Singing the Data: Utilizing Poetry in Multiple Forms of Research

• In Event: Issues of Inquiry and Curriculum Theory

Proposal Description

Freire and Macedo (2009) noted that reading and writing the world are needed to change the world. The first and third of Eisner’s (1991) premises of arts based research echo this, noting: “There are multiple ways in which the world can be known” (p. 7) and, “The forms through which humans represent their conception of the world have a major influence on what they are able to say about it” (p. 7) expanding the idea of reading and writing the world to multiple forms. Combining these ideas with Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) concepts of multiplicity, rhizomatic thinking, and mapping, which suggest non linear paths, and XXX’s (2013) idea of lyricality, which promotes the inclusion of aesthetics in prismatic research, this study examines the use of poetry in three different studies.

XYY (2016) conducted a symbolic inquiry study examining college experiences for students of racial and ethnic minorities with (dis)abilities, culminating in poetry synthesis. In an attempt to convey a holistic representation, from the interview transcripts of each individual, XYY (2016) constructed a found poem, which is a poem that is constructed from a text rather than generated (Burdick, 2011), to create a ‘textual painting’ for each participant. During the process, the approach helped her see the rhythm and discord within the individual’s dialogue.

XXX (2013) conducted a series of small research studies with the purpose of initially defining prismatic theory (XXX, 2016) and a new theoretical framework and prismatic inquiry (2013, 2016) as a new research methodology for education. In one study, similar to XYY’s (2016) poetic synthesis, XXX (2013) pulls found poetry out of student voices into a “poetry collage” with the goal of exploring the experience and integrating silenced voices. Poetry also frames XXX’s (2013) journey, reflecting the journey of the doctoral student and the journey to the question as the Hero’s quest (Campbell, 1956).

XYX’s (2015) autoethnographic narrative study examines the discovery that she is on the Autism Spectrum. She uses the narrative and poetry to confront both her concepts of who she thought she was and who she was “continually becoming” (p. 5). Similar to XXX’s (2013) use of poetry to frame the study, XYX’s (2015) poetry documents every step of her journey. Similar to how Deleuze and Guattari (1987)use rhizomatic thought to break up arborescence and deterritorialize paradigms, XYX (2015) uses her narrative and poetry to break up previously held assumptions of self, authenticating self-exploration and embracing vulnerability.

Each uses poetry differently, yet all use poetry as alternative ways of engaging with writing, analysis, performance, and representation of the data (Burdick, 2011; Carr, 2003; Furman, Collins, Langer, & Bruce, 2006; Leggo, 2008). As a spoken or written exchange, poetry presents a different way of thinking about pauses, repetitions, alliterations, or rhythm within the flow of dialogue in order to tease out insights that may have not been readily apparent or accessible (Prendergast, 2009).

References
XYX, X. (2015). A Narrative and Poetic Exploration into Self-Defining Asperger’s: Ceasing to be X-1. (Masters Thesis), Chapman University, Orange, CA.
Burdick, M. (2011). Researcher and teacher-participant found poetry: Collaboration in poetic transcription. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 12(1), 1-18.
Campbell, Joseph. (1956). The hero with a thousand faces. New York,: Meridian Books.
Carr, J. M. (2003). Poetic expression of vigilance. Qualitative Health Research, 13(9), 1324-1331. doi: 10.1177/1049732303254018
Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1987). A thousand plateaus: Capitalism and schizophrenia. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Eisner, E. W. (1991). The enlightened eye: Qualitative inquiry and the enhancement of educational practice. New York, NY; Toronto: Macmillan Publishing Co.
XXX, X. X. (2013). Here there be dragons: The initial defining of prism theory and prismatic inquiry. (Doctorate Dissertation), Chapman University, Orange, CA.
XXX, X. X. (2016). Here there be dragons: Initially developing prismatic theory and prismatic inquiry. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association Conference, Washington, DC.
Freire, Paulo, & Macedo, Donaldo. (2009). Rethinking Literacy: A Dialogue. In A. Darder, M. Baltodano & R. D. Torres (Eds.), The Critical Pedagogy Reader (2nd ed., pp. 354-364). New York: Routledge.
Furman, R., Collins, K., Langer, C., & Bruce, E. A. (2006). Inside a provider’s perspective: Using practitioner poetry to explore the treatment of persons with mental illness. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 33(4), 331-334. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2006.04.003
Leggo, C. (2008). The ecology of personal and professional experience: A poets view. In M. Cahnmann-Taylor & R. Siegesmud (Eds.), Arts-based research in education (pp. 89-98). New York: Routledge.
XYY, X. (2016). Spatiality of racial and ethnic minorities with disabilities in higher education. (Ph. D. Dissertation), Chapman University, Orange, CA.
Prendergast, M. (2009). “Poem is what?” Poetic inquiry in qualitative social science research. International Review of Qualitative Research, 1(4), 541-568.

Authors

• Marni Elizabeth Fisher, Chapman University

• Lisa Boskovich, Chapman University

• Holly Pearson, Chapman University