After further reflection and the feedback from Anthony, I decided to change my research project. It could seem as a major shift for people who don’t know my working path. In fact it is more an actualisation of my priorities. I first described my proposal about bathing because I didn’t have time to think about it therefore took a regular studies topic.
The following proposal is very much related to my actual work, which is coming from the pleasurable experience of bathing. This topic is also related to a research I did during the first semester: UNLOADING. It is about the pleasure from the embodiment of the working task in the personal life.
After watching the video I was fascinated and very intrigued by the ‘OKADA’, the moped-taxi that drive through the traffic jam. So my proposal is to study the self-entrepreneurship motivation of the OKADA drivers. What did they do before? How does it change their lives? To do so I want to follow one driver from in his everyday working life to his home intimacy (of course with his agreement and participation) of his bathing environment.
I assume that being a self-entrepreneur is embodying the task, and this embodiment enhances the pleasure at work. Of course I will look up and relate this to a more social and urban regulation levels. My main focus and observational path will remains the individual worker on his moped and how he experiences the life in Lagos through his body perception. I think starting from an individual worker that his work is to move throughout the city I can have a good overview and understanding of a macro-scale model as well as an atomic-scale.
My method will be to jump on the OKADA’s seat and shoot the city through the eyes of the drivers. Of course it will be my analysis but it will be his experience. I’m going to shoot some video ‘on the ride’, interview him sometimes in a very informal way. I wish to create a peculiar bound with the driver during my stay in Lagos; therefore I need a reliable and stable driver. I wish student in Lagos or people from Buka’s office could help me (in advance) to find a good trustable driver.
Dear Yoann
ReplyDeleteAlso this proposal is a very interesting one, as it focus on a micro-story (and a highly mobile one) in this large urban agglomeration. When carrying out the project I think you might get torn between describing the city through this lense and telling the story of your driver. These two dimensions are not necessarily opposing, but would be good to give this some further thoughts.
Informal transportation in general is so far relatively under-researched, in case you like reading, browse through the link below or consult some of the articles (despite major cultural differences, such subsistence activities are often very comparable throughout the developing world… the articles you cant find I can send to you):
http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1775/informal-transportation/
Ayodele O., 2008, ‘Informal Public Transportation in the Developing World’, in: Third World Mobility, accessed online: http://povertyworlddevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/addressing_the_challenge_of_the_3rd_world
last the 13.02.2008
Barter R.P., 1998, ‘Transport and Urban Poverty in Asia: A Brief Introduction to the Key Issues’, paper prepared for the UNCHS (Habitat) Regional Symposium on Urban Poverty in Asia, Fukuoka, October 27-29, accessed online: http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/out/siryo/r06.html last 19.03.09
Cervero R. & A. Golub, 2007, ‘Informal transport: A global perspective’, in: Transport Policy, Vol.14, No.6, pp. 445–457.
Gakenheimer R., 2007, ‘Urban Transport and the Poor: Some Notes’, presentation for the Sustainable Transportation Services for the Urban Poor Event, Woodrow Wilson Center, 20th February, accessed online:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/ralph%20gakenheimer.pdf last 25.02.2009
Hook W., 2007, ‘Urban Transport and Poverty Alleviation’, presentation for the Sustainable Transportation Services for the Urban Poor Event, Woodrow Wilson Center, 20th February, accessed online: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/walter%20hook.pdf last 25.02.2009
Hoque M.M.D., Khondaker B. & J.B. Alam, no date, ‘Urban Transport Issues and Improvement Options In Bangladesh’, Accident Research Institute, accessed online:
http://www.buet.ac.bd/ari/publications.htm last 19.03.2009
Jacob S.G.D, Maunder D.A.C & P.R. Fouracre, 1981, ‘Transport problems of the urban poor in developing countries’. World Conference on Transport Research, London, April.
Urban Resource Centre, 2001, ‘Urban poverty and transport: a case study from Karachi’, in: Environment and Urbanization, Vol.13, No.1, pp.. 223-233.