In this post I’d like to discuss the importance of qualitative analysis in social understanding. I don’t want to go into any great depth, just introduce the contours of the argument as a way of highlighting benefits and the complexities. First off, what is qualitative analysis?  There a different definitions but they all tend to include the following: it is the in-depth understanding of human behaviour.  Qualitative analysis concerns itself with the breadth of human behaviour and is not just …

I had a really interesting discussion the other day with a colleague. We were coming back from a longish day in the field when our conversation turned to the ethics and balancing acts which form our professional ethics when working in the community engagement space.  Below are some of the points we thought important: We are dealing in social change – we facilitate alterations to the ways things are done, the ways communities are engaged and part of actions, and …

Koh Lanta in Thailand is known for spectacular sunsets over the Andaman sea.  There is a kind of hush which settles along the beach when the sun starts to set – and people pause to look, mostly with cameras of one form or another.

Below is the first few paragraphs of Bogong’s Year – a new project I’ve just begun.  You can follow it by clicking here or via the Brian tab above – Brian>Current projects>Bogong’s Year. “There are some times when you realise that the passage of time has been less a passage and more a torrential flow. I always like ‘passage’ because it gives the impression, at least in my mind, of some kind of orderly movement. Torrent however raises something quite …

People told me about the ‘hush’ before I got anywhere near to the island. ‘The place is sooo laid back’, they said. ‘It’s really special. People just sit in cafes, restaurants, bars – wherever – and just stare out over the water. Don’t talk or, if they do, it’s like they’re whispering’. So, it was with somewhat raised expectations that I got out of the bus which had taken us to our accommodation on Koh Lanta, the Thai island with …

The world’s a truly amazing place. This is something that we need to keep reminding ourselves of. Yes there’s a lot of negative stuff and its east to feel disheartened  about various things, including the state of the political process in many countries that had, in the past, shined a light on democracy. But there is also a lot of things happening, randomly, which make us realise that things are much more negotiable especially at a local level.  I’ve worked …

** Please note that I am one of Gore’s Australian Ambassadors (see http://www.gore-tex.com.au/brian-furze/w1/i1094414/).  These boots have been supplied by Gore in the interests of getting my feed-back from my use. It’s great to get the opportunity to review the La Sportiva Primer Low GTX hiking boot. I’ve been fortunate to have had a couple of pairs of La Sportiva’s over the years and I know how good they have been, so being able to test the Primer Low GTX was something …

On 27th December 2016, I came across a small story in The Age – a story which highlighted the pressures on the AAWT, the pressures on national parks and pressures on the landscapes which support them. This was a story of significant change to what a national park has been understood as in Victoria, and more specifically, what Victoria’s Alpine National Park represents. According to the article (which can be read here), Parks Victoria and Regional Development Victoria have proposed …

There are so many good things about qualitative analysis.  Here are five of them. We talk to people. Strange as it may seem, some social research is about numbers rather than people, their ideas, their concerns, their strengths, the challenges they face etc.  People get asked to ‘agree/disagree’ or ‘circle the most appropriate response’. With qualitative analysis you talk, you interact, you learn lots and you meet some great people. We play in the grey. ‘Playing in the grey’ is …

For me, local slow travel is one of the great things I do.  Here’s some of the reasons why I think it’s the best way to travel (in no particular order): Walking, cycling and paddling allows me to travel IN a landscape, not THROUGH one. I get to meet people. I get to learn about their landscapes. I can contribute economically, socially and sometimes even politically at the local level. Knowing more about the ways people live in their landscapes, …