What is good research? This was the question that Professor Ron E. Hallet from the University of Pacific asked us to answer after giving us countless research articles to read.
I remember he stated "your definition of what good research is will determine your methodology in the future." Therefore I considered all the components that resonated within my soul and found myself gravitating toward researchers that I termed scholastic renegades. I hope you enjoy reading my very first paper entitled "Scholastic Renegade (below)." I included Jay-Z And Eminem (right) performing as a tribute to my teacher Ron Hallet the first scholastic renegade I met in person. |
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Renegade
Never been afraid
To say what's on my mind
At any given time of day
Cause I'm a renegade
Never been afraid
To talk about anything
(Anything)
(Anything)
(Anything)
-Jay-Z & Eminem
Scholastic Renegade
Is good research and hip hop synonymous? As I listen to the dramatic beat coming from my car speakers coupled with the explicit lyrics from rap artists Jay-Z and Eminem from their hip hop song Renegade, I begin to wonder is good research and hip hop synonymous?” Good research in education has been defined as having the ability to articulate some sound connection between your work and a robust and justifiable conception of well-being (Hostetler, 2005). Listening to the lyrics from the song Renegade, both artists are articulate and deliver a message that is rich in content and thought provoking because it challenges listeners to redefine the term renegade. The traditional definition of a renegade has been defined as a person who leaves one group for another or an outlaw. However, the chorus in Renegade has a bravado boasting of fearlessness and preparation for debate, while simultaneously embracing criticism. These same characteristics resemble possible requirements of a doctoral candidate searching to find their own voice amongst good researchers, consequently making them Scholastic Renegades.
A Scholastic renegade is a scholar with the courage to be vulnerable while enticing criticism because they believe their research deserves discussion. Good research reveals one perception of the truth which is supported by data, but ultimately leads to scholarly debate because it challenges ones theory of knowledge. Examples of Scholastic Renegades include Ronald E. Hallett who interrupted a young man’s life history moving him from Southern California to Nebraska, Annette Lareau who discussed invisible inequality in black and white families through observation, and the students from University of Northern Colorado who discussed the Impostor Phenomenon experienced by first year doctoral students. In my opinion all of these researchers produced examples of good research articles because their methodologies supported a truth that needed to be revealed.
Ronald E. Hallet revealed when a researcher takes on a new title such as a friend, tutor, or family, then the researcher should also inherent the responsibility of those titles. His redefining the participant as family, ultimately led to him moving the participant from Southern California to Nebraska where he would continue to have access to education and be considered family (Hallet, 2013). Annette Lareau discussed the invisible inequality in black and white families and renamed the middle class and working/poor class completely. She defined the way black and white middle class families raised their children as concerted cultivation opposed to her definition of black and white working/poor class defined as accomplishments of natural growth. Her perspective of these economic classes allowed readers to gain insight based on research observations. However, her courage to create the terms concerted cultivation and accomplished natural growth seem to reflect the code of ethics to ‘do no harm.’ The students from the University of Northern Colorado discussed in their research article how first year doctoral students experienced feelings of being a fraud in the classroom resulting in the Impostor Phenomenon (Craddock,S., Birnbaum,M., Rodriguez,K., Cobb,C., & Zeeh,S., 2011). Their research explored various feelings of first year doctoral students and created an arena where doctoral students could allow their experiences to seemingly come out of the dark into the light, creating dialogue amongst educators. All of the above researchers were Scholastic Renegades because their research was synonymous with the line in the chorus: “Never been afraid to say what’s on my mind at any given time of day, cause I’m a renegade.” Scholastic renegades are homogenous with the rap artist Jay-Z because they are fearless when it comes to telling the truth. The truth whether in hip hop or good research should transcend everything, therefore the choice of a scholastic renegade whether to provide a voice through the implications of analysis or remain silent will always be to speak the truth. (Labaree,2003).
In the book Decoded authored by Jay-Z, and primarily written to allow outsiders the opportunity to understand the meaning behind his lyrics he defines the term Renegade as a rebel. He wrote, “This is one of the things that make me –and all serious rappers- renegades: When we report the news, it doesn’t sound the same as you hear it from CNN. Most of us come from communities where people were supposed to just stay in their corner quietly, live and die without disturbing the master narrative of American society. Simply speaking our truths, which flew in the face of the American myth, made us rebels.”
Jay-Z in his song Renegade redefined terms, shared his epistemology, and was able to convey his message in an articulate way connecting his music to his life history, which allowed his listener to gain a new perspective. His research was based on his own self-study, which brings me full circle and leaves me still questioning “Is hip hop and good research synonymous?’
My Standard for Good Research
Good research should give a voice to the implications of the analysis, not be covert, do no harm to participants, provide a new perspective, and use a systematic methodology that supports the truth. The research article Dialoguing, Cultural Capital, and Student Engagement: Toward a Hip Hop Pedagogy in the High School and University Classroom (Rodriguez, 2009) was an article that measured up to my standard of good research.
The article explores how dialogue, as a core element of hip-hop culture, is used in disrupting traditional vehicles of engagement, particularly between youth connected to hip hop and educators who are traditionally disconnected from the culture (Rodriguez, 2009). The researcher asked two questions to a group of pre-service teachers, the first question was about table etiquette and the second question was about whether the Game and Eazy E were related, which was a question related to hip hop. He demonstrated that 75% the majority of his pre-service teachers knew about table etiquette, but 85% of the teachers had never heard of The Game nor Easy E. His findings were powerful because he was giving a voice to the students who attended an alternative school while allowing teachers the opportunity to examine their readiness to teach students from lower income areas where they may receive their first job. He allowed his high school students to have a dialogue with preservice teachers, which although resulted in the students feeling disrespected during and after the dialogue. The dialogue itself opened the door for practice and policy to be explored within preparing preservice teachers for real world encounters where hip hop could be used as social capital to create dialogue with youth. The data collection and analysis of audio recordings of the dialogue created between his alternative high school students and college students were evidence of the disconnect between hip hop and the training of preservice teachers who may be able to use hip hop as a tool to create dialogue in the classroom.
Misconceptions about Good Research
Defining good research is like asking a person to define good hip-hop music. I love hip hop, but I am consciously aware that my definition of hip hop as a 41 year-old male originates from a different place than a high student with a T-Shirt that reads Class of 2017. Our musical playlist will probably look completely different even if we both claim to love hip-hop. Therefore, my definition of good research as a first year doctoral candidate will look drastically different then a University Professor who has already received his doctoral degree. All of a sudden I feel like the high school student with Class of 2017 on his back because what I think is good research is based on my epistemology and misconceptions.
As a first year doctoral student, I imagined walking into a library to find a good research article would be equivalent to walking into a music store to find good hip-hop. The tasks seeming simple in nature, until you had to defend why you thought your selection was good. Remembering research articles that discussed the complexity of goods seemed useful during my first attempt to define good. Remembering good things need not be extraordinary (Hostetler). My first attempt to define good research was it had to be something that moved you, literally moved your body despite the genre or type of research. I don’t listen to country music or hard rock on a regular basis (hardly ever), but I will admit certain songs I consider good because they move me. In order for a song to move me, two things are required I have to be able to relate to the song and some type of body movement must occur ranging from a head nod, a tapping foot, some air guitar, or the classic swaying back and forth of my head. As a first year doctoral student, I haven’t experience those exact movements reading a good research article, but I have been moved intellectually. A good research article whether quantitative or qualitative has the same two requirements as a good hip hop. I need to be able to relate to the article (see the purpose) and some type of intellectual movement is required such as an eyebrow raise, a lifting of my bottom lip, a subtle head nod, or even the classic swaying of my head back and forth symbolizing agreement that I agree with something I read.
Several hours later when I discussed my definition with my wife, she laughed at my criteria for good research as if I was Kat Williams a comedian. She stated “So your argument is you need to sway your head back and forth like your hearing one of your favorite songs. You are going to trash someones work because it didn’t move you. Immediately I thought, “I need to get some sleep or stop listening to hip-hop.”
The next day, my plan was to delete this so called rough draft, but then I realized my misconceptions may be common amongst first year researchers, therefore I would display the courage to share my first definition of good research. Since my article on good research now resembled the first draft Anne Lamont discussed in one of our required readings title “Shitty First Drafts,” where she discussed how your first draft was like a child’s draft, where you could let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that you could shape it later.
Therefore, I would like to reshape my first definition as a misconception of good research. Eliminating the criteria that good research needs to be something that moves you replacing the definition with a more systematic and scientific approach.
Conclusion
Good research should give a voice to the implications of the analysis, not be covert, do no harm to participants, provide a new perspective, and use a systematic methodology that supports the truth. Therefore, hip hop and good research are not synonymous because hip hop is a form of entertainment with no evidence that supports (methodology) the notion that lyrics are based on truth.
Never been afraid
To say what's on my mind
At any given time of day
Cause I'm a renegade
Never been afraid
To talk about anything
(Anything)
(Anything)
(Anything)
-Jay-Z & Eminem
Scholastic Renegade
Is good research and hip hop synonymous? As I listen to the dramatic beat coming from my car speakers coupled with the explicit lyrics from rap artists Jay-Z and Eminem from their hip hop song Renegade, I begin to wonder is good research and hip hop synonymous?” Good research in education has been defined as having the ability to articulate some sound connection between your work and a robust and justifiable conception of well-being (Hostetler, 2005). Listening to the lyrics from the song Renegade, both artists are articulate and deliver a message that is rich in content and thought provoking because it challenges listeners to redefine the term renegade. The traditional definition of a renegade has been defined as a person who leaves one group for another or an outlaw. However, the chorus in Renegade has a bravado boasting of fearlessness and preparation for debate, while simultaneously embracing criticism. These same characteristics resemble possible requirements of a doctoral candidate searching to find their own voice amongst good researchers, consequently making them Scholastic Renegades.
A Scholastic renegade is a scholar with the courage to be vulnerable while enticing criticism because they believe their research deserves discussion. Good research reveals one perception of the truth which is supported by data, but ultimately leads to scholarly debate because it challenges ones theory of knowledge. Examples of Scholastic Renegades include Ronald E. Hallett who interrupted a young man’s life history moving him from Southern California to Nebraska, Annette Lareau who discussed invisible inequality in black and white families through observation, and the students from University of Northern Colorado who discussed the Impostor Phenomenon experienced by first year doctoral students. In my opinion all of these researchers produced examples of good research articles because their methodologies supported a truth that needed to be revealed.
Ronald E. Hallet revealed when a researcher takes on a new title such as a friend, tutor, or family, then the researcher should also inherent the responsibility of those titles. His redefining the participant as family, ultimately led to him moving the participant from Southern California to Nebraska where he would continue to have access to education and be considered family (Hallet, 2013). Annette Lareau discussed the invisible inequality in black and white families and renamed the middle class and working/poor class completely. She defined the way black and white middle class families raised their children as concerted cultivation opposed to her definition of black and white working/poor class defined as accomplishments of natural growth. Her perspective of these economic classes allowed readers to gain insight based on research observations. However, her courage to create the terms concerted cultivation and accomplished natural growth seem to reflect the code of ethics to ‘do no harm.’ The students from the University of Northern Colorado discussed in their research article how first year doctoral students experienced feelings of being a fraud in the classroom resulting in the Impostor Phenomenon (Craddock,S., Birnbaum,M., Rodriguez,K., Cobb,C., & Zeeh,S., 2011). Their research explored various feelings of first year doctoral students and created an arena where doctoral students could allow their experiences to seemingly come out of the dark into the light, creating dialogue amongst educators. All of the above researchers were Scholastic Renegades because their research was synonymous with the line in the chorus: “Never been afraid to say what’s on my mind at any given time of day, cause I’m a renegade.” Scholastic renegades are homogenous with the rap artist Jay-Z because they are fearless when it comes to telling the truth. The truth whether in hip hop or good research should transcend everything, therefore the choice of a scholastic renegade whether to provide a voice through the implications of analysis or remain silent will always be to speak the truth. (Labaree,2003).
In the book Decoded authored by Jay-Z, and primarily written to allow outsiders the opportunity to understand the meaning behind his lyrics he defines the term Renegade as a rebel. He wrote, “This is one of the things that make me –and all serious rappers- renegades: When we report the news, it doesn’t sound the same as you hear it from CNN. Most of us come from communities where people were supposed to just stay in their corner quietly, live and die without disturbing the master narrative of American society. Simply speaking our truths, which flew in the face of the American myth, made us rebels.”
Jay-Z in his song Renegade redefined terms, shared his epistemology, and was able to convey his message in an articulate way connecting his music to his life history, which allowed his listener to gain a new perspective. His research was based on his own self-study, which brings me full circle and leaves me still questioning “Is hip hop and good research synonymous?’
My Standard for Good Research
Good research should give a voice to the implications of the analysis, not be covert, do no harm to participants, provide a new perspective, and use a systematic methodology that supports the truth. The research article Dialoguing, Cultural Capital, and Student Engagement: Toward a Hip Hop Pedagogy in the High School and University Classroom (Rodriguez, 2009) was an article that measured up to my standard of good research.
The article explores how dialogue, as a core element of hip-hop culture, is used in disrupting traditional vehicles of engagement, particularly between youth connected to hip hop and educators who are traditionally disconnected from the culture (Rodriguez, 2009). The researcher asked two questions to a group of pre-service teachers, the first question was about table etiquette and the second question was about whether the Game and Eazy E were related, which was a question related to hip hop. He demonstrated that 75% the majority of his pre-service teachers knew about table etiquette, but 85% of the teachers had never heard of The Game nor Easy E. His findings were powerful because he was giving a voice to the students who attended an alternative school while allowing teachers the opportunity to examine their readiness to teach students from lower income areas where they may receive their first job. He allowed his high school students to have a dialogue with preservice teachers, which although resulted in the students feeling disrespected during and after the dialogue. The dialogue itself opened the door for practice and policy to be explored within preparing preservice teachers for real world encounters where hip hop could be used as social capital to create dialogue with youth. The data collection and analysis of audio recordings of the dialogue created between his alternative high school students and college students were evidence of the disconnect between hip hop and the training of preservice teachers who may be able to use hip hop as a tool to create dialogue in the classroom.
Misconceptions about Good Research
Defining good research is like asking a person to define good hip-hop music. I love hip hop, but I am consciously aware that my definition of hip hop as a 41 year-old male originates from a different place than a high student with a T-Shirt that reads Class of 2017. Our musical playlist will probably look completely different even if we both claim to love hip-hop. Therefore, my definition of good research as a first year doctoral candidate will look drastically different then a University Professor who has already received his doctoral degree. All of a sudden I feel like the high school student with Class of 2017 on his back because what I think is good research is based on my epistemology and misconceptions.
As a first year doctoral student, I imagined walking into a library to find a good research article would be equivalent to walking into a music store to find good hip-hop. The tasks seeming simple in nature, until you had to defend why you thought your selection was good. Remembering research articles that discussed the complexity of goods seemed useful during my first attempt to define good. Remembering good things need not be extraordinary (Hostetler). My first attempt to define good research was it had to be something that moved you, literally moved your body despite the genre or type of research. I don’t listen to country music or hard rock on a regular basis (hardly ever), but I will admit certain songs I consider good because they move me. In order for a song to move me, two things are required I have to be able to relate to the song and some type of body movement must occur ranging from a head nod, a tapping foot, some air guitar, or the classic swaying back and forth of my head. As a first year doctoral student, I haven’t experience those exact movements reading a good research article, but I have been moved intellectually. A good research article whether quantitative or qualitative has the same two requirements as a good hip hop. I need to be able to relate to the article (see the purpose) and some type of intellectual movement is required such as an eyebrow raise, a lifting of my bottom lip, a subtle head nod, or even the classic swaying of my head back and forth symbolizing agreement that I agree with something I read.
Several hours later when I discussed my definition with my wife, she laughed at my criteria for good research as if I was Kat Williams a comedian. She stated “So your argument is you need to sway your head back and forth like your hearing one of your favorite songs. You are going to trash someones work because it didn’t move you. Immediately I thought, “I need to get some sleep or stop listening to hip-hop.”
The next day, my plan was to delete this so called rough draft, but then I realized my misconceptions may be common amongst first year researchers, therefore I would display the courage to share my first definition of good research. Since my article on good research now resembled the first draft Anne Lamont discussed in one of our required readings title “Shitty First Drafts,” where she discussed how your first draft was like a child’s draft, where you could let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that you could shape it later.
Therefore, I would like to reshape my first definition as a misconception of good research. Eliminating the criteria that good research needs to be something that moves you replacing the definition with a more systematic and scientific approach.
Conclusion
Good research should give a voice to the implications of the analysis, not be covert, do no harm to participants, provide a new perspective, and use a systematic methodology that supports the truth. Therefore, hip hop and good research are not synonymous because hip hop is a form of entertainment with no evidence that supports (methodology) the notion that lyrics are based on truth.