What have I learned?

Posted on March 7, 2019 by mk.adjeimanu

a) What have we learned about participant experiences?

In our participant experiences, I feel as if the SERT team has learned much about the similarities that existed among all the differences within Ryersons student body. Many participants shared different stories that centered similar themes around struggle, identity, resilience and more. It was interesting to listen and see how these themes manifested differently in each story. One thing that that all participants shared in common was that always seemed to be a turning point. Whether it be a shift in spiritual beliefs, or a shift in a program and school. Each story had a turning point which played as a pivotal moment of deeper connection to self and surroundings.

b) What have I learned about research?

In my experience as a researcher, I’ve learned that obtaining/documenting truth is an ethical non-objective process, or at least it should be. The extent of our findings is dependent on our own collective and individual ability to remain in constant and active reflexivity with ourselves. There is an intrinsic connection between the researchers social location/way of navigating the world AND the findings to which the researcher explores. What truths do we render valuable, urgent, in it’s unrefined state before polished and made accessible to the masses?

I definitely haven’t learned everything about research, but I’ve learned a lot about questions that are important to me as I center research in micro and macro aspects of my life.

-Emkay