living poetically

a manifesto

• I believe poetry can be used as a form of data, in that it can capture a person’s thoughts, feelings and emotions, which can illuminate their experiences and how they encounter the world.
• I believe that in qualitative research, when dealing with people there is no such thing as an ultimate truth. I believe that people make their own truth, based on their personal beliefs, experiences, biases and culture.
• I believe that all these truths are important because human experience is important. I do not hold one external truth to be the correct one but that in the act of dialogue a better understanding of the world and people’s experiences can be gained.
• I believe that there is a socially constructed hierarchy placed on the importance and power of voices now and throughout history. At the top a White, male, hetero, Western voice dominates. This needs to stop.
• I believe the education system is at a crisis point dominated by neo-liberalist which has caused an over emphasis on competitiveness, test scores and global league tables.
• I believe in hope. I believe poetry offers the hope to change, shape and influence the world around.
• I want to design a methodology to reflect my ontology and epistemology.
• I believe that is critical poetic inquiry.