A student of mine has been doing a lot of thinking, reading, researching and writing on types of etymology lately. It's not the topic that interests me so much as the this student has gone about it.
While he does try to focus on Greek and latin forms of word and how they're used, his primary reference base seems to be a few books and the internet. I'm not trying to slam the guy here, mind you. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm a few years older and the internet was really only available for research purposes when I was in high school, but I'm always mystified by the use of internet documents as primary sources. Yes, I'm an academic and I tend to lean towards peer-reviewed periodicals on some things, but this is...different.
I was trying to work it out in my own head--Was it that every source he give me make me uneasy, with the banners along the top and advertisements down the side? Somewhat, but it was the author's name I was drawn to in each. Did I know it? No. Could I google it and find out their credentials? No. Did HE know this person and/or their work and methodologies? No. It was this last "no" that was bothering me more than anything.
This reminded me of something I'd heard/seen during interviews with Rose, Amira, and several community members. "Do you know X?" they asked. "Well, he studied with Y and is an important scholar in modern Islam." I was then told to look the person up in some cases, or sent articles by the person (or related to their biographies). When talking about Qu'ranic knowledge, they referenced a well-known scholar's interpretations.
This also made me think of a recent discussion with my advisor. I was again lamenting my choice in schools because of some of the silliness I'd seen recently accepted as "doctoral level work." I told her though that I really loved working with her and that I was so glad I had her pushing me ahead. She confided that she sometimes worried how she was perceived as a scholar when she worked for this somewhat no-name school. "But you look at, okay, I studied under X and Y, who studied under Z and T, who studied with A and hopefully, in the end, its this chain of scholarship that matters."
Hence my revelation today that knowledge itself is important, but far more important seems to be the chain of scholarship and the way in which the story and method is passed down from generation to generation. In our narrative, those we learn from and their approach to research and to stories tell just as much about our world lens as the story itself.
When asked about people other than their families who impacted their identities, Amira, Rose and Hannah all immediately listed teachers. Teachers of faith and Qu'ran, teachers of English language skills and teachers of music, but all were influential in their lives within particular disciplines.
I think the most important thing I drew out of this revelation today is something I've said before but in a different light. Our stories intertwine and overlap and our lives end but the stories continue--this I've said. What I'd never thought about was the importance of previous knowledge and methods coloring those stories in such a way that they flow so nicely together, often in ways that people listen to you and then say, "hey, you're Brian Hartley's daughter, aren't you?" or "You studied under Dr. Dorner, didn't you. I can tell."
I guess that there really is no 'objective' research or search for truth, as all of our methods are shaped and influenced by those who profoundly impact us. Then again, isn't there great value in this shaping along the pursuit for knowledge? I can't help but believe that observed methodologies and practices have been far more helpful to me for really learning and DOING than anything I've read about methodologies over the past 3-4 years. A guiding hand has been worth 10,000 words at times.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
If anyone seeks wisdom...
Amira and I had our second interview in late January, and ended up spending almost 3 hours together, I think. Before I turned on the recorder, we just caught up a bit on life since our first interview three years prior--the interview that started this dissertation process in some ways, but in other ways preceded it. Probably the last hour or so of the recording was just...well, interfaith dialogue. I shouldn't say "just," but as it had less to do with the dissertation questions and more to do with navigating the often difficult waters of being some of the few "Gen Y"ers in our congregations. We both grew up with gay friends who believed in God and had faced very angry elders in the community when they came out. Knowing individuals first as friends made this a bit more difficult and we first turned to scripture and sought first hand knowledge--about what scripture really says and where. As Amira said, "if they were Muslim and came out to me, I told them what scripture said, as we are called to do, then left it at that. If they weren't Muslim, I didn't say anything. It didn't stop us from being friends."
The key here in this story isn't the issue (I'd be happy to talk with anyone about my thoughts on this in relationship to faith, but would prefer to do so in person)--but it's the act of SEEKING KNOWLEDGE. Gen Y folks (which I'm noting here as something in-between or separate from Gen Xers or Millennials because we seem to draw from both sets of characteristics while also being quite distinct. Anyway...) have often been portrayed as this confused bunch, sort of wandering through life and questioning authority but being perhaps less reactive than Gen Xers. We're somewhat obsessed with the search for truth and seeking out answers for ourselves.
I never realized how this might be a generational issue until I observed at Amira's school in early February. I arrived about 10am, checked into the office and then was guided to her room which was only about 3 doors away from the main office. As a music teacher, she instructs several age groups and a class of fifth graders were milling about, grabbing pencils, clipboards and handouts when I arrived. The room was brightly painted with walls of orange and royal blue, covered in posters of chords, a few instruments, red/yellow/green card charts and sticker charts for students to help with behavior management. The students sat on the floor facing the screen while Amira ran the projector from the back of the room. It was a very diverse class of 20 students, almost evenly split between genders and from many ethnic backgrounds. As a well-established city charter school, it had gained respect as a place where students came to get a good education in a somewhat 'strict' environment. They were all required to wear uniforms.
Amira was reading to them about the life of Bach using an illustrated and humorous text, while students followed along on worksheets and answered questions from the text. Most of the lesson involved students who wanted to get drinks of water, go to the bathroom, sharpen pencils, or do just about anything but sit still and listen. The crucial part of this lesson, to me, was what happened in the following dialogue.
Amira: "Back then, they didn't have radios, so the only way to hear music was go to a concert or hire a band to come play for you in your home, which only royals could afford."
Student 1: "Didn't they have a boom box they could shoulder?"
Amira: "No, they didn't have radios or recordings. They didn't even have electricity."
Students: "What?" *frightened/excited murmurs
Amira: "Yeah, I know it's crazy. No electricity."
Student 2: "didn't they have, like, you know, those boxes with a hand crank to make stuff work?"
Amira: "you mean a generator?" (student 2 nods). "No, electricity hadn' even been invented yet. Servants or other people lit candles in homes to provide light."
Student 3: "What did they do for, like, fun?"
Amira: "For fun? They read books."
(student 3 laughs)
Amira: "no, seriously! Haven't you ever read a book you really enjoyed?"
Student 4: NO!
Student 5: yeah (quietly)
Student 3: "well I watch the movie and THEN I read the book."
Amira: "Are you getting this, Mrs. Hager? This is the generation that's going to take care of us. This generation that doesn't want to read."
Student 4: "Yeah! We're the AWESOME generation!"
It both sickened me and surprised me. They thought so highly of themselves because they DIDN'T want or like to read. They thought that life was better with movies telling them how to see or interpret the story. And if a book didn't have a movie? To them it wasn't worth reading.
Perhaps reading is a dying art (I certainly hope not! We're working with our 2 year old to love reading and learning) and the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of truth and discovery is disappearing. However, I know that it isn't among my study participants and that a big part of their identity development has come through listening, through reading, through seeking out scholars and helping that information about faith become part of their own. If nothing else, I hope this search for wisdom and knowledge is something that can be re-established in our schools as part of the purpose (and need for) education. It's about teaching skills and building tools for lifelong learning, not just about minute details like how many children Bach had (17, by the way. 4 by his first wife who died young and 13 by his second. I did enjoy the music class and learning with Amira's guidance :D )
James 1: 18-19 By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures. Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.
The key here in this story isn't the issue (I'd be happy to talk with anyone about my thoughts on this in relationship to faith, but would prefer to do so in person)--but it's the act of SEEKING KNOWLEDGE. Gen Y folks (which I'm noting here as something in-between or separate from Gen Xers or Millennials because we seem to draw from both sets of characteristics while also being quite distinct. Anyway...) have often been portrayed as this confused bunch, sort of wandering through life and questioning authority but being perhaps less reactive than Gen Xers. We're somewhat obsessed with the search for truth and seeking out answers for ourselves.
I never realized how this might be a generational issue until I observed at Amira's school in early February. I arrived about 10am, checked into the office and then was guided to her room which was only about 3 doors away from the main office. As a music teacher, she instructs several age groups and a class of fifth graders were milling about, grabbing pencils, clipboards and handouts when I arrived. The room was brightly painted with walls of orange and royal blue, covered in posters of chords, a few instruments, red/yellow/green card charts and sticker charts for students to help with behavior management. The students sat on the floor facing the screen while Amira ran the projector from the back of the room. It was a very diverse class of 20 students, almost evenly split between genders and from many ethnic backgrounds. As a well-established city charter school, it had gained respect as a place where students came to get a good education in a somewhat 'strict' environment. They were all required to wear uniforms.
Amira was reading to them about the life of Bach using an illustrated and humorous text, while students followed along on worksheets and answered questions from the text. Most of the lesson involved students who wanted to get drinks of water, go to the bathroom, sharpen pencils, or do just about anything but sit still and listen. The crucial part of this lesson, to me, was what happened in the following dialogue.
Amira: "Back then, they didn't have radios, so the only way to hear music was go to a concert or hire a band to come play for you in your home, which only royals could afford."
Student 1: "Didn't they have a boom box they could shoulder?"
Amira: "No, they didn't have radios or recordings. They didn't even have electricity."
Students: "What?" *frightened/excited murmurs
Amira: "Yeah, I know it's crazy. No electricity."
Student 2: "didn't they have, like, you know, those boxes with a hand crank to make stuff work?"
Amira: "you mean a generator?" (student 2 nods). "No, electricity hadn' even been invented yet. Servants or other people lit candles in homes to provide light."
Student 3: "What did they do for, like, fun?"
Amira: "For fun? They read books."
(student 3 laughs)
Amira: "no, seriously! Haven't you ever read a book you really enjoyed?"
Student 4: NO!
Student 5: yeah (quietly)
Student 3: "well I watch the movie and THEN I read the book."
Amira: "Are you getting this, Mrs. Hager? This is the generation that's going to take care of us. This generation that doesn't want to read."
Student 4: "Yeah! We're the AWESOME generation!"
It both sickened me and surprised me. They thought so highly of themselves because they DIDN'T want or like to read. They thought that life was better with movies telling them how to see or interpret the story. And if a book didn't have a movie? To them it wasn't worth reading.
Perhaps reading is a dying art (I certainly hope not! We're working with our 2 year old to love reading and learning) and the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of truth and discovery is disappearing. However, I know that it isn't among my study participants and that a big part of their identity development has come through listening, through reading, through seeking out scholars and helping that information about faith become part of their own. If nothing else, I hope this search for wisdom and knowledge is something that can be re-established in our schools as part of the purpose (and need for) education. It's about teaching skills and building tools for lifelong learning, not just about minute details like how many children Bach had (17, by the way. 4 by his first wife who died young and 13 by his second. I did enjoy the music class and learning with Amira's guidance :D )
James 1: 18-19 By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures. Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Lenten Journey
Let's face it--I haven't been writing as I should. It's amazing how "stuff" easily crowds out the ability to think and write relating to a dissertation. Between teaching two online classes that I'm forcing myself to engage in right now and commit to caring for my students and taking care of my busy (and this winter sick and clingy just about every other week) 2.5 year old, I find myself just wanting to stare at walls or watch "My so-Called Life" reruns on Netflix.
However, yesterday marked an important point in the Christian calendar. Ash Wednesday calls us to die to our old selves, walk with Christ down the road of the cross and towards renewal over the course of the 40 days of lent. Part of the tradition within more liturgical circles has always been to give up something for these 40 days. Some fast, some give up only items of food--and others take on new disciplines.
In my plan was to take up memorization. In my early teens, I was on a bible quizzing team, learning the books of John, Hebrews and Ephesians. I still remember large portions of these and I want to add to this knowledge base. As Peter says "Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). I think I remember large portions of James as well, but as it's 1) five chapters and this is only a 40 day period and 2) there's so much good in these chapters, full of comfort and challenge, I decided that memorizing James--or at least dwelling in the book of James during lent--should be my goal.
Then a funny thing happened. A friend of mine took up blogging for the 40 days of lent as a discipline. Not only this, My dad and several others made sure I had the link to see what she was doing. It felt like a giant prod from God towards another discipline during these days.
And it hit me. Writing has become difficult because I keep trying to be profound and academic and important. It needn't be all of these all of the time. As Maureen (my friend and new blogger herself) stated, "writing is often the way I pray best." This jumble in my head and thoughts comes out best through my fingers and in talking it out on paper.
So I'm making a promise to "blog it out" this lenten season. Maybe not every day, and maybe not profound or fantastic every time, but it will be on my thoughts, prayers, and reactions to my dissertation questions--and to James as well. I've gotten too wrapped up in trying to make it perfect and find large blocks of time to write on the chapters. I've been too overwhelmed by the beauty and depth of the forest just to take time and describe a tree at a time, so to speak. Hopefully this afternoon I'll have some time to write about my observation experience and last interview with Amira.
As James so kindly reminded me today:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5
This is and has been a trial--the sort I have trouble even putting into words--as I'm emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted by work, family and this project. However, I can persevere and finish this project because I know that the wisdom (and strength) in this isn't mine--it comes from God. This project is a journey of faith and is a calling in itself. I just need to be reminded that I need to get out of the way with all of my insecurities and distractions and let it the words flow.
However, yesterday marked an important point in the Christian calendar. Ash Wednesday calls us to die to our old selves, walk with Christ down the road of the cross and towards renewal over the course of the 40 days of lent. Part of the tradition within more liturgical circles has always been to give up something for these 40 days. Some fast, some give up only items of food--and others take on new disciplines.
In my plan was to take up memorization. In my early teens, I was on a bible quizzing team, learning the books of John, Hebrews and Ephesians. I still remember large portions of these and I want to add to this knowledge base. As Peter says "Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). I think I remember large portions of James as well, but as it's 1) five chapters and this is only a 40 day period and 2) there's so much good in these chapters, full of comfort and challenge, I decided that memorizing James--or at least dwelling in the book of James during lent--should be my goal.
Then a funny thing happened. A friend of mine took up blogging for the 40 days of lent as a discipline. Not only this, My dad and several others made sure I had the link to see what she was doing. It felt like a giant prod from God towards another discipline during these days.
And it hit me. Writing has become difficult because I keep trying to be profound and academic and important. It needn't be all of these all of the time. As Maureen (my friend and new blogger herself) stated, "writing is often the way I pray best." This jumble in my head and thoughts comes out best through my fingers and in talking it out on paper.
So I'm making a promise to "blog it out" this lenten season. Maybe not every day, and maybe not profound or fantastic every time, but it will be on my thoughts, prayers, and reactions to my dissertation questions--and to James as well. I've gotten too wrapped up in trying to make it perfect and find large blocks of time to write on the chapters. I've been too overwhelmed by the beauty and depth of the forest just to take time and describe a tree at a time, so to speak. Hopefully this afternoon I'll have some time to write about my observation experience and last interview with Amira.
As James so kindly reminded me today:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5
This is and has been a trial--the sort I have trouble even putting into words--as I'm emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted by work, family and this project. However, I can persevere and finish this project because I know that the wisdom (and strength) in this isn't mine--it comes from God. This project is a journey of faith and is a calling in itself. I just need to be reminded that I need to get out of the way with all of my insecurities and distractions and let it the words flow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)