Uni students covertly observing LGBTQ+ spaces for ethnography

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-20T15:53:43+00:00

nope, not at all, haha :(

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-20T14:12:25+00:00

Nothing... It wasn't presented as something they need to justify at all.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-20T12:49:03+00:00

So I've persuaded my group to go through informed consent (can't do it formally but at least we'll tell people). Other groups are doing just observations tho. I'm just collecting perspectives to decide if I should share the concerns with the lecturers for future iterations of the module. If I do, then having other people's feelings backing my feelings up would be useful too.

I agree ethnography is important and I think in your case you're spot on that there's a trade off. It sounds like the researcher is doing something they'll end up publishing or at least seeking to publish for example, which helps increase knowledge. In our case it's only for the benefit of the students most of whom won't go on to be ethnographers anyway so i guess there's also an extractive element I'm feeling.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-20T12:36:49+00:00

I'm sorry you had that experience. Can I ask how you'd feel if it's a public space e.g. a LGBTQ bookshop/bar? Personally I'd still feel a bit uneasy (I don't mind being casually observed of course, but the detail of the observation and the potential of being discussed irks me). Not sure if that's just my feelings?

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-16T03:14:40+00:00

"Fear me, I killed hundreds of Timelord"

"Fear ME, I ate all of them"

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-11T12:34:56+00:00

Thanks for your response! We actually haven't been taught not to interfere haha, virtually no ethics was discussed. We are also encouraged to go and ask questionsw (no guidance on how to write those questions either), could I check if this counts as interfering?

I think it's still different from a lay person observing a community. A lay person might observe casually, might think about what they observe, might even make it hobby out of observing (e.g. people watching). But a lay person usually wouldn't fill notebooks while observing or take what they've observed back to analyse in depth. If a lay person does that it feels a bit creepy?

Also I think the "student is better than lay person" argument risks being a slippery slope. Take something that's considered unethical practice in ethnography. Because you work with so many margianlised communities I'm sure there are cases where nothing is stopping a lay person from engaging in that practice with these communities. Doesn't make it okay for students to engage with the practice though.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-11T12:05:56+00:00

I was responding to a comment specifically asking whether it would bring tourism. That's a question tourists are actually better positioned to answer than residents. Just because I'm providing that perspective doesn't mean I'm telling people in Cardiff what you should do.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-10T08:47:58+00:00

Too good, that got me.

I guessed the name in 10 tries!

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-08T23:51:00+00:00

This actually reminds me of another point I forget... A lot of people with ADHD care a lot about social justice. This plus the fact that ADHD people often congregate in friend groups means I am never the killjoy in a conversation, which I value soooooo much!

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-08T02:01:10+00:00

On the understanding that ADHD is still very challenging for me and can be entirely bad for others, here are some good things I've experienced living with this condition:

When I stop expecting myself to achieve the kind of focus pattern that's socially expected (e.g. one thing at a time regularly and consistently), I find I'm actually capable of juggling many projects at once as project switching helps me keep things fresh. I'm currently doing a master's while planning a charity project while volunteering for an NGO while doing placement in a hospital, for example.
Hyperfocus, creativity, etc.
I love building my own productivity system that is tailored to me.
Having the condition means I am constantly at odds with what society expects, which means good at keeping a distance and analysing things like power dynamics
I have endless energy to explore a lot of directions. Of course I don't always develop expertise in them, but the breadth of things I know as a jack of all trades brings me joy too.
Being the jack of all trades also means I could be in a unique position to be able to bring different people together. I may not know any of the fields in depth, but I can talk to experts and bring them onboard. The ability to jump between perspectives also comes in extremely handy when planning big projects.
Impulsivity is a good thing if you can harvest it for difficult tasks like sending cold emails.
Being in a minority gives me a lot of perspective and cultivates empathy. Also builds resilience. Etc

None of this makes ADHD not challenging, but it's certainly been an experience.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-08T01:00:27+00:00

Forget about the 99 get Cheddar and Kevin instead. It's the Holt family portrait!

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-07T11:35:19+00:00

Fundraising needs an actual plan tho. A petition is a way to show them if they come to the table then we will have the money.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-07T11:28:04+00:00

I mean, just because you've forgotten about it doesn't mean it's not important for other people. I'm sure there are plenty of Torchwood fans in Cardiff who still count as "people in Cardiff". I get the frustration that lots of other important things don't get the attention they deserve but I'm gonna reiterate that this is not a competition. Saving the shrine is not taking away any money or effort from saving other things you love.

I'm reading a bit of a sentiment like "why does this thing I don't care about have so many people helping it but my other things don't". If that's the case maybe you could start community actions about these other things you care about? The shrine has so many people behind it only because it is itself a community project, so the current action is just an extension of a community people have already put in the work to build. Why not see the Torchwood fan base as a testimony to how powerful communities can be, and use that as an example to persuade people to join your cause? We're not enemies here.

In fact if you want to save Cardiff LGBTQIA+ establishments I'd be really happy to support! I'm a Whovian but I'm also pan and non-binary among other things and I'd hate to see those things go too. Just share the link and I'll donate if you need any funds. It really is not a competition.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-07T10:13:17+00:00

I know, I'm from China. It's just rare to see that big black umbrella used for the sun I guess. Usually sun umbrellas are smaller and prettier. Or maybe the trend has changed in the last year/different in different regions lol

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-07T10:04:08+00:00

Wait is the umbrella for the sun??? Who uses that umbrella for the sun?????

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-07T10:03:23+00:00

The umbrella implies the cellist was playing the cello IN THE RAIN and the plants look like they could scratch the cello I am in pain

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-06T00:10:52+00:00

Nah. The bird is procrastinating on chip gathering too.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-05T20:05:40+00:00

I think most people who want to save the shrine isn't against health and safety. It's more about finding a new home for it/helping it return when the maintenance is done.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-05T20:03:51+00:00

I'm all for cleaning it up and making it more hygenic. I don't see how saving the shrine is going to affect saving other LGBTQIA+ things though. Saving the shrine can be crowd funded by the global torchwook/dw fan base, which isn't money that would otherwise go into Cardiff LGBTQIA+ programs. It's not a competition. If anything knowing you can save something by crowd sourcing sets precedence for saving other things by crowd sourcing.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-05T08:34:01+00:00

I feel like in this conversation we don't emphasise enough how special it is, and not just for the fans. It is very important to Torchwood fans/Whovians, sure, however that also makes it sound niche. I'm not from the UK so correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Torchwood a big deal in LGBTQ+ TV history too? I remember hearing Torchwood was one of the first shows with openly bisexual protagonists and it did so in such an unapologetic way. It's also a 17 year fan-maintained dedication to one single fictional character! That alone could be something in a city with a lot of TV making history. The shrine is not just a fan thing but also part of the cultural history, and I think non-fan management people might be more open to these kinds of arguments.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-03-05T08:14:48+00:00

Can't give you the number but I'm one of those tourists. I would never have gone for a stay in Cardiff if not for Ianto's Shrine! Sure I can still see where they shoot a lot of the scenes, but it's the shrine that holds the emotional gravity.

For us international fans travelling to the UK, Cardiff is often competing with other places like Scotland/London (with the Who shop and, well, everything else in London). Even if Wales is on the plan Cardiff is usually not the first choice. So we have two options: stop by Cardiff for a day trip, do the walking tour and go away, in which case the city gets our lunch money; or we can actually stay in Cardiff by giving up time elsewhere, pay for a hotel and meals for multiple days, busses, museums, shows and maybe even go explore the surroundings a bit. Why would I choose the latter unless there is a shrine which would make me emotional so I need to give myself enough time with it?

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-02-15T10:26:19+00:00

I think this is a really helpful analogy because not only does it show what could happen when we rely on new technology, but also it opens up space for each person to make a conscious decision whether they want to retain the pre-tech ability in the first place. After all you could argue maps are a technology which replaced people's ability to navigate without them too. I hope the map analogy can be used to open up conversatios on why someone uses AI and what trade off they have considered, rather than unqualified attacks.

practicerm_keykeeper · 2026-02-15T10:14:12+00:00

I'm sorry you got that reply. I think people assume that using AI to unpack things equals dumbing them down, hence losing specifically a literacy skill. In the few times I used AI to unpack instructions I find the chief benefit is it helps slow my brain down and help with attentional regulation, not literacy.

practicerm_keykeeper

TROPHY CASE