I've been tackling my least favourite part of the thesis process - the theory chapter. This is also the chapter my supervisors emphasise as the framework of the thesis. But it's hard trying to work out exactly what my theoretical basis is going to be.
My supervisors have thrown phrases around like 'theory think-piece', or 'conceptualisation piece', which seem to make sense when we're discussing it in the meeting, but by the next day sound like another language. Then I get frustrated with myself because I can't put a finger on what my approach is exactly. I want to use discourses...so poststructuralism... so social constructionism gets a mention... what about citizenship? Where does that fit in - the lit review or the theory chapter? Or both? What about other aspects? Bourdieu? Arendt? Connectedness or belonging? Or should I focus on participation?
(Cue thoughts of "I don't know anything!". Impostor syndrome anyone?)
The more I think about it, the more confused I feel - and the more I feel I need to read! As a result, I have a stack of articles added to the stack of library books to read. Reading what others have written about my topic (digital citizenship, btw) and trying to identify their theoretical approach is helping me identify at least some approaches. I also spent a while writing down statements about my topic and then trying to identify my underlying assumptions and therefore my approach. I put it all into a chapter outline, albeit skeletal - I really do have a LOT of reading to do. I'll slowly fill in the gaps and someday in a few years I'll have a finished theory chapter as part of my finished thesis - I hope!
So anyone else have this problem? Or maybe this is just my own peculiar weakness :)
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