Abstract
This paper introduces and critiques a novel paper and pencil method for capturing real time interaction kinesics and proxemics. The method, comprising proxemics sketches,
kinesics staves and field notes was developed for an ethnomethodologically informed ethnography of physiotherapy students’ learning in hospital-based settings. The study
conceived learning as social co-participation and needed a method that focussed on the minutiae of participants’ (students’, clinicians’ and patients’) eye-contact-, movement-,
spatial- and touch-based interaction practices. Drawing on Laban’s spatial choreography ideas and the kinesics studies of Birdwhistell and Heath, the method requires some sense of body alignment, but is easy to learn. While it made visible some uncomfortable observations about physiotherapists’ use of proxemics and kinesics in patient-facing interactions, and students’ socialisation of these, the method has much broader
application which I would welcome the opportunity to explore. The method is useful in interaction studies where electronic recording devices are problematic, it can be learnt and used by students of any discipline where body posture and eye contact have communicative intent / there is postural risk to skill performance, and I am exploring its usefulness in educational development contexts to capture teacher: learner interactions
in small group work during peer observation of teaching.
Bibliography:
Birdwhistell, R. L. 1970. Kinesics and context: essays on body motion communication. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Heath, C. 1986. Body movement and speech in medical
interaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kell, C. 2011. A method for capturing movement and touch-based interactions during ethnographic fieldwork. Cardiff
University School of Social Sciences Working Paper. Cardiff.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/research/publications/workingpapers/paper-148.html
Laban, R. and Ullman, L. 1984. A vision of dynamic space. London: Laban Archives in association with The Falmer Press.
kinesics staves and field notes was developed for an ethnomethodologically informed ethnography of physiotherapy students’ learning in hospital-based settings. The study
conceived learning as social co-participation and needed a method that focussed on the minutiae of participants’ (students’, clinicians’ and patients’) eye-contact-, movement-,
spatial- and touch-based interaction practices. Drawing on Laban’s spatial choreography ideas and the kinesics studies of Birdwhistell and Heath, the method requires some sense of body alignment, but is easy to learn. While it made visible some uncomfortable observations about physiotherapists’ use of proxemics and kinesics in patient-facing interactions, and students’ socialisation of these, the method has much broader
application which I would welcome the opportunity to explore. The method is useful in interaction studies where electronic recording devices are problematic, it can be learnt and used by students of any discipline where body posture and eye contact have communicative intent / there is postural risk to skill performance, and I am exploring its usefulness in educational development contexts to capture teacher: learner interactions
in small group work during peer observation of teaching.
Bibliography:
Birdwhistell, R. L. 1970. Kinesics and context: essays on body motion communication. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Heath, C. 1986. Body movement and speech in medical
interaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kell, C. 2011. A method for capturing movement and touch-based interactions during ethnographic fieldwork. Cardiff
University School of Social Sciences Working Paper. Cardiff.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/research/publications/workingpapers/paper-148.html
Laban, R. and Ullman, L. 1984. A vision of dynamic space. London: Laban Archives in association with The Falmer Press.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 8 May 2015 |
| Event | BERA (British Educational Research Association) Higher Education Special Interest Group Event: Researching into Higher Education - Innovative Research Methods - Institute of Education, London, United Kingdom Duration: 8 May 2015 → 8 May 2015 |
Other
| Other | BERA (British Educational Research Association) Higher Education Special Interest Group Event |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | London |
| Period | 8/05/15 → 8/05/15 |