Intersecting Autoethnographies: Two Academics Reflect on Being Parent-Researchers

Authors

Rosemary G. Bennett 086385, Monash UniversityFollow
Peter De Vries Dr, Central Queensland University

Abstract

This article presents two intersecting autoethnographies generated by two academics working in the same university, who were both parent-researchers. We researched aspects of our own children’s lives, primarily in the home focusing on their engagement with dance and music. As autoethnographers we engaged in shared and individual systematic sociological introspection. In this inquiry we employed observation, copious field notes, video and photographic recording to gather longitudinal data about often unpredictable moments of creative arts engagement that occurred in the home setting. Our research provided a unique window into child directed dance and music behaviours which are rarely seen and which offers insights into the creative education process.

Keywords

Autoethnography, Parent-Researchers, Creative Arts, Young Child, Participant Observation

Author Bio(s)

Academic, educator, musician and dancer, Rosemary has been teaching across a range of Australian universities for the last 25 years. Her focus has been firstly in arts education and more recently in the qualitative research of her own and other’s early arts experiences in relation to personal growth, intellectual development and wellbeing. Her Masters research was an in-depth study of the body in dance, and the issue of safety in pedagogical practices across the wider Australian arts community. Rosemary is currently completing a PhD in early childhood creativity and dance whilst lecturing in teacher education at Monash University, Melbourne Australia. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: rosemary.bennett@monash.edu.

Peter has taught at Monash University along with a number of other tertiary institutions where he has been a leader in music education. His current appointment to Central Queensland University is also in the field of pre-service teacher education. Peter's research and extensive publications cover qualitative examination of music teaching and learning. He has investigated young children and also the elderly experience in music and creative arts. He is a published author and poet.

Publication Date

8-7-2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2703

Recommended APA Citation

Bennett, R. G., & De Vries, P. (2017). Intersecting Autoethnographies: Two Academics Reflect on Being Parent-Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 22(8), 2112-2128. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2703