Text Analysis & Referencing Visual Texts

Regular readers of this blog know I have a particular panache for academic writing and research practices.

As a researcher, I like to muddle long-held academic conventions to reimagine scholarship differently – like using experimental feminist approaches when referencing. (Note to any undergrads reading this: don’t do this! Don’t mess with academic referencing. Tow the line! Unless you have a Ph.D. before your name, follow academic style and referencing conventions. You will be penalised if you don’t (ie loose marks). I’m a known disrupter at Uni and the feminist expert-iments I use like the Visible and Valued: In(Citing) Feminist Scholarship and the recent Reading with Recipocity Project are part of my research methodology so I can get away with it!).

As an academic writing advisor, I regularly work with undergrad and postgrads and look for ways to help them better understand course content and practice skills that produce better writing.

I teach an elective course for pre-service teachers called 3404EDN Gender & Literacy and am currently working with a number of postgrads who are diving into their first-ever text analysis.

Text analysis is different from a video/film analysis (like the video above).

This post outlines a few ideas to get started with text analysis – whether you are at uni, a text buff, or just an interested party.

This is not a definitive or exhaustive list of ideas. A caveat: use your good judgment! The ideas here are suggestions that work for me and the undergrads I work with, they are not rules to be applied ALL the time, to EVERY assessment, in EVERY situation.

Here, I’m covering the regular questions I get asked by students doing an AV text analysis at uni for the first time – and some aspects that are interesting more broadly.

Let’s get into it!

Text Aanalysis

Have a systematic way to analyze the text.

Always follow what your tutor/supervisor says as far as how to ‘analyse’.

If you have not been provided with a clear outline of what/how to begin a text analysis, ask for one, or find one and check its appropriacy with your supervisor.

This might be a theoretical framework, a model, a process, or some other way to systematically work through critical points for analysis.

For example, in my 3404EDN class, we focus on gender. We use the text analysis process below to identify and interrogate gender patterns within a given text. This helps us look carefully at character representations. From there, we might discuss the dynamics we see, like if/where there are examples of traditional, transformational, or a mix of gender representations, how this links to theoretical perspectives of how gender is constructed, and what this means for us (as uni students/pre-service teachers), other audiences (more widely), learners (students in our future classes/workplaces), and society at large.

Text Analysis & Referencing Visual Texts. Bicycles Create Change.com 23rd August 2021.

This is just one example of one type of text analysis. There are many other ways to do text analysis. The tip here is to use a systematic approach.

If it is a recognised text analysis process, theory, or approach drawn from academic literature, include a citation.

So, you need to know what/how to approach your text analysis.

How to reference a visual text.

Most students know (hopefully!) how to reference an academic source – a journal article (best published in last 10 years), a chapter in a book, and/or a book.

Fewer people know who to accurately reference a report (like a UN Annual Report or Government document) or other grey literature.

This is understandable as it is tricky to do.

Even less know how to reference audio/visual (A/V) texts (unless it is your area of study).

Here I am referring to films, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, posters, artwork, illustrations, TV commercials, comics/manga, video games, and the like.

The best way to approach this is to find a really good referencing guide.

Find an online tool or download a guide you like and keep it handy.

There is no excuse for losing points for references. There is so much help, support and many resources available. Plus, it is an academic skill you’ll need for all courses in your uni degree and beyond, so it’s best to know how to do it accurately.

Know what referencing style to use.

Ask your tutor if unsure…in fact…ask your tutor anyway …just to double-check – don’t assume!

We use APA 7th.

Griffith Library has an online Referencing Tool you can modify to suit whatever text you are working on.

It has examples and formats for both in-text and reference list entries.

But there are limits to this particular tool. For example for AV, it lists video stream database, YouTube/Vimeo, and DVD/BluRay only. Any other AV format means you’ll need to use a different referencing tool/style guide.

In my experience, Griffith’s APA tool will cover most of what is needed for undergrad work.

Here’s an example for a DVD film from Griffith’s APA 7th Referencing Tool:

If you go online there are heaps of downloadable referencing guides.

Find one that you like and one that covers your most used sources.

Make sure it is not overly complicated and is quick to use.

Sometimes, you might need to cite an uncommon ‘wild card’ reference – something that is more challenging to cite – like a podcast or some other source not in your handy guide.

In this case, use an advanced guide, or the official APA Style Referencing website, or ask a uni librarian.

Hot tips for referencing AV texts

You’ll need to accurately cite any sources used intext in the Reference List.

Let’s say you are writing about the film The Bicycle Thief.

HOT TIP # 1

Always write the title in italics (this helps distinguish it as ‘the text’ as opposed to your writing or citations (anything not in italics).

“The film The Bicycle Thief centers on a man called Mario who….”

HOT TIP # 2

The first time you write the title, you’ll need to include the year the film was first released after it.

First time naming the text example:

“The film The Bicycle Thief (1948) is a classic example of Italian Neorealism as ….”

In my 3404EDN course, the first assessment is only 750 words. For brevity, I’m happy if the text is ‘yeared’ the first time it is introduced, but thereafter, I don’t see a need to include the year every time the text is named.

But if your assessment is longer or your tutor is a stickler, you might be required to include the year every time (like you would for an academic citation… or use some other technique). This is in line with ‘official’ APA 7th formatting.

Personally, I think it is overkill. For me, the initial intext citation with the year is evidence enough the student knows what they are doing (it’s usually more than other undergrads do anyway), as well as the use of italics for the title thereafter, is enough. Besides, it inhibits readability and flow – that is just me. But it is a thought to consider.

My students need only include the year the first time. After that, no need to include the year. Just make sure the title is always in italics.

HOT TIP # 3

If you want to get super fancy and accurate (not many students know or do this, so it stands out when you do – it’s next level), use timestamps (as a page number variation) when discussing a particular scene, an utterance, or a moment.

Timestamping shows extra attention to detail. This is good practice as it shows high-level critical analysis, showcases specific details, and advanced referencing skills.

Most tutors I know (myself included) LOOOVE seeing this.

Again, if you are not sure, ask your tutor. (Maybe after class if you want to keep it to yourself, or in class if you are happy to share this secret weapon).

There are a few ways to timestamp.

The ‘official APA 7th’ way is:

Hours/minutes/seconds format H:MM:SS e.g. 1:35:02

I have also seen it done like this:

Minutes/seconds follows the MM’SS” e.g. 23’12” or 75’33” (if over an hour)

Personally, I don’t mind either way, just as long as it is applied consistently.

Using this technique in writing might look like this:

“Mario’s independence transgresses heteronormative and essentializing male gender roles. An example of this is when Mario and Henry blah, blah (34:12). In this scene, Mario blah, blah, blahs which is/means/demonstrates…..”.

34:12 or 34’12” means 34 minutes and 12 minutes – an A/V text equivalent of a page number.

Timestamping is a must when using a short direct quote: more on this here.

“…and this is best exemplified when Mario publicly shouts, “I am a man, not a mouse!” (56:22), which is meant to position him as…”

References List entries

Keeping in mind you will always need to double-check/modify/edit all Reference List entries regardless. Vic Uni offers this basic reference list format for films:

Primary contributor or contributors with their contribution identified in round brackets (e.g. the Director).
Year (in round brackets).
Title (in italics).
Description of work [in square brackets].
Publisher (e.g. the production company).
URL (where relevant).
The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented by a TAB or 5-7 spaces.

Reference List format example:

Ireland, P. (Director). (2016). Pawno [Film]. Toothless Pictures.

So there you have it!

A few ideas to get started with text analysis and referencing AV texts.

As always (again) … double-check with your tutor (they have the final word) and make sure you check formatting and edit references to suit your specific purposes.

I hope this gives you a few ideas moving forward!

Good luck!

18/08/202102/12/2021

Art, Apps, UCLA & the Civic Bicycle Commuting (BiCiC) project

I first came across this story while scouring the internet for community-focused, bike-related, arts-based projects. This project caught my eye as it was initiated by a group of senior UCLA academics and I like the innovative use of technology to get more people engaged with bicycle commuting. Projects like this are inspiring not only in the end product, (more people on bikes), but also in the process (engaging arts-based participation in new and creative ways) and in bringing together a range of people (professors, artists, riders, and community members) who are passionate about bikes, sustainability, transport, healthy communities to create a more positive future for all. Below is an article published earlier this year in Transfer Magazine explaining the project in detail.

I love the idea of senior academics and professors being passionate about biking. Here’s to (hoping for) more projects (and academics) like this! Enjoy! NG.

For many Los Angeles residents, the daily commute is frustrating. A project by three UCLA faculty members aims to change that — especially for those who ride to work on two wheels — by creating bicycle “flows” that produce real-time digital art exhibitions throughout the city.

One of the project’s goals is to make cycling to work feel as accessible and safe as other modes of travel, so the professors envision groups, or flows, of cyclists that would be organized by a smartphone app. The app would encourage reluctant or inexperienced cyclists to participate by pointing them toward those flows, suggest routes that are optimized for enjoyability and safety over efficiency or speed, and enable participants to share their experiences.

Those experiences, in the form of text, photos, videos and other creative submissions, would feed directly into digital murals throughout Los Angeles. The murals would be located in community spaces and transportation hubs around the city — including, for example, a large interactive display at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, adjacent to Chinatown — elevating biking to work to a collective creative experience.

“We envision the cooperative bike flows as a type of performative media artwork that is shared live with all of Los Angeles in public spaces and on the internet,” said Fabian Wagmister, the project’s principal investigator and the founding director of the UCLA Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance, known as UCLA REMAP.

“By inviting communities to think about bicycle riding as a way to express themselves in the urban landscape, we can strengthen commuters’ ownership of the system and offer a deeper level of engagement in the future of the city.”

The project, called Civic Bicycle Commuting, or CiBiC, is co-led by Jeff Burke, co-director of REMAP and a UCLA professor-in-residence of theater, and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, a distinguished professor of urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

The project already is gaining some traction: In February, the initiative received $50,000 in funding from the Civic Innovation Challenge, which is funded by the National Science Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. CiBiC is now in contention for an additional grant of up to $1 million, which the researchers would use to create a prototype of the project.

CiBiC’s art-led approach makes it somewhat of an anomaly among most of the competitors in its category, “communities and mobility” — most of the other proposals have origins in the STEM fields and social sciences.

To ensure the project incorporates the diverse experiences and needs of Los Angeles commuters, the researchers are soliciting input from Los Angeles neighborhood groups. Loukaitou-Sideris said the team will especially seek participation from low-income residents of Chinatown, Solano Canyon, Dogtown and Lincoln Heights.

“We want to hear from community groups and residents and understand how we can create something that is tailored to their needs,” she said.

The researchers also are collaborating with Eli Akira Kaufman, executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, who said the project could demonstrate how transformative bicycle culture could be in Los Angeles if bicyclists could help create infrastructure that reflected their needs.

“Instead of allowing the built environment to dictate the culture of bicycling in Los Angeles, we need to uplift the culture of bicycling to make sure the built environment is defined by the social infrastructure and the people who use it,” he said.

Aggregated data from the app could also eventually be used to influence Los Angeles’ long-term infrastructure planning.

And Wagmister said the project stands to both reflect and amplify the city’s creative spirit: “We want to create an alternative transportation system in Los Angeles, one that values our collective creative capacity to transform the city for all.”

Image courtesy of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. This article was sourced from Transfer Magazine and was originally posted on the UCLA Newsroom.

14/08/202103/12/2021

Research And Writers (RAW) Studio: Our new writing group

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a new program for academic writers*, researchers and postgrads at Griffith Uni.

(*I am deliberately not using the term ‘students’ here – a strategic shift in language from a subordinate-learner mentality towards a more peer-professional modality).

During formulation, I called it GAWLERS.

GAWLERS stood for (whatever words work best for you):

G____(?) Growing? Griffith? Gorgeous? Graduate?
Academic
Writing
Language
Expression
Research
S_____(?). Studio? Students? Syndicate?

I pitched my idea to three kick-ass postgrads (Jenny, Bec and Janis) colleagues and invited them to come on board as the Executive Board – which they did! Woohoo!

We then set about formalizing the club and registering it with Griffith student associations. This took longer than expected, but we were undeterred and ran a number of sessions before being formalized anyway. I had contacted 26 students I’d worked with previously and they became the inaugural RAW members.

Internally, we referred to ourselves as GAWLERS, but we needed a more recognizable name – one that was easy to understand what the group was about. So instead of GAWLERS, we decided on RAW (Research And Writers).

RAW origins

Like most other educational institutions, Griffith University life and work changed profoundly in response to the recent COVID-19 ‘educational scramble’.

Soon after moving online in April 2019, I established an online ‘Show Up & Write’ space for students I knew as a way of staying connected, focused and productive. These sessions were regularly attended and participants said how useful it was to have a collegial space to talk, share, and create academic work. In break times, we asked questions, offered support, discussed our writing, and gave suggestions for improvements in a low-stakes and impactful way.

While Griffith responded to COVID and snap lockdowns by reducing staffing, decreasing services, and suspending many student professional development and networking opportunities until further notice, our study group flourished. As word of mouth about our group passed to others, ‘new’ people joined from all over Griffith.

It was clear there was an immediate need for this group and so in June 2021, the main proponents (Nina, Janis, Bec and Jenny) decided to formalise this opportunity and open it up for all Griffith students and candidates.

We call the group Griffith ‘Research and Writers Studio’, or RAW for short.

What we do

We are an online club bound by our commonality of academic work, research, and writing. Our club aims (see below) articulate our ethics, commitment and focus. RAW members include undergraduates, postgraduates, and professional teaching staff who are also studying at Griffith.

Our members come from all Griffith locations, not only in Brisbane (26) and Queensland (10), but across Australia (6) and around the world (6). We are proud to be a truly transdisciplinary group, transcending cultures, hobbies, degrees and programs, ages, gender, ability, locations, backgrounds, and personalities. This plurality in membership adds vibrancy, interest and new skills we would not otherwise have access to at Griffith elsewhere.

Research and Write (RAW) Studio

This group helps members be more confident, productive, and stylish academic writers and researchers.

Our group is guided by three key aims:

Aim 1. To present academic writing and research in influential ways to diverse audiences.

Develop and grow fundamental and advanced academic, writing and research skills and experience through a range of online and in-person opportunities. These include exclusive focused study groups, writing, editing and specialist workshops, writing process forums, accountability writing groups, skill drill sessions, special events and writing retreats and targeted academic skill sessions. These events consolidate and extend transferable oral, written and visual communication skills underpinned by positivity, engaged expression and critical evaluation of information, argument and opinion. Applicable for all levels of study across all disciplines.

Aim 2. To build confident, competent, and collaborative identities.

An inclusive and safe space to share university, writing and researching experiences. Instead of the usual teach-to model, this club moves towards a learn-with approach. Members are X to pursue their own academic and professional goals in ways that are productive, thoughtful, engaged and self-directed. Supporting a passion for lifelong learning through achievement, capacity and mastery. Provide opportunities for leadership and active engagement. Connect members with additional editing, proofreading, mentoring and/or other academic support services if needed. Interaction between Ph.D, Masters, Honours and undergrads is encouraged. To build relationships within and beyond the physical campus by establishing a collaborative and diverse community of practice.

Aim 3. To extend, challenge and share innovative, creative, ethical, and positive writing-research-action.

Provide members with opportunities to develop their own personal and professional goals. Respecting and strengthening engagement with First Nations, cross-cultural, and individual or cultural diversity peoples, cultures, perspectives and lifeworlds. This club adheres to an ethical code of conduct based on compassion, positive change and social and environmental responsibility and action. This club supports members to be intrepid and innovative in their writing and research endeavours to initiate, develop and implement new ideas and projects.

A massive thank you to Janis, Bec, Jenny, and all those early adopters who jumped in to get us started – thank you all!

We’ve already had some amazing sessions and I can’t wait to see where this leads.

I’m excited about this project and will be sharing some of our highlights along the way.

Write on all!

09/08/202105/11/2021

Indigenous Peoples and a new social contract: UN International Day of World Indigenous Peoples

August 9th is the UN International Day of World Indigenous People.

Recognition for Indigenous people needs far more work.

This year, the UN is highlighting the marginalization of Indigenous Peoples by demanding a ‘social contact’ that better recognizes the social and economic inclusion, participation, and approval for all involved.

This post outlines 2021 the UN International Day of Indigenous Peoples and this year’s central theme.

I’ve also included a curated list of resources and links for those who want more at the end.

Indigenous Peoples and a new social contract: UN International Day of World Indigenous Peoples. Bicycles Create Change.com 9th August 2021. — Image: UN

This year’s theme is:

Leaving no one behind:
Indigenous Peoples and the call for a new social contract

Here’s what the UN has to say:

Indigenous peoples & a new social contract

There are over 476 million indigenous peoples living in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2 per cent of the global population. Indigenous peoples are the holders of a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages and knowledge systems. They have a special relationship with their lands and hold diverse concepts of development based on their own worldviews and priorities.

Although numerous indigenous peoples worldwide are self-governing and some have been successful in establishing autonomy in varying forms, many indigenous peoples still come under the ultimate authority of central governments who exercise control over their lands, territories and resources. Despite that reality, indigenous peoples have demonstrated extraordinary examples of good governance, ranging from the Haudenosaunee to the existing Sámi parliaments in Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated many existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting populations all over the world that were already suffering from poverty, illness, discrimination, institutional instability or financial insecurity. From the perspective of indigenous peoples, the contrast is even starker. In many of our societies, the social contract, at the very least, needs some revision.

What is a social contract?

This August 9, International Day of Indigenous Peoples, we must demand indigenous peoples’ inclusion, participation and approval in the constitution of a system with social and economic benefits for all.

That is why the 2021 theme is ““Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.” But, what does it mean?

A social contract is an unwritten agreement that societies make to cooperate for social and economic benefits. In many countries, where indigenous peoples were driven from their lands, their cultures and languages denigrated and their people marginalized from political and economic activities, they were never included in the social contract to begin with. The social contract was made among the dominant populations.

Over recent years and decades, various societies have sought to address this, including through apologies, truth and reconciliation efforts, legislative reforms, as well as constitutional reforms, while at the international level, these efforts have included the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and advisory bodies such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Despite the existence of international instruments to respond these inequalities, not all are embarked on the collective journey to ensure that no one is left behind, including indigenous peoples. Therefore, the building and redesigning of a new social contract as an expression of cooperation for social interest and common good for humanity and nature, is needed.

The new social contract must be based on genuine participation and partnership that fosters equal opportunities and respects the rights, dignity and freedoms of all. Indigenous peoples’ right to participate in decision-making is a key component in achieving reconciliation between indigenous peoples and States.

To find out more

Here’s some Australian-focused links from Griffith Uni Library:

Read the Uluru Statement from The Heart and learn about Indigenous sovereignty and establishing a First Nations voice in the Constitution.
Browse Reconciliation Australia’s 20 Actions For Reconciliation In 2021 and develop your personal action plan.
Find which Indigenous nation you live in with the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia, and learn more about the local culture.
Save important dates to your calendar, such as Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples—and get involved in any local activities or events.

Also check out:

Cultural Survival is an organization committed to advancing indigenous peoples’ rights and cultures worldwide. They have a well-curated list of 12 things to do ranging from articles, podcasts, interactive maps, and other links to learn more about indigenous people around the world. It is well worth a look – check it out here.

The Australian Human Rights Commission calls on the Australian government to take more decisive action for indigenous peoples.

Read Melb Uni’s vision for indigenous self-governance and a ‘brave new world’ here.

Delve into the Black Lives Matter LibGuide developed by Western Sydney University for critical resources and research.

Watch the Indigenous Knowledge Institute’s Indigenous People Symposium (see below).

04/08/202128/10/2021

New Materialisms SIG: Ethics in/with classrooms, comics & computers

For our August New Materialisms SIG, we were delighted to have Dr. Theresa Ashford (USC) share some of her current NM research considerations, thoughts and processes.

In this session, we explored how ethics feature in New Materialisms research.

NM Session: Ethics in/with classrooms, comics and computers.

This session explores the idea of New Materialisms and ethics. This is a tricky space that tests emergence and experience. In this session, Theresa used several key papers as a way to continue working-with how to pull these aspects together in some (in)comprehensible form.

Bio: Dr. Theresa Ashford is a Geography and Sustainability Lecturer in the School of Law and Society (USC). Her key interest is investigating human-non human ethics and responsibility – response(ability) in the world. Her undergraduate and postgraduate education is in Geography and spans physical and human geography domains. She has worked in the regional planning field in Canada and her Masters research explored the use and role of public spaces in the support and co-construction of homeless punk youth identities in Winnipeg, Canada. Dr. Ashford’s Ph.D. research (2018, Education, UQ) used Actor-network theory to investigate the emergence of digital ethics in 1:1 classrooms and the active role of technology mediating, supporting, and translating human behaviour and understandings.

Some of Theresa’s recent publications (see below) we discussed were App-Centric students and academic Integrity: A proposal for assembling socio-technical responsibility and her awesome article on Wonder Woman: An assemblage of complete virtue packed in a tight swimsuit.

What we did

In this session, Theresa deep-dived into Ethics and how it has been bubbling up in her work wide-ranging research.

Theresa set the ethical scene and outlined the Artistolian entry point she was using to discuss ethics.

She then led us through a series of ‘searching for ethics in awkward places’.

Theresa used the metaphor of a ‘Mud Map’ to introduce herself and establish how her background as a human geographer and teacher informs her concerns for the state of inequity in the world and across human-nonhuman spheres of doing. She also outlined her particular interest in phronesis (practical wisdom informed by a sound understanding of ethics, the world and humans), and how she uses Aristotelian means to navigate the excesses and deficits in life and theoretical applications in the world.

We then turned to (Bruno) Latour, ethics and technology.

Theresa spoke of the New Materialisms tenets of decentring anthropocentrism, reconfiguring subjectivity, and elevating the role of non-human actors.

She problematized this type of ‘rethinking’ as it extends to sources of ethics – to the extent of which she argued, could be considered a ‘breaking point’.

Her discussion of increasing sensitivity to fragility (Jonas, 1981) and how New Materialisms celebrates materiality in its “surprises, noise and remainders” (Connolly, 2013) resonated strongly with me and my current bikes-for education research project.

Theresa also spoke about the cultivation of ethics grounded in care for the world. Here, we were provoked to consider how we enact and perform care (recognizing it is a network effect) what is derived in a positive ethos and practices of cultivation (requires awareness/wisdom), ideas on care in the human estate – and our “manifold entanglements” with non-human, and how we might reorient ourselves profoundly in relation to the world, to one another and to ourselves (Coole & Fox, 2010) and bioethics.

There are four main NM streams (see here for more on this). I sit with the feminist New Materialists within the Baradian tradition, so it was really enjoyable to learn more about the Latourian approaches to New Materialisms, such as how ANT:

Sees technology as a mode of existence (exploring existence and being)
Technology as ‘fold’ – time, space and actants – it keeps folded heterogeneous temporalities (materials, modes, memories, mobilities)
Technology extends potentialies unrealisable without its presence
Affordance – schemes of action – permission and promise – a new entity together
Tech mediation – inadequately captures the new possibilities created

Teresa used three data vignettes from her research (a school daily internet bandwidth usage, Women Woman Stuff, and student-Apps), to highlight some of the ethical sticky points and moments of insight that come from looking at these educational situations from an Ethics and ANT New Materialisms POV.

After this incredible presentation, we had a lively Q & A and an open forum to unpack some of these vexing and encouraging connections between ethics and New Materialisms.

Below are a few ideas from Dr. Ashford’s presentation. I’ve deliberately not included the full PPT to respect and protect Dr. Ashford’s intellectual property and current research.

It was an exciting, robust, and thought-provoking session – so much to think and talk about!

A massive thanks to Theresa for sharing her ideas and experiences so generously.

Theresa’s Publications

Ashford, T., & Curtis, N. (2020). Wonder woman: An assemblage of complete virtue packed in a tight swimsuit. Law, Technology and Humans, 2(2), 185-197. doi: 10.5204/lthj.1593

Ashford, T. (2021). App-centric students and academic integrity: A proposal for assembling socio-technical responsibility. Journal of Academic Ethics, 19(1), 35-48. doi: 10.1007/s10805-020-09387-w

Readings

Blackman, T. (2020). Experiences of vulnerability in poverty education settings: developing reflexive ethical praxis. Postcolonial Directions in Education, 9(2) 198-225.

Waelbers, K., & Dorestewitz, P. (2014). Ethics in Actor Networks, or: What Latour Could Learn from Darwin and Dewey. Science and Engineering Ethics, 20, 23-40, doi: 10.1007/s11948-012-9408-1

All images from Dr. Ashford’s presentation (attributed in-text) unless otherwise specified.

30/07/202118/10/2021

Urban planning for those under 95cms: Dutch cargo bikes, kids and the Urban95 project

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Matt Root, an avid bike rider and dad of two toddlers present a session called ‘Going Dutch, cargo bikes for kids’ – and it was really great!

His presenation focused on what life on a biek and in the city is like from the point of view of his two young sons. Perspectives like child-centred research and having chilldren activitely participating and informing research and policy is a key step in better redesigning more liveable cities for all.

Matt’s project resonated particpatually strongly with me given the background my West African bicycles-for-education PhD has incorporating children’s geographies and including youths as coresearchers, and the work of Dr Gina Porter and the Child Mobility project.

So I was most intrested to hear what emerrged from the two young experts (Matt’s two sons, aged 2 and 4) while Dad (Matt)* rigged on-board GoPro cameras to capture all the fun and sense of adventure.

In this session, we heard what the pre-schoolers liked and disliked about our streets from their unique vantage point (see below).

From this vantage, Matt draws out aspects of what new ideas we can learn from these young experts.

Below are a few of those insights. All images by Matt Root.

After Matt’s presentation, I went looking for more information about this and was happy to see Victoria Local Goverance Association has a Child Friendly Cities and Community focus.

Matt was also interviewed by Radio Adelaide about this project and why he and his wife chose a cargo bike to transport their young family.

*Matt Root is a co-owner of Flyt transport planning consultancy based in Perth and he is focused on the planning of safe and convenient bicycle infrastructure across the city. Between 2018-2020 Matt led the State Government’s planning for Perth’s Long Term Cycle Network to accommodate the city’s population in 2050.

See more of Matt on Twitter: @FlytPlan.

Urban95 Project

Here’s some more info about Urban95 project in their own words:

From the front box of a cargo bike, how do our streets and

built environment look and feel to a 2 & 4-year-old?

The Urban95 initiative asks this simple question to leaders, planners, and designers.

Urban95 design principals focus on family-friendly urban planning and those designs can help us active transport professions in our work.

The Urban95 project has at its heart a focus on children-friendly cities and urban development.

Urban95 interventions help cities increase positive interactions between caregivers, babies and toddlers; increase access to — and use of — the services and amenities families need; and reduce stresses on caregivers. They are organised into two categories of policies and services:

Family-friendly urban planning and design, including the planning, design and regulation of a city’s space, land use, infrastructure and services
Healthy Environments for children, including improving air quality and access to nature

The Urban95 background states that more than a billion children live in cities, and rapid urbanisation means that number is growing.

Babies, toddlers and caregivers experience the city in unique ways.

They need safe, healthy environments, where crucial services are easily accessible, frequent, warm, responsive interactions with loving adults are possible, and safe, a stimulating physical environment to play in and explore abound.

The City at Eye Level for Kids

From Urban95 comes The City at Eye Level which, as their website explains, develops and shares knowledge about how to make urban development work at human scale.

A collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Urban95 initiative, this – The City at Eye Level for Kids – book contains over 100 contributions from across the world on work to improve cities for children and the people who care for them.

It shares practices, lessons, perspectives and insights from 30 different countries around the world, that will be useful to urban planners, architects, politicians, developers, entrepreneurs and advocates for children and families.

Download: The City at Eye Level for Kids (PDF)

26/07/202122/10/2021

Drum & Ba(da)ss on the bike: Public DJ (and mobile crowd) on two-wheels

One of the things I love about doing this blog is I get to share what makes me happy.

Many things make me happy, for example:

Riding bikes.
Exploring the places we live and work.
Making new friends and building community.
Sharing smiles and positive vibes.
Rocking tunes.

Combining all these elements into one event and it’s a dang good time!

That is why I loooovvveee bike raves!

If you don’t know what a bike rave is, check out the Melburn Pink Flamingo Bike Rave (2018) – which I attended in full costume while riding our BioBike Art Bike (a massive hit!) – and the Melbourne GOLD! Bike Rave (2019).

While COVID keeps many of us restricted, I’ve been getting my bike rave-ish fix from Dom Whiting’s Youtube channel Drum & Bass on the bike.

Dom is a (former) mechanic and (go)karter who lives in the UK.

Five months ago, Dom posted his first Drum & Bass on the bike video.

Dom has a DJ deck set up over the handlebars of his bike, then he turns on his speakers, streams his live set (including him talking on a mic), and cruises around his local surroundings.

He has ridden Cambridge, Uxbridge, Manchester, Marlos, Windsor, Cardiff, Brighton, and several other English cities.

And each time, he is being joined by more and more people for the party ride-along.

Events like this make me happy.

In a world that is increasingly divisive and exclusionary, having free, public events that people of all ages and stages can enjoy is critical.

While I acknowledge initiatives like this are not perfect and come with issues, I also appreciate the effort and work that goes into making these rides happen.

I love the grassroots, quasi-critical mass, flash mob, bicycle-focused, positive vibe of Dom’s rides.

Kids, families, dogs, and all kinds of people going for a ride together.

Yup – big smiles.

One of my favs is his start of the London Hyde Park Special.

This is one of his earlier ones. Just Dom…. going for a cruise.

I like the gentle lead-in (see video above) where he starts out by himself. He takes his time setting up his gear, he has a chat to a passer-by and then pushes off for an ‘off-the cuff’ roll around London.

A little further on, he chats to people in nearby cars while they are all waiting for the lights – such a contrast to other urban riders we are used to seeing, like teams of well-coordinated, weekend MAMILS or the dangerous antics of Terry Barensten’s hotliners.

I love the whole premise and appreciate the effort Dom has put into his bike.

And while history has shown that popular community bike events that start out organically invariably morph and change as demands, numbers, and challenges change – regardless of what or how this project changes in(to) in the future… I am just happy that at least just now… Dom and his DJ bike are somewhere out there spreading the happy community vibes on two wheels.

Ride on!

22/07/202122/10/2021

New Materialisms SIG: Entanglements in the World Becomings.

New Materialisms SIG: Entanglements in the World. Bicycles Create Change.com. 22nd July 2021.

For this month’s New Materialisms (NM) Special Interest Group (SIG), we thought we would do something different.

I recently attended the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry 2021: Collaborative Futures in Qualitative Inquiry, where I presented my session Velo-onto-epistemology: Becoming(s)-with Bicycles, Gender, Education and Research.

So instead of having our usual guest presenter, we thought we’d use the recent conference to hold a Popcorn Session.

Popcorn Sessions are where we watch and discuss NM ‘research clips’ such as conference recordings (15-20 mins long each) to think-with creative and cutting-edge NM ideas and experiences.

These research clips explore a range of different ideas and approaches and are lead by some of the world’s leading posthumanist and NM scholars/researchers – so we are very lucky!

The focus for this popcorn session is taken from the ICQI session called Entanglements in the World Becomings.

In this ICQI session, there were five scholars responding to Bronwyn Davis‘s recently published book entitled Entanglements in the World’s Becomings and the doing of New Materialist Inquiry. For our NM SIG, we watched three of the five papers – see below.

July Popcorn Theme: Entanglements in the World Becomings.

Recognition, Creative-Rationality, Writing and the Excess of Inquiry – Jon Wyatt (Uni of Edinburgh).
Crafting a New Materialist Becoming – Lise Jean Claiborne (Uni of Waikato).
Slow Dancing and kinship. The Holly Oak, the horse chestnut, Bronwyn and Jane. Jane Speedy (Uni of Bristol) & Bronwyn Davis (Uni of Melb. and Western Sydney Uni).

NM SIG Discussion points and lines of flight

..if we only write for ourselves (or for other NMs) is that limiting?

….what is the purpose?

…….delighting in ‘swerving off course’

………….human ‘desire lines’

…………….a picture I drew about my PhD research

…………………I couldn’t stay longer

…………………….contact – what is your ‘best’ contact?

…………………………the importance of …(more).. thoughtful relationally

……………………………I don’t mind staying

………………………………..Does NM work best when it is unseen and hidden?

……the Holly Oak …….. the horse chestnut ……. the table top……

leaving marks

I’m happy to watch

https://thestitcherycollective.org.au/

Making (y)our work speak to other-than scholars?

groovy

nothing is ordinary – ponder that!

………………………………………….

Below are two 100-word wordings I wrote based on my discussion notes and reflections from participating and thinking-with this NM SIG Popcorn Session.

Coextensions swerving off course

Births of practicality. Limitations of relations, power and ethics. Does ‘anything’ really ‘go’? Using ‘swamps’ to describe things. Leaving marks and theory debt. The uncomfortable possibility that what we reject, we have actually adopted. Discovering Rautio’s four balancing arts. Interweaving the academic and the everyday. Audacious engagements are more-than-method. We are crafting a New Materialist Becoming. Ethical propositions transforming behaviour. The delights of swerving off course. Human desire lines and co-extensions. Considering how to make our work ‘speak to’ other-than scholars. The performativity of being and academic. People want to stay later – there is so much more! Nothing is ordinary.

Slow Dance and Kinship

We’re in the private world of two scholarly lovers: a voyeuristic delight of intellect and intimacy. Slow dance and kinship. Paramours from opposite sides of the world exchange thoughts, writing, photos, drawings, and poetry. They sit under special trees, thinking deeply about each other and the world. Intraspecies tree empathy, tabletops, and hospitalisation for a stroke. Frothy entanglements with nomadic feminist scholars, grainy wood(ly) figures, solitude, ‘eyeless’ gazes and being bodily compromised. Our ancients believe. Vulnerability and the interconnectedness of all things. Pink and purple lines with green dots trace the hidden, yet (un)known. Mycorrhizal assemblages of love.

18/07/202109/10/2021

Railbiking: ‘Riding rail trails’ and creating your own access to nature & adventure

Many of us dream about ‘getting away‘ to beautiful places to relax and ride bikes with those we love.

Recently, I came across the video Smartwool Presents: Riding the Rails.

In this video (see below), we meet Evan Kay, his wife Ella, their dog, their bikes, and the railbike project they designed to use on rail trails to access more nature and adventure.

Evan and Ella ride MTB – a lot. Like most other MTBers, off-trail riding is their passion and purpose. They like to explore remote places and go on adventure rides.

Evan is an engineer who grew up loving farming, fishing, and family – and combining these passions with his technical skills is at the heart of this project.

Evan and Ella live in Vermont (New England, USA) where there are several disused railroad lines. There are many similar remnants of the old train networks across the USA, and seeing these got Evan curious about how to use these railroads to reimagine family adventures.

The challenge was to combine his technical skills with his love of outdoor MTB adventures. Inspired by seeing other riders adapting their bikes for railroads, Evan and Ella started working on ideas to use the rail to reach ever further and remote locations.

In this video, we see the evolution of their project to adapt their MTB bikes to ‘ride the rails’ – or railbiking as it is known.

A central aim of this project was to experience nature using active pedal power generated through their mountain bikes.

The initial design was based on three main needs. First, they wanted to use their mountain bikes as the drive mechanism. It also needed to be stable and safe. And third, they wanted both riders to be parallel (side-by-side) and not front-to-back (as in tandem like other designs). There is a platform between them that carries all their cargo and the dog with minimal effort.

I was really inspired by Evan’s ingenuity and skills in being able to utilise what is already there, yet often overlooked (in this case the abandoned rail trails) as an opportunity to extend their bike riding adventures – as well as creatively self-manufacturing an adaptive MTB frame that is unique and purposeful. So inspiring to see a design makes it easier and more comfortable to go further, for longer on a bike.

I also love that the whole family can literally ‘go along for the ride’ together!

Gives a new meaning to ‘off-(t)rail mountain biking’!

All images in this post are stills from the Smartwool Presents: Riding the Rails video.

14/07/202130/09/2021

Bike art as education

Working with bikes in creative ways is an ongoing theme for this blog.

So is education.

So it makes me particularly happy when I see these two passions combined.

Previously, I’ve posted on a wide range of bike art projects, like:

This week, I found an article written by Deb West (Adjunct Instructor at The Art of Education University). Deb is a retired art teacher of 25 years experience whose motto is ‘Together we ART better!’ The article I read was Why bike studies are the perfect end-of-the-year project (see below).

..and I loved how thoughtfully she had combined bikes, art, and education!

In her lesson (see below), Deb outlines an art lesson that uses various techniques focused on bikes as ‘the subject’. She also explains the reasoning for each step, ideas for extensions and how to ‘level up’ this activity.

As a teacher, I appreciate her generous ideas, resources, and suggestions – it is all outlined clearly with samples of students work-in-develop to illustrate each technique. So helpful!

Regardless of whether you are an art teacher or not, if you are teaching kids at school, home, or yourself, this is a great activity for everyone.

So let’s dive into Deb’s bike art class!

Happy art biking!

All below content and images are attributed to Deb West.

Why Bike Studies are The Perfect End-of-the-Year Project

You know you have a great lesson when you keep coming back to it, refining it, and changing it up year after year. That’s how I feel about this bike study drawing lesson. I’m always excited to introduce it to my students, and they always anticipate doing it!

Like many good lessons, this lesson is challenging. I save it for the end of the semester in my Art II class, so I know they are well-prepared.

Why bikes?

There are 3 main reasons I like to have my students draw bikes.

It helps develop their skills even further. Although my students draw from life daily, drawing bikes takes their skills to the next level. There are so many details to observe and capture.
The assignment can help build students’ portfolios. Some art colleges require bike studies as part of their application process.
It can lead to scholarships. This lesson can also be a great way to get your students to create a scholarship-winning piece because, let’s face it, drawing bikes is tough! Students have to look, measure, and be exact. And, they have to pay attention to details that often go unnoticed.

The Lesson

I’ve been teaching this bike study lesson for ten years. I’d love to share how to get started as well as some ways to take the lesson to the next level.

Step 1: Contour Studies

I always have students start with several contour studies of a bicycle. These are quick sketches to loosen them up and calm their artistic nerves.

Step 2: Graphite

Once the contour studies are complete, students begin focusing on specific areas of the bike and draw with graphite in full detail. We discuss how the light reflects off the metal and how to capture that reflection through drawing.

Step 4: Charcoal

Finally, students finish up their study by working in charcoal.

Throughout the first four steps, students are encouraged to take photos of the bike. They draw both from life and their photos. This method gives them the ability to evaluate the details needed to make these drawings believable.

Step 5: Putting It All Together

The most fun part of this lesson comes right when they think they are finished. This is when I give them three days to create a composition using their bike studies creatively. I set the art room up as an open studio. Students can create reliefs, collages, and add mixed media into their negative space. Of course, throughout this process, they are considering how these additions will help emphasize the bike work. These works remain black and white and are always a big hit when we display them!

Taking it to the Next Level

You could amp up this lesson in so many ways. This past year, instead of having just one bicycle, I added a few more. Our setup even included an antique Radio Flyer tricycle I found at a local thrift shop.

In addition, I had a colleague visiting from overseas who helped me brainstorm another way to make this lesson even more engaging. Dr. Lexi Lasczik is a mark-making master artist who came to my school to work with my students for several days.

Her idea was to have students use their whole bodies as they drew quick studies of the bike on 24” x 36” drawing paper in sixteen timed sections. We challenged students to complete studies in ten to thirty-second bursts. We even made them switch hands!

It was beyond exciting to watch the students! They were so energized. After the first few studies, they lost their fear of failure and began to realize this exercise could be an amazing learning tool!

Once they completed the first sixteen timed studies, they turned their papers over and did another sixteen, but this time they used ink and sticks and again, the room palpitated with artistic excitement!

In this case, for the final project, students took their three detailed studies as well as their mark-making studies and combined them into a new composition.

I also had them incorporate one color into their piece, and the results were spectacular!

It’s always fun to see how the learning process shows up in the final work. I believe it’s learning at its best!

What objects do you use to teach your students still life?

Have you used bikes to teach your students to draw?