What’s there and what What’s there and what isn’t? Thinking about isn’t? Thinking about Texts, Truths, and Texts, Truths, and AnalysisAnalysis

Pamela MossPamela Moss

Studies in Policy and PracticeStudies in Policy and Practice

University of VictoriaUniversity of Victoria

Who’s interested Who’s interested methodologically?methodologically?

Ethnography Ethnography Standpoint epistemology Standpoint epistemology Critical discourse analysis Critical discourse analysis Genealogical analysis Genealogical analysis Feminist critical discourse analysis Feminist critical discourse analysis Feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis Feminist poststructuralist discourse analysis Transversal Discourse Analysis Transversal Discourse Analysis Anything dialecticalAnything dialectical Anything deconstructiveAnything deconstructive

Whose interested Whose interested methods-wise?methods-wise?

Perhaps more so in:Perhaps more so in: Ethnography (in the doing and the analysis)Ethnography (in the doing and the analysis) Active listening (in the doing)Active listening (in the doing) Empowerment (in the planning and the doing)Empowerment (in the planning and the doing) Participatory Research (in the planning, not in the Participatory Research (in the planning, not in the

analysis)analysis) Oral histories (in the planning, the doing and the analysis)Oral histories (in the planning, the doing and the analysis)

Perhaps less so in:Perhaps less so in: Institutional ethnographyInstitutional ethnography Grounded theoryGrounded theory Autoethnography (?) Autobiography (?)Autoethnography (?) Autobiography (?)

Why look at silence?Why look at silence?

Insight into phenomenonInsight into phenomenon Anomaly in the information/dataAnomaly in the information/data TruthTruth Access to the world of taken for Access to the world of taken for

grantednessgrantedness Something doesn’t sit rightSomething doesn’t sit right ……

Types of silenceTypes of silence

Lack of informationLack of information Result of marginalizationResult of marginalization Absence of something expectedAbsence of something expected The ‘hegemony’The ‘hegemony’ … …

Evasions, diversions: ratioEvasions, diversions: ratio

Thinking about Texts, Thinking about Texts, Truths, and AnalysisTruths, and Analysis

TextsTexts

TruthsTruths

1 – Title of journal article1 – Title of journal article 2 – Ding Ling’s short stories2 – Ding Ling’s short stories 3 – Bree from Desperate Housewives3 – Bree from Desperate Housewives 4 – Absence of queer subjects4 – Absence of queer subjects 5 – Enlightened disciple5 – Enlightened disciple

AnalysisAnalysis

Small life-history project on mothers and Small life-history project on mothers and daughtersdaughters

Interview-based project with Irish women Interview-based project with Irish women diagnosed with Myalgic encephalopathydiagnosed with Myalgic encephalopathy

Textual investigation of two categories of Textual investigation of two categories of illness over timeillness over time

What do you do when you What do you do when you know something is ‘true’ know something is ‘true’ but it isn’t there?but it isn’t there?

What if her narrative is What if her narrative is vague?vague?

Irish Women Diagnosed with ME - Socio-Demographic Information

Pseudonym Age Education Location Job or

Vocation Employment Income Income Source Tenure

Immediate Household Members

Aisling 26 Teacher Training West Teacher None €130/wk State Disability parents parents

Alana 40 Leaving Certs East Service None €130/wk State Disability rent husband and

children

Ann 54 Leaving Certs East Service None €130/wk State Disability own husband and

children Corina 41 Nurse Training South Nurse None €130/wk State Disability rent alone

Dorothy 56 Nurse Training South Nurse Retired €150/wk Employment

Pension own husband

Elizabeth 29 University East Professional Full-time €35000/yr Job pays no

rent partner

Heidi 52 Teacher Training East Teacher Retired €1300/month Employment

Pension own alone

Inga 40 Secondary South Service None €130/wk State Disability own husband and

children

Kathleen [45] Leaving Certs West Industry None €130/wk State Disability own husband and

children

Maighread 50 Postgraduate East Professional Part-time no mention Job own husband and

children

Martha 45 University East Professional Part-time Jobs no mention Jobs own husband and

children Mary 42 Leaving Certs West Labourer None €124/wk State Disability parents parents

Niamh 33 University East Professional None none Awaiting Disabiilty own husband and

children

Pat 59 Leaving Certs South Service Retired €130/wk Employment

Pension own husband

Rhona 42 Leaving Certs East Not Employed None €130/wk State Disability own husband and

children Roisin 31 University West Service None €130/wk State Disability parents parents

Siobhan 23 University West Professional None €130/wk State Disability rent alone Twyla 38 Nurse Training East Nuse None €170/wk State Allowance own children Una 30 Secondary West Service None €130/wk State Disability rent partner

ÁislingÁisling

Mid 20sMid 20s Teacher prior to onset of METeacher prior to onset of ME Housebound for about 18 monthsHousebound for about 18 months Lives with her parents in a farmhouse in a central Lives with her parents in a farmhouse in a central

countycounty Spends extended periods of time with other supportive Spends extended periods of time with other supportive

family members and friendsfamily members and friends Focused more on space but in a slightly different way: Focused more on space but in a slightly different way:

she tried to control what comes into her immediate she tried to control what comes into her immediate social and physical spaces so that she can attend to social and physical spaces so that she can attend to her body.her body.

MaryMary

Early 40sEarly 40s Physical labourer prior to onset of MEPhysical labourer prior to onset of ME Housebound for 11 yearsHousebound for 11 years Lives with her father in a farmhouse in the westLives with her father in a farmhouse in the west Has a personal assistant for two hours a day to help Has a personal assistant for two hours a day to help

her with her meal preparation, bathing, and tidyingher with her meal preparation, bathing, and tidying Told me about the extensive measures put into Told me about the extensive measures put into

place around the house so that being housebound place around the house so that being housebound became less problematic, especially in times of became less problematic, especially in times of crisis.crisis.

MaryMary

Altered the water supply system to ensure a more reliable supplyAltered the water supply system to ensure a more reliable supply Installed stop cocks for shutting off water pipes in living area of the Installed stop cocks for shutting off water pipes in living area of the

househouse Fitted indicator light so that water pump can be monitored from Fitted indicator light so that water pump can be monitored from

indoors indoors Packed rations of food, soft drinks and fresh water upstairs Packed rations of food, soft drinks and fresh water upstairs

alongside overnight bag for emergenciesalongside overnight bag for emergencies Mounted an on/off switch and extension cord near the bed so that Mounted an on/off switch and extension cord near the bed so that

TV, computer, electric kettle and toaster can be turned on and off TV, computer, electric kettle and toaster can be turned on and off from the bedfrom the bed

Learned computer to make research possible through internet and Learned computer to make research possible through internet and emailemail

Keeps phone and touch sensitive light at bed side Keeps phone and touch sensitive light at bed side Has front door key always upstairs in a basket in the sill in her Has front door key always upstairs in a basket in the sill in her

roomroom

What can we say with What can we say with what we’ve got when we what we’ve got when we know there’s so much know there’s so much more?more?

What do you do when you know What do you do when you know something is ‘true’ but it isn’t there?something is ‘true’ but it isn’t there?

What if her narrative is lopsided, lacking What if her narrative is lopsided, lacking focus?focus?

What can we say with what we’ve got What can we say with what we’ve got when we know there’s so much more?when we know there’s so much more?