Research Journal: India: Day 6

3 am
I slept soundly until sometime after 2 am, woke up from a vivid dream and then could not get back to sleep. Maybe the funfair had shaken up a few too many brain cells! Mostly I was thinking about the project and thinking about what I would have to share with Peter, Gerhild and Barbara at the end. I was now far enough into it that the project had set its course and it would be difficult to change direction. My main worry was that what I had done was give the children access to the technology, shown them just the beginning of its capabilities, and soon I would take it away from them. The idea began to form in my mind that perhaps I should leave one camera behind when I go.

In the early days of CARE (the research centre where I work) one of the principles we tried to work to was that when we completed a project we would attempt to leave our methods of working behind us so that others might use them. At this time (the early 1970s), the methodological debates in education were between testing and measurement, with their well established methods and procedures, on the one hand, and emerging forms of qualitative research on the other. In order to justify itself, some qualitative research developed a sophisticated language of justification. But we tried, sometimes successfully, to avoid doing this. We tried to make observations and collect interviews in ways that were transparent to those implicated in them. When we left, we reasoned, the research methods would be as much outcomes of the study as its findings. Of course it was not so easy (and on reflection, I don’t think we used the term ‘outcomes’ at this time), but we had the aspiration.

As we move into digital ethnography, a similar problem emerges. It is tempting to use the latest equipment and dazzling software, leaving the researched unable to follow us. (I feel some guilt at trailing around with my new G4 Powerbook – the best computer I have ever had -when the office here has earlier generation PCs running Windows 95). This is of course an area where the catch up time is short, and in buying the cameras we had deliberately gone for simpler rather than more complex devices. But there was no hiding the issue and I decided that although we had agreed to return the cameras and printer to SOS in Austria, so that they could use them in future projects in other villages, I would leave one camera behind, and replace it when I got back home.

As it began to get light I must have fallen asleep and I was woken up by the phone ringing about 8.30.

Shobha and I spent most of the day selecting and printing photos and sticking them on large sheets of paper. I also took all the pictures into an album (folder) on the laptop, sorted them and ran them as a slide show, so that anyone who had taken a photo would be able to find it. There were very few mis-taken shots, some repetitions (very professional some would say!) and one or two video clips. One of the minor problems with the camera is that if you shift the selection dial one place too many then it records in video (with sound). The problem with this is that uses up memory, though not as much as I expected because usually the children press and release the shutter thinking they are taking a still and instead get a few seconds of video. I had decided not to tell them this because I thought that once they knew they would use up all the card space (there are limits to children’s active participation!).

1.30
As usual at lunchtime I sat with Victor and he asked me how it was going and was I getting from the children what I needed. I tried to explain that the project was much about testing the idea of children’s participation as it was about collecting data. I didn’t explain this very well and realised as I struggled to do so that I had oversold the violence and antithesis of violence theme too strongly at the start. Victor asked me if I had the information I needed to take away and analyse. A good question that set me thinking.

6 pm
That evening we put up the pictures, from Thursday and Sunday in the Activity Hall and issued a general invitation for people to visit. Many did and I was struck how intently some of the small children gazed at some of the pictures – especially the pictures taken in their homes. The only problem was that, having issued the invitation, people came in and out all through the session. Plus the children were excited and the Activity Room is not the best place for reflective discussion anyway. As I mentioned before it is also used as a dance studio, so it has a large clear area and big mirrors along one wall. Add to this three computer chairs (on wheels) and it lends itself to zooming around. It is great fun and the children took care not to crash into one another but it all added to the air of excitement. I think we had brought some element of Fun World back into the village with us. And the children had been at school all day.

But Shobha did manage to get the group to select two photos each to talk about and took notes as they did so.

After the session we met Mr Lokesh in the office. He had been out all afternoon. One of the older girls had been taken to hospital with suspected appendicitis and he had to go, not just to see her but to sign the consent form for the operation (since legally he is guardian). He started to tell us about his life and career. He had trained first in English literature, linguistics and economics and later had done masters degrees in English Literature and then social work. He had been a college lecturer and had worked on a variety of research projects. At one time he had worked as a fieldwork assistant for a Canadian professor who was studying folklore in the region. Later he had done economic research interviewing scientists in government research facilities. He had researched the impact and take up of Chola (?) stoves in rural communities – a specially designed, fuel-efficient stove that was intended to reduce deforestation and which had been supplied to many rural households.

We discussed what we might do on Wednesday, which is a holiday. He had several ideas but suggested we discuss these tomorrow with the children and decide on a plan.

I told him what I was thinking about the camera and he welcomed the suggestion. The problem is how to process and present the images. The computers do not have suitable ports or appropriate software. One has a CD drive but it is read-only. Shoba could mail the cards to me to print, but this would be time consuming and cause delays.