On the Hunt for Relevant Literature

The next big step of our research project after data analysis and coding was creating an outline for the final paper. This meant we needed to settle on the wording for our two overarching narrative findings (‘Glocal’ Tensions and Elite Western Identification); plan out our introduction, methods, and discussion sections; and find relevant literature to apply to our findings. Because we had just finished reading State Nobility, Bourdieu’s theories regarding how elite schools cultivate and reproduce elite groups felt the easiest (or, at least, the most accessible) to apply. While Olive Grove Academy is still a fairly new school, the administration puts a lot of effort into maintaining an alumni network, and the alum who were interviewed typically noted that Olive Grove helped prepare them for the transition into an elite U.S. college. Looking at these findings through a Bourdieusian framework seemed logical, as the accumulation of social and cultural capital is at the forefront of the institution’s mission and in shaping students’ future successes.

 

What was more difficult, however, was locating sources that we hadn’t read in class. For me, in-class sources were easier to apply because we had to read and respond to them so I felt more confident about interpreting their content and employing any theory they used. In addition, the amount of relevant sources available through large databases like JSTOR is extensive, so I feel more inclined to keep searching until the perfect study comes up. Even with fairly specific keywords and filters, the amount of results far outnumbers those we read in class, making the stakes of choosing which ones to read feel higher. As a result, I usually end up with a superfluous amount of tabs open with potentially helpful articles up, which I keep open until either my browser crashes or I give in and bookmark them to read later.

 

One study that I found while on a quest to fill the literature review section of our research outline was about the IB vs. local curriculum in Australia (Doherty, Mu & Shield, 2009). When I found this source I went through stages of being convinced it was ideal for our paper, and then being unsure if a study about the IB curriculum would be completely relevant when the school we’re researching uses the AP curriculum. At the same time, this study was looking at how these two different tracks linked up to whether students pursued global or local tertiary education—a question which is central to our research about Olive Groves’ students imagined global futures and the tensions arising from some of their local ties to Jordan.

 

Eventually I realized that there is no perfect study that will connect 100% to our research focus because that would mean the study was on the same Jordanian school and had the same research question and findings. If that were the case, then our research wouldn’t really have a point. With this in mind, I am learning to think about how research findings might apply across different regional contexts and to recognize that sometimes it is better to find and read just one or two studies at a time instead of skimming through a whole queue of articles and having them all blur together.

 

References

Doherty, C., Mu, L., & Shield, P. (2009). Planning Mobile Futures: The Border Artistry of International Baccalaureate Diploma Choosers. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30(6), 757-771. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375458