paul’s thesis sought to shine a light on the lived experiences of high school students at the turn of the century. 

The story linked below is titled “What’s the caper?”.  I wrote this passage in the final months of my (attempted) PhD in 2001. My doctoral research focused on educational inequality and the lessons taught by the “formal” and “informal” curriculum at schools in hard places. This story talks to the extraordinary poor conditions of the male toilets at the suburban Adelaide high school where I conducted my research in 1998-99.  In my view, if systems provide students with poorly maintained services, the students take on the message that they are not worthy; that they are not important. I note the teacher’s facilities were clean and well maintained.

The passage is written in a ‘film script’ format. In the write up of my research I was experimenting with alternative ways to communicate the stories I had observed. I had planned to produce a multi-media thesis that combined text and digital images on a CD-ROM, and this format was to be a key feature of making the stories more accessible. I had hoped the material could be easily adapted into stage or television formats.

As the ethnographic researcher I featured in the scenes in an effort to clearly communicate my role to the reader. This approach was inspired by the early 1990s American sit-com, Herman’s Head, that used a ‘Greek chorus”-style interpretation, with four characters representing different aspects of the lead character’s personality.  My thoughts were ‘acted’ out by four ‘unique personalities’: Jock, Shy, Wise and Critic, who occupy the space in my brain. It was a literary device that I planned to use within the ethnographic heart of my work to discuss the opportunities, dilemmas and consequences of my research method (the third question of my thesis). It was a playful device that has a serious edge – that is, much of the work of an ethnographer is performed alone and in the heat of the moment where one must use one’s best judgement. I used the four characters of my conscience to make transparent those things that many ethnographers hide; indecision, ethical judgements, and risk taking. I made no attempt to hide the process from the product for the two were blurred while I was in the field, and the qualitative research literature was long over due for a work that showed the ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘why’, and most importantly ‘how’ it was done.

I hope you enjoy the story: What’s the caper