Theory and Framework

The evening forum opened up with a discussion surrounding the thoughts and feelings relating to Theory and Framework, the glue that underpins writing a research proposal. Angela posed some questions to stimulate conversation and it was interesting to hear individual interpretations. As the conversation steered towards modules 2 and 3, I have to say that I was a bit baffled by some of the titles and concepts. To some degree I felt out of my depth hence the lack of vocal participation in the initial stages. However, below are some words along with ideas and questions that I picked up upon during the conversation and they are as follows: different ways of looking at things, layering, embodied practice, what will you be looking at, what is going to give you support when looking at an idea, acknowledging a framework beyond the field of dance, ethics, no constraints in your framework, one text can have a different application, what holds everything together. Although these were snippets from various conversations, upon reflection, I saw this as a pot of words and ideas just to help me start thinking about the thought process. At this point the concept of thinking about thinking comes to mind - does anyone else agree? Through another conversation it was compelling to discuss the impact the interviews had on the individual researcher especially where the information received was sensitve. As a result, a discussion evolved around the impact of feelings and emotions. I immediately thought about the transference and countertransference, a therapuetic setting used within the psychodynamic framework. This made me reflect upon my intentions and potential area of research for module 2 so it was helpful to hear other shared experiences. Like any discussion, it left me thinking more about the meaning of the word Theory, and the meaning of the word Framework and their significance. I then looked up the words independently and this led me to another hour or so of reading as the thread of an idea tends to hold many strands and leads you into the labrynth of further enquiry. I liked the explanation shown on vocabulary.com (https://www.vocabulary.com) that explains theory as a set of beliefs or principles that might not be proven yet. The word itself comes from the Greek theoria which means contemplation or speculation. Wikipedia offers another description of the word theory: looking at, viewing, beholding. The word Framework is described by the Cambridge Dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org) as a supporting structure around which something can be built or a system of rules, ideas or beliefs that is used to plan or decide something. By chance I came across a website called https://eric.ed.gov that outlined a paper by Kevin. C Costley, titled - Why do we have theories? (online submission, 2006, June-eric). I felt his answer cemented my understanding: Theories are vital: they guide and give meaning to what we see. When a researcher investigates and collects information through observation, the investigator needs a clear idea of what information is important to collect. Thus, valid theories are validated by research and are a sound basis for practical action. Now I have a better understanding, I'm off to complete my module 1 essays!!