The Problems I'm Having with my Academic Research

Personality
According to the most recent personality tests I've done I have an extroverted "A-type" personality. Great for social situations, leadership roles and the like, but absolutely the worst thing possible when it comes to solitary projects like research. I thrive under conditions of social pressure where I have to perform to please other people or fulfill their needs. These situations grant me social recognition. I thrive on social recognition. Criticize this if you want, tell me that I should live to make myself happy and not care what others think but the reality is that through my upbringing, or nature, this is how I am. I have tried to rationalize my way out of this. I can build perfectly rational, valid arguments for completing my research in order to gain my Masters, make the last 3 years of my life count for 3 very socially significant letters behind my name but despite this I cannot seem to motivate myself to actually get on with the work. Perhaps it is due to the other factors I'm about to write about at 1am on this Saturday morning.

Support
Being socially motivated and in an age of gross access to social networks through the blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram I am accustomed to immediate social feedback and recognition. This has it's advantages for promoting ideas at a simple and superficial level but when long, in depth ideas need to be processed the networks I access can't be bothered. There is too much context that needs to be provided and 140 characters, a clever picture, update or caption ca't do the trick. If I need social attention to perform and society can't be bothered to try understand my ideas then I am at a performance loss. There should be a select few who do try to understand - the social support system designed for researchers, supervisors, seminars, reading groups, classmates and the like but due to a less than fortunate set of circumstances this system has failed me.

Don't Try to Change the World

Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Every research book, supervisor, family member, friend and colleague I've spoken to has said that I need to get my research done and move on with life. I cannot reconcile these viewpoints. I don't think that my research can change the world, I know it. Not in a revolutionary, radical sense but in an incremental, gradual way I believe that every piece of work, every hour of effort either contributes to the problem or the solution.

The problem is the politics of academia - more specifically, discourse. I, as others, recognise that there is a definite dominance in academia of ideas that are Eurocentric. As Europe colonised the world, it's ideas came with it. Not a problem if you agree with the underlying assumptions of European thinking, but a huge problem if you don't. Fortunately this age of post-modernism recognises that academia, ideas, are socially based, that assumptions about ideas and their frameworks are not universal and that their specific contexts need to be expanded upon. This, for me is where I see my research contributing to the solution rather than the problem. I can, as most of colleagues do, carry on with the assumptions handed down to me (specifically the epistemological ones) and carry out a nice, neat little research project with set methodologies that are tried, tested and accepted; however, I know within me that the reason ideas are not moving forward is because the way in which we address problems is the same as it has been for about a hundred years. The same assumptions are assumed expecting different results (insert Einstein's famous quote which I'm sure you're familiar with).

But is there an alternative?

Most would say no. The thinking is that the dominant is the only. Very few can see out of the what is dominant. It is only due to the fact that I was raised in both the dominant, Western academic sphere, while simultaneously having access to an entirely different epistemology, metaphysics, discourse provided by my religion that I can clearly see two distinct approaches to a problem. I would argue strongly that I am not guilty of a religious bias as I am aware that there are other marginalised viewpoints that have equal claim to posing an alternative, I wish to explore Islam as it is what I am familiar with. True multi-culturalism and diversity can only come through all ideas being allowed to play on an equal footing but this is not happening in academic space.

There is a power relationship, a politics, within academia. Ideas that are alternative, that question the norm cannot take hold, cannot flourish because ideas are not valued intrinsically but they are valued based on the lineage they come from - who are you referencing, what have previous authors written about this topic, what is your theoretical framework - are all questions that work within a specific framework but not when you're critiquing the framework itself. 

Well the last part is not entirely true. There are alternative writers on whom I should draw but I feel completely under-equipped to do this. Critique involves understanding the dominant, then understanding the counter to it and incorporating the two into something coherent and compelling. Twice the task of accepting the dominant, understanding and adding to it. Not to mention that your supervisor will tackle your every point rather than assisting you in the process and that your social support system just wants you to get the research done so that you can move on with your life.

I also take exception to the way that research is meant to take place. The student, after being taught the basic principles of her discipline (which I'm not entirely sure that I got), then identifies a problem, designs a research method, investigates and proposes solutions to this problem. This is abstract, it is not based in the real world, it is individualistic (why can't I accept that I excel in problem identification and work with a partner who is excellent at literature reviews for instance?), it does not encourage participation or real involvement in addressing the problem (as this would require longer than your designated 8 months and minimal training). Some of these things can be challenged but once again the opportunity to challenge is put on the table without encouragement. New methodologies can be put forward and utilised but without having to defend them with twice the vigour. Maybe I need to be stronger or smarter in order to challenge the system but the odds are stacked against me.

I want to give up. I want to say that the last three years were not a waste. That I learnt things despite the fact that I could not get my act together to finish my research report and that the 3 letters behind my name are given a value by a society that would not see past it and live content but I can't. My parents have invested a lot in these three letters. It is expected of me to get them. I should put aside my gross feelings of discontent, hand something in and smile on my graduation day.

The Commonwealth

How is the Commonwealth even pretending to be relavant?

This was my initial reaction when learning that they had partnered with Common Purpose and INTO in hosting the CSC Leaders Conference I'm currently attending. Fortunately the first session after intro's and the like was aimed to answer this very question.*

Lindiwe Maseko, ex-Treasurer of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region - current Chairperson of Commonwealth Africa Region set out to convince a room full of skeptics that there is still some value in the "Commonwealth" brand. (Mentioning her name could be construed to go against the Chatham House Rule...but it's been advertised that she addressed us and what follows are my own reflections based on the conversations that took place)

If you need to know what the Commonwealth is check Wikipedia. For my purposes it is sufficient to state that it's an international body that have, in common, the fact that they were all British colonies. Of course, post-colonialism, we'd want to rid ourselves of all such institutions no? Well, apparently not.

Two possible reasons why it still exists:
1. So that the colonial powers can still exercise some control. From what was said it does seem like the Commonwealth (through it's functions like the CPA) does try get all governments to play nice liberal-democracy politics with each other. I'm assuming that pressure is exerted through mechanisms like aid provision and when someone doesn't play nice (like Zimbabwe) tensions arise and someone no longer gets to call themselves High Commissioners, but Ambassadors instead.

2. Common pasts = common futures. Would be nice if this was true but the only thing in common is the British colonies thing and Britain colonized most of the world so it leaves us with a great variety of experiences unless we all want to compare the architecture of our post-offices. To add to it Mozambique and Rwanda have recently joined the Commonwealth and they were colonized by Frenchies so there goes that.

So, how is the Commonwealth relevant?
It basically isn't...but...it exists and what most people have come to accept is that it takes a lot of money, influence, many meetings and private jets to get international bodies into existence so for practical reasons it's easier to try and get these to do what you need rather than kill them and start a new one.

It's not perfect, but it's pragmatic and a pill that I can swallow.

The task is then to make the Commonwealth do what we need it to rather than just have it as another platform for the developed nations to bully the underdeveloped and from what I heard today I think there is the possibility of this happening depending on the importance underdeveloped countries give the body. So essentially it's there and if you use it you can benefit and change it to serve future generations better and if not it will probably keep going as it has for the last 99 years or something ridiculous like that.

There may be a strategic importance of having a strong voice in established international bodies like the Commonwealth so that you can use it to leverage for some sort of international justice. It would sound pretty powerful to say that the Commonwealth nations condemn Israel's attacks on Gaza and oppression of the Palestinian people and if that could pressure the real players to do the right thing towards ending it but in International Relations discussions "pressure" means little to everything so God knows best where that will take us, at least it's another avenue. (who am I kidding, if it didn't affect Zimbabwe, Israel will dust it off it's shoulder and keep walking...I mean settling i.e. invading)

I learnt other things in the process of the discussion: stay out of debt, sometimes you may have to chose between changing the world and your personal life, and struggle vets valued knowledge just couldn't pursue it...yet they're well educated...this furthers my argument that universities are horrible places for learning.

Peace

*Disclaimer: I'm no International Relations student, my knowledge on these matters is limited, I should probably do more research before writing but this immediate expression is for the purposes of capturing my thoughts rather than educating any masses (including and especially whales).

The Invitation...

Waddup!

I came across this....It really spoke to me so I thought I’d share. Let me know if you feel it J

N x

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for,

And if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,

For your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,

If you have been opened by life's betrayals or

Have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own;

If you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you

To the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,

Be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can see beauty

Even when it is not pretty every day,

And if you can source your life from God's presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,

And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have,

I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,

Weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came here,

I want to know if you will stand in the center of the Fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away,

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, And if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder.

Pictures of Things

Say CHEESE...CAKE!

I am so excited to write this post about some of my favourite people ever. Everyone really needs to get a familiar with the with this group of tall and handsome (mostly :P) comedian-best-friend-roommates, affectionately known as CHEESECAKE.

Cheesecake is a collaborative group of four young comedians, Simmi Areff, Lazola  Gola, Robby Collins and Mojak Lehoko.  Each comic is successful and established in his own right, but together, they bring a certain chemistry, magic and brotherhood to comedy that is really something exceptional. Besides being some of the coolest individuals I have ever met,  they are each so unique and fresh in their comedy design. Their comedy is honest, sharp and edgy, and they each have their own style of delivery drawn out from their individual personalties.

Their bond as Cheesecake is based on a shared passion for comedy and a mutual love and respect for each other, but more definitively, exists as they are each forward-thinkers who understand the art of comedy and who have the courage to go after their dreams HARD. What better way to do it than with your best friends, right? They have cultivated this new, exciting tone in comedy that is distinctive and authentic, and completely self-created. Their flavour will get you addicted and soon you’ll find yourself following them on Twitter (@simmiareff, @LazGola, @mojaklehoko,@RobbyCollns08). And in real life, just to hang out with them (They live on Korea road). Though they may run away from you.

In line with their progressive nature, the boys have started much needed a comedy gig every Tuesday at Kitchener’s in Braamfontein called 'New Material Night' where they and other invited comics try out new material every week. There is a raucous, fun, crazy atmosphere at Kitcheners where you will see comics at their best and worst, but you will definitely walk away satisfied. It may even be the highlight of your week. (Probably.) Check out the video below to see what goes down at Kitcheners on a Tuesday night! Also shout put to the girl with the amazing laugh in the start of the video.

Cheesecake sometime transform into a music group called Ride or Die. As if comedic talent wasn’t enough, they produce, write and rap on their own tracks, very reminiscent of old school hip hop/early N.E.R.D. I’m even featured on one called “Sleez is the New Swag”. Have a listen to some of the tracks and spread the music around J Here are the links:

Sleez is the New Swag à http://www.hulkshare.com/uj7tonkp1r8y

Bitches Love Biscuits à  http://www.hulkshare.com/8ovkikuj1gb9

Don’t Buy City Press à http://www.hulkshare.com/0dn3r8r4ep31

Cheesecake are HILARIOUS. These guys are all so ambitious and passionate and have the talent and drive to back it up - I can’t wait to see what their future’s hold!

Don’t forget to go through to Kitcheners every Tuesday night for comedy! It’s at 5 De Beer Street, Braamfontein, starts at 9 and damage is 20 bucks! Take all your friends and spread the word! Get in there before it blows up so much that there won’t be any space for you and all your friends and you'll be turned away because the party is THAT crazy. Don’t say I didn’t put you on!

Have you seen Cheesecake perform? What do you think of them?

Please comment and share this post. Young, legit South African talent deserves it  J

Peace and stuff!

Nx

Fashion/TV : My Top 8

This blog needs some fun times and I'm here to provide to bring it! I know it's been a hot minute (I’ve been busy and lazy, ok!) so I thought I'd come back with a bang of fun and confetti in the form of a frivolous and indulgent Top 8 countdown. I say frivolous and indulgent, but I propose too, that it is important and relevant! Besides it being Halloween soon, I also just need to get these thoughts out! So here I am sharing with you my favourite, best dressed characters from TV shows. This all started in my mission for a Halloween costume. Being the specific person I am and with the specific style I like to think I have, I’m not about to wear something silly and ridiculous, even if it is in the name of fun – although, silliness and ridiculousness here, is all relative. It’s a perfect excuse to pay homage to your favourite anything in a fashionable way – to commit, represent, make it special, make it original and not turn up as your favourite Teletubby. Basically, what I’m saying is seize the opportunity on Halloween. And in life.

Beyond this though, I just wanted to share my list of the best dressed, pop culture TV characters I’ve come across in my life. Besides best dressed, I’m gonna go ahead and say that in the context of TV and my head, they are style icons, because their looks are each bold and powerful. Their characters are enhanced by their style and because of this, they are not easily forgotten. Also, because it’s fun and because Serena and Blair are not the first well-dressed characters on TV. Hope these bring back some good memories and provide some kind of inspiration!

#8 Wilma Flinstone, The Flinstones

 

To start off, I chose the famous Mrs Flinstone. I feel like people overlook her simplistic elegance just because she lives in Stone Age and is surrounded by dinosaurs. Sure, she only has one outfit, but what a good one it is! Understated and elegant. Whether she is cleaning the house, shopping or at the drive-in, she always looks like she is ready for a cocktail party in her one-shoulder dress and red lips. Her “pearls” too communicate an idea of maturity and social standing. She’s fun and social yet intelligent and responsible, and her styling exemplifies this. She be reppin’ the little white dress, from back in the day! Literally!

#7 Hilary Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

 

 

  

At number 7, I chose one of the underrated characters from one of my favourite shows : Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She’s the spoilt, lazy, ditz of the family – but my God is she funny! I never appreciated her character growing up, because of all these negative connotations, but also, because I associated them with hot, popular, stupid girl in the awesome clothes (dear old American pop culture conditioning). So the clothes had lost their meaning to me. Watching episodes today though, she makes me laugh the most and besides that, she has mad style! As the rich, hot girl she expectedly wears cool clothes, but her styling is daring, clean and fresh. She’s preppy, she’s structured, she’s sexy and she always looks like she’s ready to rule the world. Ironically. Because she’s not. But she pulls the look of immaculately. She’s chic and adorable and I want all her jackets. Next time the show’s on, check out what she’s wearing and you’ll be all like, “Damn girl!” You’ll see.

#6 Ariel’s sisters, The Little Mermaid

  

Ariaaaal!!! (In Sebastian the Lobster’s accent). This movie pretty much made my childhood. Ariel is so beautiful, even though she’s just a drawing. She’s got this bold and reckless beauty that I adore. However, the reason I think that her sisters are style icons, is because of the lesson in style they inadvertently provide. They are 6 sisters, all princesses, all different, yet they are able to represent parts of their personality through something very specific – accessories. Attina, who is next in line for the throne has the boldest crown; Aquata, has pearls in her hair and is a graceful dancer with feminine characteristics; Andrina is sarcastic and witty and has pink decorations in her short blonde hair; Arista is a little ditzy and has long blonde hair with red pearl decorations; Adella has green fins and is boy crazy; and Alana is the glamorous, beauty queen with a pink tiara-like crown.

What I’m saying is that style is made up of who you are and how you express that. Clearly, these mermaids express their individuality through colour, hair style and accessories – and it works. We are not clones and our individuality should be celebrated and expressed. Herein lies the power of the accessory, illustrated by mermaids. Unexpected, I know.

#5 Peggy Bundy, Married With Children

  

 

  

"Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage, Go together like a horse and carriage...”. I know you love that show...

Peggy Bundy is the hot mama in Married With Children, who does not cook or clean, and is obnoxious and a little self-absorbed. Her personality is maintained through her style and I can respect that. She’s into leopard print, stilettos, shoulder pads and big, red, hair that is so high, it is close to God. She maintains who she is through her loud, sexy and unapologetic dress sense, along with with a cigarette constantly on her lips for that extra attitude. Also, she only ever wears heels. All. The Time. My kind of girl! Her daughter may have been the hot one in the cast, but this mama was definitely the best dressed.

 #4 Romy and Michelle, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion

 

I’m not embarrassed to admit that this is one of my favourite movies ever! Romy and Michelle are two best friends with their own self-created style that they are proud to show off and live by. What I love about them in the movie is that they wear what THEY think is cool, and not what others think is cool – the way it should be. They don’t conform to any kind of fashion trends, and define the rules themselves. They make their own clothes, they wear pleather and heels to the spinning class, and they dressed up as Madonna to the prom instead of as some poofed up cupcakes (it was the 80s). They don’t curr, they define their own style. It’s more important to them to be true to themselves, no matter how conventional or silly they may look. And when they are true to themselves aesthetically, they are confident, and shine in many other ways. They want to be more than some unemployed, underestimated, California girls. They want to be special and they want to be remembered. They achieved this by being themselves, inside and out. Awwww.

#3 Morticia Addams, The Addams Family

 

The original pop culture, Goth girl. Which I LOVE. But besides that, Morticia makes my list because her style, although a little eerie, is sleek, bold and timeless. Her long, straight black her coupled with her long, tight, structured black dress is so smoky and smooth, and it speaks volumes about the kind of character she portrays – dark, sarcastic and amusing. She embodies a look that will never grow old or not suit her because of how it effortlessly ties in with who she specifically is. I also think that fact that she is a bit creepy not only adds more intrigue to her look but represents her as strong woman that others would be intimidated by, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that! I also adore how she is dark and glamorous at the same time. Her look is hard, but she always has beautiful glowing make up, bright red lips and long red nails – features of a more feminine woman. She applies this to traditional element to her look and it gives it a new meaning of dark elegance. She walks the walk, talks the talk, and wears that black dress like no other. I think she’s very cool. Effortlessly and authentically so.

#2 Cruella DeVille, 101 Dalmatians

 

 

 

I know she’s an evil and crazy lady... but Cruella’s style (minus the potentially dead Dalmatian fur coat) is, quite frankly, high-fashion, bad-assery. This can be broken down to three main elements. Firstly, her eccentricity, her glamour and her use of only 3 colours in her dressing. Firstly, her crazy and slightly demented personality defines a lot of her eccentric style, particularly seen in her kind of punk-inspired, two-tone hair and of course the crazy look in her eyes. But this is a villain who indulges in style and glamour. She wears over-sized fur coats and long satin gloves, smokes her cigarettes through a long cigarette holder, and always wears a dark red lipstick and red long nails. Another defining feature of her style is that she only ever wears black, white and red, a bold and iconic combination. She is strong, glamorous, rich, eccentric bad-ass who values her purposefully constructed appearance and the messages it sends. She is evil in the most iconic and stylish way, that makes me want to be evil too. Just a little.

#1 Jem and the Holograms, Jem and the Holograms

 

 

  

 

 If you did not watch Jem and The Holograms as a kid, I feel like you definitely missed out. I would be lying if I didn’t say that till today, I am madly in love with Jem and The Holograms and sometimes I wish they were a real band that would make real music videos, win MTV awards, cover the pages of Vogue, start a clothing line and then come and tour in South Africa, where I would be their #1 groupie. I think I can actually also say without a doubt that Jem and The Holograms are responsible for my love of the rock n' roll girl.

Let me tell you about Jem. Her real name is Jerrica and she owns a music company but has an alter-rock star-ego, Jem, and together with her sister and friends have a rock band called Jem and The Holograms. Sometimes I think that Jem and The Holograms all went solo and changed their names to Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. Beside the fact that they are in an ALL GIRL ROCK BAND, they all have amazing style, defined by big colourful hair, crazy make up, bold signature pieces of clothing, edgy accessories and an overall rock and roll frame, with a soft side. They are a rock band, who are stylised by their music, by the culture of their punk-rock sound and by their femininity. Most importantly, they are cool – they are endlessly hip and fashionable, because they exist in a culture of music that influences who they are and how they look and they exist in this realm, as it is with all self-created, authentic and original music stars. They are an explosion of a fantasy girl, punk rock style. I’m obsessed with Jem and The Holograms, a secret I am now letting out, and I wish I could wear a candyfloss pink wig every day and have magic earrings that turn me into a rock star. Don’t you?

What did you think?

Also, I'm calling dibs on Cruella for Halloween!

Peace and Love

Nx