Thursday, May 21, 2009
Research Methods Conference 19,20 May
This was a nice small and manageable conference hosted by Plymouth Uni. It offered some presentations and some roundtable discussions to a nice mixture of senior and junior avcademnics and postgrad students - -and one interloper (me). They were very welcoming to interlopers, and even invited me to their shared evening meal (but a very painful Achilles tendon meant I had to slope off home and take some painkillers).
I particularly enjoyed a presentation on Cornish studies by J Willett of Exeter University, which covered issues such as economic regeneration of Cornwall through tourism heritage, authenticity and the like ( although in slightly different terms). The ensuing roundtable discussion on objectivity led by G Letherby, J Scott and M Williams, talked of objectivity as a relative term and as a subjective accomplishment. The audience was engaged and insightful. Next day we had an excellent presentation on visual methods and their uses in research, which included examples in leisure and tourism.
Marjon students on the MA SPD could do well to attend future versions. University colleagues made clear they would be very welcome.
I particularly enjoyed a presentation on Cornish studies by J Willett of Exeter University, which covered issues such as economic regeneration of Cornwall through tourism heritage, authenticity and the like ( although in slightly different terms). The ensuing roundtable discussion on objectivity led by G Letherby, J Scott and M Williams, talked of objectivity as a relative term and as a subjective accomplishment. The audience was engaged and insightful. Next day we had an excellent presentation on visual methods and their uses in research, which included examples in leisure and tourism.
Marjon students on the MA SPD could do well to attend future versions. University colleagues made clear they would be very welcome.
# posted by A Sociologist : 3:43 PM
