Waiting as an Active Space

• In Event: 53.081 - Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: 53.081-9 - Tensions and Wonders About Narrative Inquiry Methodology

Abstract

In the process of building relationships with possible participants and throughout the whole inquiry, I experienced many periods of waiting. This paper comes from a narrative inquiry alongside school age children, their families, and their experiences in and out of school care and home. During these often lengthy times of waiting, I was able to turn from focusing on my own concerns as a researcher to becoming awake to the lives of the possible participants. Waiting is not passive. This paper inquires into my experiences as a researcher, building relationships with two families who became my participants, where the act of waiting became an active space in which to prepare for coming alongside participants and hearing the stories they shared.

Author

• Eliza Anne Pinnegar, Daniels Canyon Elementary School