I'm Back

Well the East Coast was cold and filled with Winter-time hibernation, however after restocking on Momma's love and meals, I'm back here in old Olympia plugging away on my Thesis.

I am using this blog to plot progress and open a transparent communication network for others to see how phronetic research happens. What is Phronesis? Well my young friends, it is how I believe research should happen. Thanks Bent Flyvbjerg and Ted Whitesell, for introducing me to a new way of viewing social science inquiry. You (the reader) may not be as interested in the somewhat dry and particular articulation of Aristotle's concept of practical wisdom, prudence, or phronesis, but I strongly believe it is a pathway for social science to once again become useful. When I read what people get paid to research these days, it makes my stomach turn. I have no place in my heart for pompous intellectuals and their gate keeper attitudes. I believe to live is to educate one's self and all human creation is art.



Art is the most important concept in my life and it is everywhere (EartH). I will not become stuck in an academic hierarchy, but will pass through the layers of paradigmatic schools of thought like a magic carpet through the atmosphere. I think Carl Jung depicted it perfectly in the Red Book (pictured above).

Well enough of my hoity toity academic philosophy. Now I will use this blog as a forum to communicate with my thesis advisors and with you.

About two weeks ago I met with two very interesting stake holders in the world of small structures, Debora Shapiro from Greenworks Realty and Vincent Schwent (jack of all trades). I have gained access to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service and am researching properties in Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, WA.

I will be writing one blog entry a week highlighting the work done on my thesis during that week and my ambitions for the following week. I think this is very good to monitor the progress of my work and to help others understand how the research happens. I believe that people learn a lot more from research when they can see the thought processes and evaluate what is going on during the actual research process, instead of a small summary at the end. This does inspire a less cultivated and organized technique than the traditional research paper, but I truly believe that the research will manifest in a more organic and chaotic manner, and the reader will have a better understanding of why and how it developed this way. This throws a very big boomerang in the traditional sense of academia, but I've always been a courier of the chaos.