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Blogs by Griffin Bent 

[gboutd2511]

Blog Post 9/10

Reflecting on my experience as an outdoor researcher. 

 3 Things that I know…

Understanding qualitative and quantitative research on a deeper level.

Before taking this class, I had learned about qualitative and quantitative research and data back in high school but more in a broader term. It was interesting to learn more about qualitative and quantitative research and learning the various terms researchers use when doing their measurements.

2. It is very important to find and use credible sources when doing research. 

When I am doing research for a certain topic, I always try to find credible and reliable sources. I know this is important because there is a lot of misinformation out there on the world wide web. Before, when I would do my own research I would not dive as deep into the sources I would look at. I tend to use the first page on google most of the time because you would think the better websites would be at the top. That is not the case all the time. This class has helped me better understand where to find good sources. Not just from Google but from other search engines such as Lakehead University’s Omni database. Learning how to find better resources allows me to get juicier information that deepens the specific topic I am researching.  

3. Open and closed questions

  Open questions are questions that can be answered freely. While closed questions are questions that can be answered with a yes or no or with a set of premade answers ( A, B, C, D). Both types of questions are beneficial for collecting information, especially when gathering qualitative and quantitive data. I know how to build solid questions based on what kind of response/information I am trying to get.   

Things I am still confused about…

Ethics 

I had a tough time trying to figure out some of the lessons on ethics. There are so many rules and guidelines to follow when conducting ethical research that it makes it a little confusing for me to follow what I can and can not do for research. I am also not fully sure as to how there are so many ways research needs to be ethically reviewed that I still do not understand. I understand ethics that which is to maintain privacy for the participants, I just do not get all the strict guidelines and rules to follow. I worry sometimes if I am doing it properly or not because I am unsure. 

2. Taking the next step after collecting data

I have an understanding of how to collect the data but it is after I get the data I do not know what to do for the next process, especially with quantitative data. When it comes to quantitative data, I do not get the process of coding and putting it all in spreadsheets and graphs. I guess it is mainly from a lack of experience doing that kind of stuff, but even just learning about the process of coding I did not get.   

3 Things I know for certain about myself as an outdoor recreation researcher…  

There are so many different opportunities I can take. 

This class has taught me that there is so much in terms of research that Outdoor recreation has to offer. Outdoor recreation is growing more and more and there are so many different types of research opportunities I can do. After doing research on skate trails for the podcast, it showed that research can be done on any topic. The guest speakers really helped in letting us know about the many outdoor recreation research opportunities out there and I definitely want to take advantage of those chances. 

2. Developing research questions and hypotheses. 

 I learned from this class how to develop better research questions and build a strong hypothesis around them. This is important to me as an outdoor reccer because I can develop strong questions focused on my field of study. I am mainly good at coming up with solid open questions.  

3. My invisible backpack.

I learned more about my own invisible backpack and what that means to me and my perspective of life and how fortunate I am to be able to have the chance to participate in doing research in the outdoor recreation field. 

3 Things I need to develop and learn to build my skills…

1. Surveys 

I would prefer to do interviews and get more personal answers if I were to conduct research which is why I need to continue working and developing getting better at creating surveys. This means I need to work on creating better-closed questions so I can optimize the usable data I am getting. I can do this by learning from surveys that are out and finding more about what makes a good survey question. Depending on the survey most people do not want to spend a long time writing their answers which is why I need to get better at closed questions.     

2. Sampling I have a hard time figuring out what is important enough to include and what is not. This is why I need to get better at being able to separate usable data and non-usable data which will help to make organizing data easier and more efficient. For future research projects having a strong understanding of what type of sampling to use and what type of population to sample on will make it easier to choose how to go about the process. 

3. Interviewing 

Interviewing is a practice that I can always afford to get better at especially when it comes to research interviews.   

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Survey On Camping and Multi-use Tools

I chose a survey done by David Jae R. Dacalos, a senior product design student at the University of the Philippines. The survey was asking questions on camping and tools, what kind of outdoor activities I partake in, and what kind of outdoor enthusiast I am. The aim of the survey is that David wishes to create a knife that is based on a balisong knife but is useful and handy while camping. The questions were good and they were broad enough so it was generally easy for me to pick an answer but still specific so that the data David is collecting is still related specifically to multi-use tools. Some of David’s questions did not make sense in terms of how the answers line up with the questions. One question, he asks for “your opinions on butterfly knives” but the answers are only yes, no, and others. It then asks you to explain why you either clicked yes or no. I understand what information David is trying to get from asking these questions, but I think there is a better way to word the question.  My guess is that David is looking to gather qualitative data because most of the survey he is asking about our opinions on multi-use tools, butterfly knives, and outdoor recreation. It is also good he made the survey questions both in English and Cebuano language. 

This survey is focused on outdoor enthusiasts as many of the questions are related to outdoor recreation and how multi-tools are used outdoors. Most of the questions are written well and the answers are guided towards their topic which stops participants from giving answers that will not provide good information. David wanted to find information on camping and the use of knives and other tools and the questions do a good job at getting that information. The survey was relatively short with no useless questions. Overall, the survey was pretty strong other than the poor wording on the one question about “your opinion on butterfly knives”. Some strengths of the survey are that the questions are simple and direct, the survey allows you to write more specific answers for more detailed data, the questions are not directed at a specific audience, organized, and the questions hit all the major points that David was looking to gain from the survey. I think David did a good job at writing and making the survey, it is organized, short and straightforward, while still allowing him to gather qualitative data.          

Link to Survey:

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXERH1mARCabJk_EX0tuo9gJtQtslhG3g1vBLKQzqsCaWEOA/formResponse

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Prompt 7

For research and innovation week here at Lakehead University, I attended Rita Wong’s lecture titled Follow the Water, Stand with the Land. Overall it was a very interesting lecture to listen to and I really enjoyed hearing about Rita’s own experiences and stories about the many trips she has been on and what she learned during her work. 

The topic of the lecture: 

Rita Wong spoke about the climate crisis and how we as people must take action to not continue to take from the land and instead learn to live with the land, not against it.  The lecture's big focus was on how oil companies such as CGL ( Coastal Gaslink) contribute to the climate crisis and disturb the land of Indigenous people who work so hard to maintain a good relationship with the land and live sustainably. Rita also talked about the massive hydro dam that would negatively impact the ecosystem along the Peace River.  Rita shared some of her written work and one point that stood out to me was how she compares us to water because our bodies are 60% water. She explained how it is so important to keep our bodies clean much like how we want to keep our waterways clean and safe from pollutants from big companies. Her main message of the whole lecture was that water is essential for helping the climate crisis and preventing massive oil companies from invading and risking damage to a fragile ecosystem that is also on the land owned by indigenous people.       

Methodology: 

I tried to jot some notes down during the lecture, but Rita moved quite fast through her presentation, preventing me from getting some good notes down. From what I did get in terms of notes I would say Rita used a lot of primary research to get her facts about the topic. Using her own experiences and what she has learned from those experiences is what she used to back a lot of her points during the presentation. One example is Rita talked about was a trip she went on and she saw a river that was still one of the few rivers still safe enough to drink straight from the river. Unfortunately, I forget the name of the river she mentioned because I was not able to get that down in time. Rita expresses her work and research into her poems and writing, she takes her messages and portrays them in an artistic way that still shows the true message as to what Rita wants her readers to know.  She had some great points bringing up how the expansion of the pipeline would be detrimental to the forest and potentially the water. 

I would say she was successful in some ways, such as expressing her knowledge and what she has learned in an artistic way using her poems and other writing. But does not do as good of a job backing her facts with scientific research she instead goes by what she has learned from first-hand experiences such as her work in indigenous communities and seeing the destruction of forests and polluted waters.        

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Interviewing Cory Halverson

I will be interviewing Cory Halvorsen the manager of parks and open spaces in Thunder Bay. I am interviewing Cory Halverson because he is in charge of the skating trail project in the city. Cory plans and coordinates projects to improve the parks and other open spaces for recreation. He has a background in engineer design, project management, business development, surveying, construction inspection, and staff supervision and management. Cory is a very qualified man with a lot of knowledge about parks and recreation. He is also the man who makes the decisions on what projects go forward, so doing the interview would be a great chance to gain some valuable information on my research topic which is skating trails in Thunder Bay.  

-The questions I have planned to ask Cory are as followed:       

-What motivated you to start the Vickers park skate trail and why did you choose Vickers Park to be the destination?  

-You stated that you will be taking feedback and suggestions on how to improve the rink. How are you going to meet the expectations of the public?

-Why do you think adding a skate trail to Vickers park is beneficial to the city? 

-What are some plans that you have for the future of skate trails in thunder bay? 

-How do you make sure the skate trail stays in good condition?

-What are your goals to make the skate trails more accessible for people across the city?

These questions are intended to better understand Cory Halvorsen's process when planning outdoor recreation projects. I want to know why he chose Vickers park as the destination when maybe he could have done it somewhere else where the skate trail could be bigger. Or if he has any plans to build more skate trails around Thunder Bay. I have been to Vickers parks and when I went, the skate trail was not in great condition. This is why I want to ask how Cory is going to make sure the skate trail stays in good condition so that it can meet the expectation of the people. Overall I want to find out how Cory plans to improve the city’s outdoor spaces much like what he did with Vickers park.        

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Judging Errors at the Olympics

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have been under way for 12 days now. Personally I have only been paying attention to the snowboarding events as I already watch snowboarding more than the average person I think. While watching the events I have noticed that sometimes there has been a huge score difference between riders who have performed the same trick. I saw an article the other day discussing errors in the judging process.  

There was an article released on feb 14th stating that snowboarders say judging was an issue within the big air event. In the article it is pointed out that there was a judging error within the gold medal run where Canadian Max Parrot was scored high for having a full grab of his board, but replay shows he was only holding his knee. Therefore leaving his teammate Mark McMorris upset and claiming that he should have won gold. 

To make judging more accurate Mark McMorris and American Red Gerard put in their input by saying the judges should be given more time to put in their scores and should be shown slow-motion replays. McMorris also claims that the cameraman and judges don’t always have the proper training for these events nor are they taking this job into a professional manner because they are not paid as much as they should be, so why should they take it seriously when it’s essentially just a side gig. 

The article was released by CBC and because there are statements made by the participants of the event it is clear to see that this is qualitative research/interviews as it is based on an individual’s experience. Interviewing the participants is probably one of the only ways to get the most accurate and knowledgeable opinion on what is happening in Beijing, especially since the riders who did make a statement have been in the olympics before and regularly participate in XGames, Burton Open and the World Cup.   

Qualitative researchers are interested in meaning and process rather than outcomes. The individual who conducted these interviews may have asked questions that require critical thinking, an example question they may have asked is “how can judging be improved for the next winter olympics that allow for more professionalism within the event?”. This is where McMorris’ statement comes along where he stated what needs to be improved and why the judging is not as professional as it could be at the moment. 

As a consumer reading this article I personally gained more knowledge on what goes on behind the scenes at the olympics regarding the judging process and the lack of professionalism. Also when an error is made in the judging process and it was a noticeable error - being that even I who was streaming the event could tell something went wrong with the scores, it makes me question if the judges are qualified, what makes them qualified and if bias did take place.

[gboutd2511]

Great post Taylor!

The snowboarding events are always super cool to watch. I can't say that I have been keeping up with the Olympics a whole lot, I have more just been seeing highlights and stuff on social media. I would have never thought that there would be issues with judging especially at the highest level competition there is. I think the biggest factor that would help the issue is definitely paying the judges more money. Paying more money would be a way to add more professionalism to the event from the judges, which would probably help with getting more accurate scores.

#lags

Reblog

[gboutd2511]

Attack On Titanosaur

vimage 

For this week's blog, I am going to be talking about an article that I found very interesting. The title of the article is called ‘Are there any giant animals humans haven’t discovered yet?’ written by Patrick Pester. 

The article talks about how researchers in 2020 found what may be the largest animal living today. The giant 150 foot-long (45metres) siphonophore was seen in the deep sea ocean off the coast of Australia. The article raises a good question by asking what else may be roaming in the ocean if it took so long to find the siphonophore. The article then talked about how we have a much greater understanding of the animals on land and when it comes to finding the largest animals on land they are usually found in the ground. The main point of the article was on a newly discovered dinosaur skull that could be a contender for the largest animal to ever exist. These gigantic sauropod dinosaurs are called Titanosaurs. New Titanosaurs were recently discovered in Argentina, but the article says that there is still ongoing scientific debate about the Titanosaurs’ size. In 2021 researchers announced a new Titanosaur discovery that could be even bigger but excavation is still happening.

Sources the article used:

The article uses secondary resources to gather information on the newly discovered siphonophore and Titanosaurs skull. They used resources from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, and London's Natural History Museum. The article even interviewed Paul Barrett, a researcher from The Natural History Museum in London. 

Some responsibilities as a consumer when reviewing an article such as this one is to make sure they are showing the facts as to how they got the information. The article does a good job at going in-depth as to how they can determine what the size of the dinosaur would be or what type of dinosaur it is. But I still question how they can identify what a dinosaur looks like based on such a low number of bones. The biggest Titanosaur, the Argentinosaurus is only identified by a dozen bones. 

The readers can gain some valuable information on the largest animals said to walk the land or swim in the oceans. it makes me wonder what other massive creatures roamed around that did not get fossilized.   

  A 3D illustration of the Argentionosaurus ( image credit: MR 1805 via Getty images) 

Pester, P. (2022, February 20). Are there any giant animals humans haven't discovered yet? LiveScience. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.livescience.com/giant-animals-humans-have-not-discovered

https://www.livescience.com/giant-animals-humans-have-not-discovered

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The Ultimate Showdown

Something that has been on my mind a lot recently has been if I could successfully beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight. I always see pictures and videos of kangaroos looking all tough hopping around flexing their jacked biceps and ripped abs. Kangaroos think they are all that just because they can throw a few punches, but really I don’t think they are all that tough.  That is why I think I could beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight. 

Since this is a research class, I figured I would do some research into this scenario. Firstly, we have the underdog in this fight, which is the kangaroo. Some facts about the kangaroo to take into consideration for the fight are: Kangaroos are illiterate, kangaroos can process their food without producing methane, kangaroos hop because they have to, kangaroos don’t sweat, kangaroos can’t move backward, kangaroos can use their tail as a third leg, kangaroos are mainly left-handed and they weigh around 90kg with a top speed of 56km/h. I then researched the kangaroo's opponent, which was myself. Some facts about me to consider for the fight are: I don’t have to hop for transportation, I can tie a shoelace, I can make a coin appear behind someone’s ear, I can skip a rock more than 3 times on the water, and I have successfully slain the ender dragon multiple times. 

After looking at the information, most people would assume that the odds are very against the kangaroo. The kangaroo may have some hard punches, but with my spidey reflexes, I could counteract the punches. Understanding that kangaroos are dominantly left-handed, I would be able to easily expose the kangaroo knowing the more powerful punches are coming from the left arm. I think we could all agree that if it was a boxing match, the kangaroo would have me beat easily. The reason why I think I stand a better chance in an MMA match is that it allows me to throw the saucey moves that I couldn’t do if I was boxing. I would describe kangaroos fighting style like a wild boar while my style is more like a majestic gazelle. 

Kangaroos roam around Australia like they are a bunch of gangsters who get what they want for beating people up in a boxing match. But a kangaroo would not know what to do if they got challenged to an MMA fight, especially by me. 

In conclusion, based on the facts I have collected. I believe that after a close match, I would be able to beat a kangaroo in an MMA fight simply because I am superior intellectually, I am better looking, and I doubt the kangaroo has slain the Ender dragon as many times as I have.  

Who do you think would win in an MMA fight a Kangaroo or Griffin? 

   Photo: Vice

  15 fun facts about kangaroos. The Fact Site. (2021, March 17). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.thefactsite.com/kangaroo-facts/

Kangaroo facts! National Geographic Kids. (2020, June 2). Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/kangaroo-facts/

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My Ultimate Research Project

Breakdown

My focus of research would be on the influences that social class has on climate change, and the effects that climate change would have on social class. This would include researching the degree of environmentalism among upper compared to lower class citizens, and what effects climate change would have on those groups. This would also include the ethics behind government decisions, and how legislature takes advantage of natural resources.

This research project would be exploring the ethics behind human motivations, and how those less effected by the environment are less motivated to prevent climate change. By analyzing information on government funding directories, donation services provided to the public, and other socioeconomic factors related to climate change, we can gain a wider scope of how motivated the general public is to do something about climate change. I think the biggest barrier to solving our global climate crisis is ignorance; we do not understand the scale of how serious the problem, therefor we have trouble caring about it as much as we should.

Proposal

The way I would propose this research project is of urgency and fear. The true effects of climate change are real, serious, and within the next 15 years. It has been clear from the start that the sooner we deal with this issue the better, however nothing has been done; we still burn just as many fossil fuels, the amount of government focus on electric vehicles is still very small, and there is little monitoring of international waters.

The goal would be to debunk common conspiracies about climate change while bringing awareness and forcing urgency for reduction in consumption of environmentally damaging products.

Who would this benefit?

A project like this would benefit those living in poverty, coastal areas, or places heavily dependent on nature. Realistically it would benefit everyone in the long-run, however in the short run it would be difficult. An immediate change in consumption would put a lot of people out of a job; companies would go under considering the economy for every country would be effected negatively.

However,

We have the capabilities and technology to slowly transition into an electric powered society, except the government funding to push the use of electric power is lacking. The EV industry is completely monopolized, people should be advocating for new EV companies which would create a steady market. More companies focused on environmentally friendly products results in new jobs to replace old ones.

In summary, transitioning between carbon consuming industries to environmental friendly ones is extremely difficult but possible. By shifting our demand to help our planet, companies will do the same by creating a supply to meet that demand.

Me as a researcher 10 years from now

I hope me as a researcher 10 years from now has connections and first person experiences to pull information out of. I hope to be experienced and have met many people with valuable information (similar to many podcasts with guests). Nard Wuar is a great example of the type of researcher I would wish to be. He has information that no one else is able to gather because of his connections and diligence in his research. I couldn’t imagine being as great of a researcher as Nard Wuar, but I can strive to be just as credible. 

This is Nard Wuar. 

Photo from Wikipedia.

[gboutd2511]

The Most Ultimate Research Project

The Project 

If I had the chance to do any research project with unlimited resources, I would conduct my research on the food industry's impact on the environment. This project would look at all the major food industries and how they function to meet global needs while comparing the environmental impact. This would include researching the ethics behind the decisions that are made and how the system functions. A key part of the project would be researching possible solutions that make the food industry more sustainable for the environment while still being able to provide for the global need. 

The big problem with the food industry is that it creates mass amounts of waste, and the ever growing need for food has created more deforestation in places like the Amazon which plays a key role in storing CO2 and providing oxygen. Agricultural production is the biggest driver in deforestation in the Amazon and it will continue to grow if serious environmental actions do not take place. I would focus mostly on the industrial production of dairy and meat because they are big contributors to climate pollution and deforestation. About 80% of deforestation is from agricultural farming.   

I would gather information from visiting many industrial farms and use a qualitative method of research on the meat and dairy farms. I would also use quantitative research to get data on the farm’s carbon footprints and compare the changes that have happened from previous years to now. With the information gathered we would come up with more sustainable ways of farming, and we would share this information through different forms of media. With the goal being that people will learn and understand that change has to be made.

Researching about possible solutions in industrial farming would be beneficial for everyone and the environment. If a proper management system was in place, we could minimize the amount of waste created and be able to save more resources. It will benefit humans because it will allow for better quality food over the quantity of food that we want, even though humans waste ⅓ of foods produced. Having a proper system could allow for food to be distributed more fairly. 

When I picture myself as a researcher 10 years from now, I hope that my research involves a lot of traveling and that it provides a lot of insight for others to learn from. I could potentially see myself standing on stage in front of a crowd of people giving a speech, holding a nice plaque that says “researcher of the year”.          

Photo: Grist.org

Agribusiness & Deforestation. Greenpeace USA. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/issues/agribusiness/

Written by                                  Petra Hans, H. of P. (n.d.). 5 ways to transform our food systems and save the planet. World Economic Forum. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/5-ways-transform-food-system-sustainable/

Zaror, C. A. (2003, September 30). Controlling the environmental impact of the food industry: An integral approach. Food Control. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0956713592901303

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the 70 Year Old Hermit

The 70-year-old lady of the woods

The 35-minute long documentary, made by Vice in 2013, sponsored by North Face tells the story of Agafia Lykov who is the last remaining member of the Lykov family living out in the Siberian forest. The documentary takes you back to show some of Agafia's family history and how her family began to live deep in the middle of nowhere. In 1936, Agafia’s father first trekked the family through the Russian wilderness seeking shelter from Stalin. Agafia was born into harsh conditions in 1944, the family lived out in the Taiga for 40 years without any human interaction, until geologists came upon them. The documentary observes Agafia’s life who has been taking care of her family’s home for 25 years by herself. It is a very interesting case study due to the uniqueness of the story. It is unheard of to hear about families living out in the forest for decades without any human interactions, let alone a 70-year-old lady doing it by herself.

Research methods Used:

The makers of the documentary used various techniques to inquire information on the topic. Since it was a documentary focused on a smaller scale, more specific topic. Based on the description for qualitative research discussed in class, Vice would be going for more qualitative type research. This could be from visiting the research field and doing interviews with Agafia where they can get first-hand knowledge about her life, which is the main topic of the documentary.

Invisible Backpack

The filmmakers of the documentary do carry quite a bit in their invisible backpack. They are fortunate enough to be able to get the financial support to be able to travel to such a remote location, while also transporting the equipment. The video is sponsored by North Face which is a high-end brand, this allows the filmmakers to film in good quality and to have a crew working with them. You can tell in the video that although the filmmakers loved getting the chance to meet and learn from Agafia, they definitely could not be there longer than a few days. This shows they come from a pretty comfortable and privileged lifestyle in North America, which they are fortunate enough to have.

Ethics

In my view, the filmmakers did a good job at remaining ethical in how they made the documentary. They respected Agafia’s culture, religion, and her as a person. One issue could be, that they did not say if they got permission from Agafia to come to visit. It said in the documentary that her siblings died from pneumonia from the geologists visiting. They do not know how Agafia feels with outside visitors after what happened to her family. The filmmakers might have gotten the green light to come to visit, but it would be a good thing to add to the documentary just to show the viewers they got the approval.

[okoutd2511]

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years *Documentary

Who: The lykov family

What: Observing how Agafia Lykov has survived for 70 years in a rough conditioned remote area

Where: Russia, Siberia, taiga

When: First half of documentary 1936 - 1944, second half 1944 - 2013

Why: Because there are not many people now a days who live of the land the way Agafia does, especially individuals who are open to interviews and cameras. Trying to share her way of life.

How: By recording and using standard research methods to attain information

Research Techniques:

The main research technique being used in this case study is Inquiries based in a natural setting. This research technique is a mix between two others known as observation and interviewing. It includes the field-visit research method which involves going to the area of research and interviews that provide us with first person research. They do a good job posing open-ended questions that result in a lot of information being given through the stories told by Agafia.

Invisible Backpack

There is definitely an invisible knapsack involving the convenience that is taken for granted in the urban areas. It is easy to forget how many different resources we have within our reach, Agafia is forced to craft, forage, or trade in order to get any of her essential needs. There are no companies she can call to shovel her roof or area. She also has no money to purchase anything from an urban area.

They don’t really address much about any challenges she has faced as a woman in the Taiga, other than when learning about her relationship with Yerofei. It is assumed that because he is the only man in the area and her the only woman that they must have had a fling. It is a bit of a rude assumption and I don’t understand how her past love life relates to the goal of the video. I believe there are other assumptions made about their relationship however its hard to make out exactly what the filmmaker was trying to achieve with the questions posed in the interviews between Yerofei and Agafia.

Ethics

They talk about some ethically questioning scenarios such as how Agafia had lost her family. Her family had died to pneumonia that was allegedly contracted from geologists who had came to visit her home. The interviewer asks if she blames them for her family death, it was clear that a part of her did, but it was also apparent that she had forgiven them and moved on. Despite everything she has gone through (escaping the oppression of Stalin, mother starving to death, and losing the rest of her family), Agafia remains grateful and content with the life she has.

Considering her family has passed away due to outsiders visiting her home, does it seem ethical for these filmmakers to be conducting their interviews while living with her? They never addressed what made Agafia agree to having them live on her property, or why she would allow outsiders. I feel this was a posing ethical question that was left unanswered.

My Own Research Method

I personally feel the best way to research different cultures is to visit the area of research as a participant. It is still important to have questions ready, but living with Agafia and experiencing her everyday life first hand makes for good observation information. This illustrates a proper understanding of what is needed to be done in order to survive the Taiga. A good example of this type of research method is the documentary “Departures” by Scot Wilson and Justin Lukach. They visit different places around the world participating in their cultures and way of life to build relationships and connections while collecting information.

This is the thumbnail for the show for anyone curious:

[gboutd2511]

Hey Owen, great blog man! I liked how you kept it nice and simple and organized when stating the who,what,when,why,how and where. We talked about basically the same types of research techniques used in the documentary. Good point on the filmmakers asking open-ended questions, that was something I forgot to mention in my blog. It helps with Agafia being able to tell her story in her own way and go in any direction, it can also lead to some good information gathered.

Thats a very good point about the filmmakers invisible backpack. Many of us take a lot of things for granted and we come from a very comfortable lifestyle where we have access to all essential needs. I don’t think a lot of people would last long if they got put in Agafia’s shoes. Well maybe us outdoor reccers might like it a little more but still ,its only a matter of time until we would want to go back to a more convenient lifestyle.

I asked the same question in my blog about them getting permission with Agafia. They never bring it up that they asked and got permission to go visit and after what happened to her family, you would think they would want to show in their documentary that they got approval. Although, us as viewers do not see the filmmakers asking permission they maybe could have gotten approval and just did not add it in the documentary?

I agree with you that the best way to gain information is by going to the research field. How would you get your questions ready beforehand, would you do other types of research before going to visit the research field?

Awesome blog man, it was a great read!

[okoutd2511]

Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years *Documentary

Who: The lykov family

What: Observing how Agafia Lykov has survived for 70 years in a rough conditioned remote area

Where: Russia, Siberia, taiga

When: First half of documentary 1936 - 1944, second half 1944 - 2013

Why: Because there are not many people now a days who live of the land the way Agafia does, especially individuals who are open to interviews and cameras. Trying to share her way of life.

How: By recording and using standard research methods to attain information

Research Techniques:

The main research technique being used in this case study is Inquiries based in a natural setting. This research technique is a mix between two others known as observation and interviewing. It includes the field-visit research method which involves going to the area of research and interviews that provide us with first person research. They do a good job posing open-ended questions that result in a lot of information being given through the stories told by Agafia.

Invisible Backpack

There is definitely an invisible knapsack involving the convenience that is taken for granted in the urban areas. It is easy to forget how many different resources we have within our reach, Agafia is forced to craft, forage, or trade in order to get any of her essential needs. There are no companies she can call to shovel her roof or area. She also has no money to purchase anything from an urban area.

They don’t really address much about any challenges she has faced as a woman in the Taiga, other than when learning about her relationship with Yerofei. It is assumed that because he is the only man in the area and her the only woman that they must have had a fling. It is a bit of a rude assumption and I don’t understand how her past love life relates to the goal of the video. I believe there are other assumptions made about their relationship however its hard to make out exactly what the filmmaker was trying to achieve with the questions posed in the interviews between Yerofei and Agafia.

Ethics

They talk about some ethically questioning scenarios such as how Agafia had lost her family. Her family had died to pneumonia that was allegedly contracted from geologists who had came to visit her home. The interviewer asks if she blames them for her family death, it was clear that a part of her did, but it was also apparent that she had forgiven them and moved on. Despite everything she has gone through (escaping the oppression of Stalin, mother starving to death, and losing the rest of her family), Agafia remains grateful and content with the life she has.

Considering her family has passed away due to outsiders visiting her home, does it seem ethical for these filmmakers to be conducting their interviews while living with her? They never addressed what made Agafia agree to having them live on her property, or why she would allow outsiders. I feel this was a posing ethical question that was left unanswered.

My Own Research Method

I personally feel the best way to research different cultures is to visit the area of research as a participant. It is still important to have questions ready, but living with Agafia and experiencing her everyday life first hand makes for good observation information. This illustrates a proper understanding of what is needed to be done in order to survive the Taiga. A good example of this type of research method is the documentary “Departures” by Scot Wilson and Justin Lukach. They visit different places around the world participating in their cultures and way of life to build relationships and connections while collecting information.

This is the thumbnail for the show for anyone curious:

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Blog 1

What has drawn me to the program? 

Going to camp when I was young had a big impact on me because it allowed me to try so many different outdoor activities such as windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, mountain biking, and canoeing. Camp helped me to grow a passion for the outdoors which eventually lead to me becoming a camp counselor. I was a camp councilor all through high school because I really  enjoyed teaching and doing  the outdoor activities and I wanted to spend as much time out in nature. After grade 12 I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I took a gap year and spent three months at Taurenhof Bible school in Austria. We would spend our days going on hikes in the Austrian alps and playing a ton of different sports. It was not until I was in Austria when I found out about Outdoor Recreation at Lakehead. One of the instructors from Alberta told me about the Outdoor Rec program and that she thought it would be a program I would enjoy. After the three months and some time traveling around in Germany I went home. When I got home my parents also heard about the program from some friends and suggested it to me. After looking into it, Lakehead looked like the perfect program that is best suited for me. I had spent some time before in Thunder Bay when I would go to Weagamow First Nations Reserve with a group of alumni high school hockey players to teach and donate equipment. I have grown to love Northern Ontario which is another reason why this program seemed like such a good fit.

Reliable sources I use: 

Sources of information that I rely on are Lakehead Omni database, Documentaries and Google Scholar. The Omni database is a great resource to find information for topics on outdoor recreation that I can use for the program. It is also good for navigating around as it is pretty easy and straight forward to filter and find specific information. Documentaries are a great resource for me because I am a huge visual learner so watching documentaries are a great way to learn. Documentaries provide a great insight on getting different perspectives on different topics, and even if i may not agree it is still interesting to see it from a different point of view. Nature documentaries can be very helpful with showing first hand how the environment and wildlife in it are changing as the world changes. If you pick the right documentaries they are for the most part reliable especially documentaries made by well known names. Google Scholar has been one of my go to’s when I am doing research since I was in high school. It is similar to the Lakehead Omni database and it has some good peer reviewed articles I can find information on. 

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Disclaimer

This blog is for OUTD 2511 Research Design 

Lakehead University is not responsible for anything that I post.