I like mystery and detective novels - maybe this is something that is common among people who are interested in research, because, after all, a lot of research requires investigating the unknown. I recently read some works by G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown) and Isaac Asimov (Elijah Baley with robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw) after seeing both authors listed on a recommended mystery writers website. It is probably not surprising to see that I would say I found evidence of quantitative approaches to detection in the works by Asimov, the science fiction writer. The Baley and robot books take place in the future, after Earth inhabitants explored and colonized new worlds and began to identify themselves more with the colony worlds and less with Earth. An interesting consequence Asimov visualized was a weakening of the immune system, which led the non-Earth inhabitants, called in general "Spacers" to avoid Earthers. But my interest, and part of the point of this post, is Asimov's imagined evolution of social sciences. According to Baley, in the book "Naked Sun" (1957/1983 Del Rey), sociological exploration can be simplified to mathematics; various equations have been developed to explain human interactions. Within the three short novels I read (the others were: "The Caves of Steel," and "The Robots of Dawn"), Baley is regularly surprised when quantitative means or instruments are not the tools of choice in psychological matters, but the "Spacer" characters are depicted as lagging behind in this type of technology although advanced in robot technology. Surprisingly, however, Baley has very mixed responses to the several robot characters including sometimes outright hostility. Chesterton's Father Brown, on the other hand, practices detection in the early part of the 20th century. According to the introduction to my book, he was based to some extent on a real priest. Father Brown's vocation has provided him with opportunities to encounter and build an understanding of human behavior and he uses this knowledge to solve various types of crimes. In a story titled "The Mistake of the Machine" (Father Brown Selected Stories, 1992, Wordsworth), Brown has an opportunity to discuss the role of science in detection by considering an early version of a polygraph. The operator of this "psychometric" machine assessed changes in an individual's blood pressure in response to certain words. Admittedly this sounds like a fairly simple and by modern standards, primitive apparatus, but I very much like Brown's description of the result of such an instrument: "There's a disadvantage in a stick always point straight. What is it? Why, the other end of the stick always points the opposite way. It depends whether you get hold of the stick by the right end" (p. 179). The photo above, in addition to showing my copies of the two books I described, includes Mr. X, a Blabla "Boogoloo" doll.
0 Comments
I have changed the theme of the blog. I am also making a real effort to create more original graphics (note that the picture of the barrel monster on the research page came from a Google search). The photo above shows some of my actual workspace - I thought a pic of some of the research 'tools of the trade' - laptop with NVivo 10 opening up, digital recorder, and stylus - would be appropriate. There is no camera, unfortunately - I used one to take the photo and the other at hand was plugged into a charger.
I included one of my globe bookends because it seems like people had big globes in their offices in all of the old movies; perhaps this is a symbol of 'smartness.' Nero Wolfe in the few years ago TV series had a great one in his office. Also note the "V for Vendetta" (movie) mug. I think this also symbolizes 'smartness,' - anyone who has read Alan Moore certainly agrees with that - but also the touch of unwillingness to go along with the crowd without asking some questions about where we are going - something I like to think I demonstrate not only as a qualitative researcher in a (mostly) quantitative environment, but also in general. I am aware that Mr. Moore disassociated himself from his filmed novels but I think both "V" and "Watchmen" were pretty good. I thought "V" certainly captured the spirit, if not all of the details. Alan Moore, like Ray Bradbury, is one of those writers who has an almost frightening ability to sense how things might (or will) be, if certain courses are followed. But, as Scrooge asked of the last of the spirits: "Why show me this, if I am past hope?" (Dickens [1943/2003]. Penguin edition, pg 108) |
AuthorI am Sheryl L. Chatfield, Ph.D, C.T.R.S. I am a member of the faculty in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. I also Co-coordinate the Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research and I am a member of the Design Innovation Team at Kent State. Archives
February 2024
Categories
|