My thoughts on Positivist and Non- positivist approaches

Reading through my handbook of module 2 over and over 

It is overwhelming  doing a dance inquiry  so many elements need to be understood as in what methodologies need to be applied, the code of ethics around acquiring the data etc. I have started to get my head into the concepts such as action based, case study, ethnography, ethnomethodology, grounded and narrative Inquiry and what would be the most suitable making notes and reading the core text Bell, J A guide for the first time researcher.
I am sure many of us are still going through the process of deeper understanding and defining our research titles and content for our chosen subjects. I wonder how are you all doing?? it would be nice to know?

I made notes on how i perceive a positivist and non- positivist and attempt to put my thoughts here as  to come back to...
 I reflected on the fact that even though it is made clear that just having one approach is not whether it is right or wrong but a different perspective on how we all see reality and what is truth for us collectively or individually.
Reading on the approach  of different theories that certain philosophers had from Aristotle to Karl Marx opened me into a larger understanding.
The mind being dominant for some and for others the body.

The understanding of  a positivist approach everything is certain and fixed whether we are there or not while the non-positivist approach  brings to light that there are a number of elements, we are involved in the change and impact as we are in the experience.

I turn in to look at what is my stance on I feel that we surf in between both polarities at times and are never totally fully immersed in one. this brings to my mind the yin yang symbol the yin within the yang and the yang within the yang.

 I feel we may start out with a fixed parameter as we are born into a family, a certain tradition, a lifestyle. We are taught certain habits and conform to ritual and demands within  our society in different cultures, but it eventually changes as we start to grow and discover ourselves. We develop along to what ever we feel, we start acting and responding outside of the fixed reality, slowly shifting  we  start to change the impact shifts while we are in the the realm of experience. We may be confronted with positivist stances, but eventually new ideas, new experiences and different outcomes change the scenario.
In my teaching dance, or performing, I can see how things have come about due to my presence in the whole scenario. What my mind, my body, my environment has impacted me or made me think, or feel establishes the fact that all experience is intertwined.Since dance is feeling based as well and comes through experiencing my body there have been elements of religion and cultural norms that have affected and influenced the way i move, or the themes I chose to dance or work with.
I still reflect and dig deeper into the dualist mind where the the body is controlled by the mind with all the labels around it are not to feel, not be happy, to be sensuous, the body a tool for sin, in the religious context of history. I recognize the same elements in a Pakistani Muslim society where religion dictates the ways of the body and keeps the whole of society stuck in the mind, controlling it by continuous conditioned rhetoric.

sacred sufi: sunday skype March 3rd Theories and Frameworks

sacred sufi: sunday skype March 3rd Theories and Frameworks: Theories and Frameworks Sunday's discussion was all about theories and frameworks, very stimulating questions, reflections and comme...

sunday skype March 3rd Theories and Frameworks

Theories and Frameworks

Sunday's discussion was all about theories and frameworks, very stimulating questions, reflections and comments on this subject that  pushed  deeper into reflection. what is a framework? how is it defined ? what theories support it ?
Do frameworks changes along with it's theories? it was interesting for me to see how i found that if i had a limited perspective on a certain angle it would open along the discussion and i could see a new color, like i had been given a new set of eyes.
Educational frameworks, life frameworks, art frameworks, environment frameworks and all the unlimited amount of theories that support it. What comes first the theories or the frameworks or is it the other way around? does the framework give birth to the theories, or the theories to the framework? one thing that became clear to me we all are in a framework.... it even exists in our bodies and outside of us.... but we have the choice to play around with it, change it adapt it, make it large, make it small, there could be a framework within a framework, or multiple existing at one time, we can move from an old one to a new one, we can let go of one that has been given and re-create a new one. A framework is positive and good to lead the way, it challenges us to stay there or move beyond, if i relate it to my dance experiences in performance or even teaching no frame work stayed the same every-time each student came in with their own framework I would feel the need to sometimes adjust mine to them and at times they to mine. An exchange of frameworks, a sharing of frameworks and thus exploring each other's frameworks so as to both benefit and grow into a new framework. In Performance at times i felt the need to shrink the framework so as to fit into the cultural one that existed around me culturally and religiously.
Theories yes are supportive and activate that part of us that tries to find reasoning, concrete experiences experienced and helps us to take off in a certain direction. They can become our reference points to get into the framework, understand it apply it and i am sure so much more.
I am still deeply reflecting on this and observing its impact on me...

Body positivism my reflections

Right now I have been tremendously ill for the last 10 days a throat infection that has moved into my chest. Heavy antibiotics and bed rest has been the call of the day. This has put me into a mode of deep reflection reading through my hand book for module 2....
Body positivism......I  remember using this as a core element in one of my dance pieces that spoke of shame as a woman.... Where her body is the main focus of attention. She is flooded with other females voices from different times of history who tell her to accept the status quo.. in a Muslim society the body as an extension of human self  to express is looked down upon it is considered a sin to show your body or even be confident about it... it is the grounds of where all illicit ideas are germinated... How do you separate yourself from your own body that wants to be....... to just express..... to be free to feel space.... to extend ..... My dance piece Purdah was my way of channelling and depicting what I felt about my body, the rules , the feelings that were aroused, the restrictions. The desire to break down, express beyond all the boundaries to break the frame work of society.... This reflection brought me to Martha Graham and her dance the way she had made what for some looked ugly in the body look beautiful.... She saw beauty in the most unusual usage and distortion of body application that she experimented with.... Since her father's background as a movement pysco analyst..... he had great influence in her life which made her question and push the boundaries of safe movement and a nice looking body dancing with defined lines and grace.... Dance was far from a body looking pretty her concepts about gravity and our relationship to the floort this pull was always part and parcel in her work she would throw the body to the ground in a thunderous manner. Her dancers were creatures of the earth constantly searhing for equilibrium.
The application of contraction and release in movement of her dance technique to hold and let go to tighten and flow...
Graham's dance depicted the dichotomies in life, desire and duty fear and courage.
The body would push boundaries her concepts her purpose of dance was to translate emotional experience in physical form ... This for me breaks all boundaries since nothing is right or wrong it's what we as dancers bring into the dance what we feel about our bodies where do we want to play with our bodies and to which extent are we willing to explore outside the influences of a conditioned society about our bodies and what's correct in its usage ...