1. Name: Désirée-Maxine Schmitt
2. Faculty Advisor: Ki Wight
3. Grad Project: LBST 490
4. Term: Spring 2020
5. Grad Project PLOs:
PLO 1 – Self-directed learning: Initiate, execute and take responsibility for a self-directed interdisciplinary research project emerging directly from the student’s own academic and/or professional interests.
PLO 2 – Knowledge: Describe and integrate concepts, theories, and practices from across core academic disciplines with an awareness of limits of knowledge
PLO 3 – Application: Apply foundational learning (knowledge, critical thinking, research skills, imagination, and judgment) and holistic problem solving skills in academic work.
PLO 4 – Synthesis: Synthesize to produce critically searching interdisciplinary work.
PLO 5 – Research methods: Apply quantitative and qualitative reasoning and research methods while identifying and understanding the application of ethical reasoning with a particular emphasis on working appropriately with human subjects and conducting field work.
PLO 6 – Communication: Produce well-organized and coherent university-level materials, individually or in a group, which meet stated objectives and audience needs in written, oral, digital and/or visual forms.
PLO 7 – Local and global consciousness: Consider and assess the potential impact of interpretative frameworks, decisions and actions on people and the environment, locally and globally.
6. Course Learning Outcomes (CLO): Upon successful completion of this Graduating Project, the student will be able to: 1. Design and execute a university-level qualitative research project using photographic and interview methods and a participatory visual methodology. * 2. Demonstrate understanding of theories and concepts related to gender construction in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies. 3. Create, organize and display a research-based art exhibit.* 4. Develop clearly stated research plan of appropriate scope for the selected project. 5. Locate and utilize scholarly primary sources from appropriate fields of study. 6. Demonstrate sensitivity to disciplinary differences in relation to field of inquiry. 7. Synthesize complex ideas. 8. Recognize and acknowledge the limits of project. 9. Write a thoughtful and nuanced conclusion. 10. Submit a final project correctly formatted according to a selected citation style – e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.
*Project revised in February 2020.
7. Self-submission:
Since January 2020, I have been working with Ki Wight to create and execute a self-directed interdisciplinary grad research project (PLO 1 and CLO 1). This project explores how Capilano University students’ experiences are influenced by their gender identities and expressions, and other intersecting identity categories such as race, class, or ability. This project is comprised of a literature review, a research proposal, and a formal research report. Together, these various project components required me to: describe and integrate concepts, theories, and practices from across academic disciplines (PLO 2, CLO 2, CLO 5, and CLO 6); apply foundational learning (PLO 3); develop a clearly stated research plan of appropriate scope for the selected project (CLO 4); synthesize to produce critically searching works (PLO 4 and CLO 7); apply quantitative and qualitative research methods (PLO 5); produce well-organized and coherent university-level materials (PLO 6, CLO 9, and CLO 10); and consider and assess potential impacts of my research on a local and global scale (PLO 7).
Throughout my undergrad, I have been passionate about Women’s and Gender Studies and feminist theory—I wanted to pursue these interests for my grad project. Thanks to my course selection over these last few years (and the instruction of some really awesome instructors), I have developed a strong foundation of concepts and theories related to this field of study. This foundation was strengthened by my grad project tutorials over the last few terms (focused on cross-cultural masculinities, masculinities and Western art, and First Nations gender ideologies, respectively). Although the focus of my tutorials was primarily on masculinities (unlike my graduation project), many of the readings from these tutorials provided me the knowledge that was required of my project. As well, these tutorials helped channel my interests into what would eventually become my grad project.
Over the course of this project, I have (unexpectedly) learned that it is important to be flexible to necessary changes when conducting research. Initially, I wanted to create a project that used participatory visual research methods, including photographic and interview methods. This work was supposed to culminate in a research-based art show. In February, this research plan was adapted to better suit the direction that my research was heading in (and because of time frame constraints resulting from medical complications in February). Instead, it was decided (by Ki and myself) that I would gather qualitative data through an anonymous online questionnaire and analyze it using the constant comparative method of qualitative research. These findings would then culminate in a formal research report. Although my research plan changed, I think the new direction that I chose (with the guidance of Ki) reflected a more appropriate way to conduct my research, based on my objectives. In light of the ongoing pandemic, I again had to change some aspects of my research plan (for example, no in-person participant recruitment or final presentation). Despite these hiccups, being amendable and adaptable allowed for my project goals to come to fruition.
The experience of conducting this graduation project has been very rewarding. I learned new skills (for example, using the constant comparative method of qualitative research) and strengthened my understanding of concepts and theories related to the field of Women’s and Gender Studies. As well, I feel as though my research generated interesting results that could be expanded upon and used to guide the University’s efforts to promote gender equality within the institution. I am grateful for the opportunity to create a project that reflects both the knowledge I have gained over the last few years, as well as my personal and academic interests.