and an overall report on my experience of attempt feminist research.

7. Do you see your method linking to any issues raised in readings so far?

Yes – very much so. I chose this topic as I have never before specifically researched something I am part of, and I think that would be an interesting response to feminist methodological concerns of the relationship between researcher and researched: My project addresses the need to examine power relations in this relationship and the benefit to the researched, and attempts to enable both reciprocity and accountability in this relationship, particularly by submitting the draft for review by my peers. I think working with a group I am part of also destabilises ideas of authority and authenticity.

By choosing a small, specific group that has come together out of political affinity, I feel I am addressing the essentialist assumptions underlying the choice of a category of research subjects.

I have identified several methodological challenges I think I will face in this project:

- accepting dynamism and subjectivity while maintaining academic rigour

- the need to articulate my agenda and involvement given lack of distance from group

- the difficulty of critique given my intimate relationship with research subjects

- the narrow scope of my project — problems of representation, though I will avoid attempting to make broad judgements upon women of colour feminisms

- consideration of ethics — need for explicit permissions from all involved

- ongoing process of review by research subjects: does this limit research and have an impact on honesty/forthrightness?

- question of self-representation — indulgent, arrogant, unimportant, uninteresting?

8. What form will your project take or how will it be documented (e.g. essay, website, Powerpoint etc)?

An essay in two sections, the first part examining LOCA, particularly through its performances, and the second part examining my research methods.


Changed: The first half will cover similar content, but be published as a blog, enabling entries from the other members of LOCA as well as responses from our audiences, allies, friends and strangers. The second half remains as in this proposal but will also draw on comments on the blog and potentially responses through other media.

Introducing ...

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