Un/Expectations
I am inspired by queer and transgender scholars such as Judith Butler and Julia Serano as well as the work of theorist Elizabeth St. Pierre. I have given much thought to “re-imagining what methods might do, rather than what it is or how to do it” (St. Pierre, Jackson, & Mazzei, 2016, p. 105, emphasis in the original). Hence, I propose throughout the dissertation and in the (in)conclusion section of the study that it is not the objective to recognize, describe, interpret, or capture the “epistemic object” (St. Pierre, 2018, p. 7). My goal is not to set forth best practices or use social science research methodologies that show how to do it--how to create models of research and practice that are preexisting and can simply be applied in advance to the object of study. On the contrary, I work toward creating knowledge differently. That means that the reader will encounter questions without straightforward answers and, often, no answers. The intent is not to argue that there are no answers but simply to state that there are many possible, disparate, multivalent, and contingent answers.
I am also not interested in describing or explaining the authenticity or truth of trans lived experiences as there is no such referent. Rather, I am intrigued about the complexities involved and the paradoxes that lie in the trans stories that are told/lived in social media platforms, and the kinds of modes of relating, reciprocity, and conflict that emerge specifically through sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube. More importantly, what grounds the inquiry in this study is not uncertainty but indeterminacy and the opportunity for reciprocity, i.e., for the author and readers of this text to generate unforeseen impulses in art and education and move toward engaging emergent and polysemic trans ontologies of immanence. This inquiry that I enact, done differently as needed (Lather, 2013) rather than explained, requires readers to become explorers who navigate its constellations. A key of navigational tools is located on the home page. I have also provided a post-dissertation navigation, a set of constellations with points of departure for future exploration. |
Reaction 3 hours after my successful doctoral defense.
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Acknowledgements
Appreciation is extended to Hyphen Un-Press and the editors of Visual Culture & Gender. The dissertation site page “Jumping the Gun: Uncritical Trans Ally Artivism Post-HB2” is reproduced from "Jumping the Gun: Uncritical Trans Ally Artivism Post‐HB2," by K. Jenkins, 2018, Visual Culture & Gender, 13(1), 45-53. Copyright 2018 by Hyphen Un-Press. Reprinted with permission.
My greatest appreciation to my major professor and dissertation committee chair, Dr. Adetty Pérez de Miles, for her guidance, mentorship, and allyship and whose generosity of knowledge and commitment to excellence are without bounds. Dr. Finn Enke, my committee member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I thank you for your inspirational scholarship, art, and friendship.
Liz Langdon, Julie Libersat, and Alyssa Gunderson-Newman have been the greatest classmates, friends, and sounding boards a scholar could want in his life. Thank you, Ursula, for reminding me to step away from work occasionally to have fun. To Alex, Whitney, Ben, Joci, and Jessica, you inspire your uncle with your intelligence and kindness more than you know.
I want to extend my gratitude to others who have been on this journey with me, many whose names I do not know due to online anonymity or pseudonymity or whose privacy I will maintain and refer to as my brothers in the Men Over 40 group. May we all continue to think, share, and grow together and find comfort, strength, and solidarity as we build coalitions.
My greatest appreciation to my major professor and dissertation committee chair, Dr. Adetty Pérez de Miles, for her guidance, mentorship, and allyship and whose generosity of knowledge and commitment to excellence are without bounds. Dr. Finn Enke, my committee member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I thank you for your inspirational scholarship, art, and friendship.
Liz Langdon, Julie Libersat, and Alyssa Gunderson-Newman have been the greatest classmates, friends, and sounding boards a scholar could want in his life. Thank you, Ursula, for reminding me to step away from work occasionally to have fun. To Alex, Whitney, Ben, Joci, and Jessica, you inspire your uncle with your intelligence and kindness more than you know.
I want to extend my gratitude to others who have been on this journey with me, many whose names I do not know due to online anonymity or pseudonymity or whose privacy I will maintain and refer to as my brothers in the Men Over 40 group. May we all continue to think, share, and grow together and find comfort, strength, and solidarity as we build coalitions.
Finally, my love and gratitude to Bull and Dallas whom I miss dearly and who brought me years of love, joy, and comfort as I pursued my education.
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