More research stuff: Jessa's first participant observation!

Today I went to an arts class, designed to facilitate cross-community ties as well as to teach marketable craft skills and math. I quilted a potholder! (Okay, I sewed the little strips of fabric together and the teacher did everything else). The instructor was an imposing, gregarious woman who was mortified that I didn't know how to use a sewing machine and tutted over my ironing abilities. I was actually very glad to have her bossing me around, though, because sometimes when I'm nervous my brain switches off and I just need someone to tell me what to do. My nerves were acting up because was my first participant-observation, which is a research method for collecting qualitative data.

The students in the class were a little quiet at first. One of the employees at my organization warned me that people in Derry are wary of outsiders who come in to "study" them. Once I started talking about where I was from and my family, they let their guard down and became very friendly. One of the students spent a lot of her time helping me each time my thread disappeared into the sewing machine. Another person told me that the program had cured her of a recurring health problem.

I actually found that quilting a potholder was very relaxing, and was surprised at the complexity of some of the students' projects. To tell you the truth, when I first walked into the class I looked upon quilting as sort of provincial. Actually, though, there is a lot of thinking and math that goes into getting the patterns and measurements right, and you have to cut and sew very precisely to get a good product. I asked what happened when someone messes up, and one of the students said “we just don’t. The fabric is too expensive.”

Tea time was the best; the chatting and social time are as important for the program's success as the employment skills. I had a very enlightening conversation with the program coordinator, who explained to me that the type of reconciliation that goes on in that room is very under-the-surface. When you are in the company of normal people in Northern Ireland (it's different if you're with a public figure), it's considered a faux pas to bring up religion. The people in the class never talk about what religion they are; however, you can almost always tell whether someone is Protestant or Catholic by where they live. The way the coordinator explained it to me is that there is a collective ethos of moving on from the past that gives people a sense of hope and progress, but it also prevents people from bringing past wounds out into the open.

Actually, the class itself illustrates a peacebuilding theory that if you set people to work on a common goal, they will forge bonds that help them overcome their differences. I was very impressed when one of the students asked for help on a problem with her project and all of the others came rushing over to help them work out a solution. After they were done helping, one of the students piped up, "is it tea time yet?" If you ever go to Northern Ireland, be prepared to have a lot of tea and "biscuits" (flaky, thin sugar cookies).



Yes, when it comes to things that I make, functional DOES mean ugly.