For my project, I was thinking of doing an ethnograph on women's flat-track roller derby. I have been skating with the recreational division of the Texas Rollergirls for almost two years now and during this time I have become really interested in the dynamics of this particular team sport. When I think back on these past few years, I can definitely see how being a part of this league has shaped and influenced my personal character. Therefore, I was thinking about focusing my topic on questions of female identity - such as what drew the skater to roller derby in the first place, how joining the sport changes the way she sees herself, and how it affects her day-to-day persona/character. In this ethnograph, I would like to incorporate issues of gender and discussion of what it means to be a real "woman" in roller derby culture.
I luckily have a pretty wide array of contacts from my league and multiple interviews should be relatively simple to schedule. I have practice twice a week at Playland Skate Center in North Austin as well as various other derby events from time to time. Quick question - I will be interviewing adults but my site is off campus - do I need any sort of approval from the university?
Thanks for reading and I would love to hear any feedback/suggestions!
Savage Minds is dead! Long live anthro{dendum}!
7 years ago
Though I think I am particularly biased (I am naturally attracted to issues of gender as well as what my friends do for fun), I would find this topic very interesting. With the film coming out about Texas roller derby, I think such a study would be quite relevant.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I think this could be a very exciting and in the same time very challenging project. Here are some of the difficulties you will have to manage:
ReplyDelete--first, you are close to the site/people/issues, and that will require you to do extra work to articulate the implicit, to ask "stupid" questions (what do you mean by...? how is that important...? etc). It might also be a bit challenging emotionally, because it might force you to confront what you are involved in in a new, maybe more critical way. Also, your allegiance is with the girls, and that might make it harder to work with some of the issues that will come up. On the other hand, your position and experience gives you access to knowledge and understanding that would not be available to you otherwise;
--the other thing that might come in the way is the fact that this practice has already been defined (by participants, spectators, etc.), in some ways, in the very terms you want to discuss it. Everybody will have an already made story about how this is a feminist (or not) practice, how this is about women's empowerment, why they do it, and your job will be to both go deeper and to figure out what those stories really mean, what they are connected to, what role they play, etc.
Again, this is a really exciting topic, can't wait to see what you're going to do with it!
Thank you very much for your feedback! These are really helpful things to think about - I will getting back to you shortly about my ideas!
ReplyDelete