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RESH9001 Research Methodology

19/12/2022

3 Comments

 
2nd Blog Post

Niaah, S. S. (2004). Making space: Kingston’s Dancehall culture and its philosophy of “boundarylessness.” African Identities, 2(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472584042000310847

​The link above is a publication about the Jamaican equivalent dance genre dancehall, and I found it very interesting in the way that Dr. Niaah writes about the history and nuances of the style, mixing traditional academic jargon with her native dialect.  In my research, I plan on making comparisons among soca, dancehall, hip hop, afrobeats and other styles that have blazed the trail on an international stage, in an effort to determine whether soca dance enthusiasts can borrow strategies from these alternative dance styles.
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Picture

Photo courtesy http://www.dazeddigital.com


​References

Niaah, S. S. (2004). Making space: Kingston’s Dancehall culture and its philosophy of “boundarylessness.” African Identities, 2(2), 117–132.  DOI: 10.1080/1472584042000310847
3 Comments

RESH9001 Research Methodology Assignment

19/12/2022

4 Comments

 
Photography by Jermaine Cruishank
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My research topic is to explore how soca dance can achieve more international market penetration. Research in this area is important as there is a dearth of academic writing in Trinidad and Tobago as it relates to the performing arts, even more so with soca dance, a genre indigenous to our island. The sustainable development goal that is most relevant to the study is “Good Health and Well-Being.” Kin and Yoon (2022) estimated significant socio-economic contribution of dance education to sustainable development in Korea.  The importance of the arts and its impact on psychological well-being has been made astutely evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, where persons turned to online entertainment as a coping mechanism.  The pandemic also brought to the forefront that mental stability is just as important as physical health.  Rugh et. al (2022) argued that virtual dance classes had a positive impact on mental health and social connectivity. Dance has been proven to have several benefits to psychological and physical health as it reduces stress and anxiety through the release of endorphins, increases social skills and aids in weight loss and improved cardiovascular health.  Having taken all these factors into consideration, my focus on soca dance in particular stems from my patriotism, wanting to market our local culture on a global stage.

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Photo courtesy Kes the Band

During the course of my research journey, I have enjoyed learning about various requirements of academic writing, the dos and don’ts for publications, and the challenges that can be expected along the way.  I have already experienced moments of doubt, as well as intermittent spurts of feeling overwhelmed. However, learning of the experiences from the lecturers, their colleagues and follow classmates, it felt encouraging that this was a normal part of the process.


References
Kim, J., & Yoon, J. (2022). Estimating the Socio-Economic Value of Dance Curriculum as Public Education in Korea for Sustainable Development: Using Contingent Valuation Method. Sustainability, 14(3), 1635.

Rachel Rugh, Ashlee Humphries, Noor Tasnim & Julia C. Basso (2022) Healing minds, moving bodies: measuring the mental health effects of online dance during the COVID-19 pandemic, Research in Dance Education, DOI: 10.1080/14647893.2022.2078297

[Kes the Band]. (2017, February 26). Kes – Incredible (Tuesday on the Rocks Concert 2017). [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzsIhIMs4I

[Ted Talks]. (2018, July 12). My Journey with Dance and Mental Health | Kevin Turner | TEDxLancaster. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC-K4IKpOQU
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La Shaun Prescott
Photography for background image by 
Sheldon Paul