Scope:
Constructing A Critical Self-Study of An Individual’s Ontological Being In The World.
“The consideration of ontology, of one’s being in
and toward the world, should be a central feature of any discussion of the
value of self-study research”.
Bullough and Pinnegar (2004). In Loughran et al., (2004), page 319.
My thesis reveals some problems with positivism and
current post-positivistic research. My work also challenges traditional
conceptions and treatments of human existence and the human subject.
My analysis
includes stories
of landmark
events in my
life: relationships,
death,
grief, mourning,
love,
severance of relationships,
as
well as
profound,
unconditional
acceptance by
others and
much, much more.
Autoethnography is an autobiographical genre of writing
and research that displays multiple layers of consciousness,
connecting the personal to the cultural … exposing a
vulnerable self that is moved by and may move through,
retract, and resist cultural interpretations …. Distinctions
between the personal and cultural become blurred,
sometimes beyond distinct recognition….
Autoethnographic texts appear
in a variety of
forms-short stories, poetry,
fiction, novels, photographic essays, personal essays, journals, fragmented and
layers writings, and social science prose.
In these texts, concrete action, dialogue, emotion, embodiment,
spirituality and self-consciousness are featured, appearing as relational and
institutional stories affected by history, social structure and culture, which
themselves are dialectically revealed through action, feeling, thought and
language.”
Ellis and Bochner (2000)
page. 739.
The ‘cultural and contextual’
is embodied in my being in
the world.
Drawing on Living Action
Research and Living
Education Theories:
1.
Self-Improvement:
How Do I improve my practice?
2.
Self-fulfilment.
3.
Progressing
from initial utter rejection to marginality. Hope for future progress.
4.
Thirty-eight
contributions to the International Handbook of Self-Study of Teaching and
Teacher Educational Practices (Loughran, Hamilton, LaBoskey, Russell, 2004).