22nd Oct – the writing of Geoff Cooper even makes sense now – key thing I’ve taken away is that mobile phones could make us less mobile as in a sense the world comes to us – so we don’t have to move off our backsides, and the mobile can stop woman feeling threatened in a public place because they feel that they are not alone (not that that saved the life of the Finnish student who received a call from her mother whilst she was being murdered in east London). Feel free to add anything else I missed.

Enjoyed meeting James Crabtree (The Work Foundation) – he’s an engaging communicator and it’s interesting to see that the BBC are not the only ones who’ve cottoned on to the importance of the ethnographic approach. If I use my intuition guided by research to develop a programme idea though no one’s disadvantaged and hopefully some people are informed, and entertained. If public policy is influenced by ideas that haven’t been rigorously researched or tested however then frankly it’s no wonder we’re in such a mess.
Amazed to see that others are reading these blogs and not dismissing me out of hand (academics can be a scary lot you know) – will I look back on them and feel naive?
Sian

23rd Oct Consuming technologies (Ed by Roger Silverstone and Eric Hirsch) takes me back to familiar ground. In it Colin Campbell looks at the desire for the new and how it fits into theories for fashion and Consumerism. What’s interesting is how he presents compelling arguments, then finds the flaw. I will now think of new is 3 ways (unsoiled, improved or (key to me) novel to the consumer). And I think I have a better understanding of why and how understanding people’s inner dreams and values might be key to selling (or getting them to watch) something
Sian

24th Oct – about to go out and do my first study of a family (my neighbours have kindly volunteered to be guineapigs) Adam and kris watch this space!
Sian