I had plans to read together today but it didn’t happen in at least two cohorts. We had other business to attend to. We did end up reading in the last cohort! I wanted to pose the question about whether or not it was possible to decolonize ethnography. I don’t like how it is presented as a neutral method outside of its historical context that is steeped in colonialism and racism. I wanted to read “Decolonizing Ethnography: A Reimagined Framework for Teaching Radical Ethnography” I also wanted to pose the Audre Lorde quotation, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” and have us reflect on it. I believe…

It was so fun to have students come to Herbert Von King in Bed Stuy. We created a collaborative collage of found objects (image below). Did you know that the Cultural Arts Center in Herbert Von King is the only NYC Parks Rec Center that is totally FREE for members? I signed up with some students. Also, if you are under 24 all NYC Rec centers are free for you, even the ones with pools! Anyway, it was really hot so we didn’t go to Imani Community Garden as a class and did everything in the park. But some students didn’t want to leave and decided to come to Imani…

I did my observations at Brower Park. Here are some photos that I took. some guiding post-observation questions: what happened in the park that you didn’t record? If you had to map not just where people were, but where people held emotional energy (anxiety, joy, boredom, vigilance, tension), where would the hotspots be in the park? What are some unspoken rules in your park? Imagine the park’s cultural rules were reversed for one day: silence becomes loud celebration, strangers must touch shoulders when passing, and no children allowed on the playground. What would break first? What does that reveal about the park’s real culture? If maps are never neutral, then what does your…

This past Monday I introduced Ethnographic Mapping and it was very generative. My earlier and smallest cohort helped me to refine the lesson and add more interactive elements and my last cohort really benefitted from those suggestions. Students really came through and were engaged and participatory. I also got observed by a colleague in my last class and it went very well- shout out to Jeremiah & Gabriela! I added all of the counter-mapping tools we explored in class under the resource tab on this site. The next class we started work on the digital mapping project. I didn’t have time to bring Rachel on this- ideally it would have…

I loved Mondays class last week. Getting to read together with students and be critical of the text we were reading together. Is ethnography salvageable from its historic role in colonialism and racism? I think this is a good question to frame our investigation around. If we do salvage it, in what ways can we use it that don’t perpetuate harm? Wednesday I was so excited to introduce blog posts I found about historically excluded groups in ethnography. The blogs discussed race, ability, indigeneity, gender and sexuality and they read them in groups. I think the execution felt flat and it was difficult for students to dive in. Maybe they…

The first few weeks are usually a heavy lift to build trust with students and to invite their authentic selves into the classroom. I know it’s difficult for many of them to stay or even get motivated with their classes and it’s not actually their fault. It’s unclear why they are required to take certain classes in the first place. In my courses, I strive to create space for students to experiment with their own ideas without the stress of grades or high stakes assignments. The first day Rachel and I decided to combine classes. COMP II and EMW are linked courses and we are both very interested in collaborating.…