Post Class Reflection

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_flag

In this reflection, I will comment on Maggie Miller's visit to the class where she discussed her graduate research and presentation "Trekking through graduate research: Willing and the Nepali mountainside". 

Through Maggie’s presentation, she described how she used both a photographic journal and also audio recordings to document her journey through the Nepali mountainside in order to conduct preliminary research for her graduate studies.   As I was listening to her present, I had an “aha” moment about the benefits of incorporating the senses when conducting research. The photos that she shared with the class of her journey documented the visually the rugged mountainside and how challenging the terrain would have been to navigate.

However, it wasn’t until I heard her audio recordings of her journey that I really understood how difficult this trip was for her. It made me realize how gathering information from using a variety of senses could be so beneficial for research. When I heard the audio recording, it was if a “veil removed” and the information was so much more vivid and rich. It wasn’t until I heard her audio journal that I truly understood her experience.

Her visit has made me appreciate the book “Beads Bodies and Trash” more. I feel like I am “getting” David’s research more and why he has chosen to study the “sensory experience” of the beads as they travel the commodity chain. I have always wanted to watch David’s documentary “Made in China” however, with this “aha moment”, I am even more interested in watching it. It think that it will allow me to gain further understanding of his research because of the auditory and visual experience of watching it through the documentary (in addition to reading the book).