1. To What Need(s) Does My Agenda Respond?
1.1. Why is the research expressed by questions needed?
1.1.1. The research for social connection within in community is needed because we have recently experienced a huge social shift after the coronavirus pandemic. People are rebuilding and learning how to connect once again.
1.1.1.1. The principal root causes of today's societal challenges are…
1.2. What is the entrepreneurial angle that my research expresses or pursues?
1.2.1. The entrepreneurial angle will attempt to pursue the understanding of social connection through exploring research through having informal conversations within communities and focusing on how coffee connects people and serves as a common ground. How can we take this experience/feeling, create our own common ground, and bring it into Higher Ed, the doctor's office, online, and our every day life?
1.2.1.1. Community Development in Action
1.2.1.1.1. Book Notes
1.3. What need problem or opportunity do my questions address?
1.3.1. My questions address the issue of social disconnection in our current society and how we can learn to reconnect by taking the time to work on creating a safe enviroment that promotes healthy dialogue.
1.4. How am I using prior knowledge (literature), my own past life and professional experience (experiential knowledge, and emerging knowledge from my inquiry actions-specifically from your documentation and visualization of the data you have generated-to express my need?
1.4.1. I am currently working on a matrix of literature I have read that specifically ties this research and how. (Coming soon)
1.4.1.1. The individual entrepreneur can influence society in a positive way by using business strategies and tactics: agency. (J. Kickul & T. Lyons, p.19)
1.4.1.2. In my professional experience I have gained knowledge through hands on experience. Currently, I have created a program called Coffee Connection for college students and emphasized the inclusion of International students. I will be observing the program and taking notes. As I host the program I will begin to code the data I retrieve. I have been hosting a program Coffee House that is focused on community and student talents. This program allows me to observe the the way humans interact in an atmosphere created to relax and wind down. After each event I receive feedback from my student activity assistants and gain their perspective.
1.4.1.2.1. In my personal life I was fortunate enough to have many early 6 AM mornings with coffee and conversation with my great aunts. The sun was rising and roosters were crowing and roaming the yard. At the time, I didn't realize how special this was. I am using this toward how those moments impacted my life and why they were so "heavy"and meaningful. I am focusing on the trust that we placed into our elders and how they seemed like wise old owls and gained all respect and attention from my younger aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. Yet, were living in extreme poverty and barely getting by. How did they mask it?
1.4.1.2.2. My entreprenuerial knowledge consists of...
2. Most importantly where am I going - how will I implement my agenda moving forward?
2.1. What call to inquiry or journey am I asking others to join?
2.1.1. My call to inquiry is to research these experiences (coffee shops, meetings, place where this occurs) and learn how they differ and how they relate and where they align.
2.1.1.1. I tend to invite collaboration when...
2.2. How am I showing that I am pursuing your research agenda and not letting dust gather on it?
2.2.1. Possibly, to create a professional development program or start a non-profit. To publish a picture book using the photovoice action research method. To open a coffee shop that promotes social connection through community dialogue in regards to social innovation or/and entrepreneurship.
2.2.1.1. I am continuously pursuing this research agenda in my home life, professional life, and of course in my academic life. Currently, I have begun to listen to podcasts, read journal articles, and I am working a creating a set of questions that I can use with participants.
2.2.1.1.1. I will continue to add to my mind map and link additional graphs, charts, etc, that I create.
2.2.1.1.2. In my everyday life, I find myself digging deep into things such as...
2.2.1.2. Hopeful Actions...
2.3. What are my research priorities in the coming year?
2.3.1. My research priorities this coming year is to begin and develop a literature review, seek potential internships with others interested in a similar idea, build a community platform- no idea what that looks like yet, create a basic framework to begin connecting and receiving feedback at conferences.
2.3.1.1. Future Action
3. Who am I? What is My Agenda?
3.1. How to use my agenda?
3.1.1. My research purpose is to gain a better understanding of social connection within community in 2021.
3.1.1.1. Who are the users you want to observe and learn from, who have this problem or challenge? (J. Kickul & T. Lyons, p.66)
3.2. Who am I?
3.2.1. Mexican American female liviing in San Antonio TX. Born and raised in a Charlotte TX. I have a large extended family. My immediate family consists my mother, father, and two sisters and an unfathomable amount of pets. My husband and I have been together for 10 years. My family gathers often as in weekly, and food, drink, and love is part of our foundation.
3.2.1.1. I work at OLLU as a Program Coordinator for the International Folk Culture Center. I serve as a Multicultural Advisor for a student organization. I am an Graduate Action Research Assistant with UIW.
3.2.1.1.1. My interests are focused on traveling, the outdoors, researching business frameworks, music - all kinds, learning about different cultures, paving the way for others, and spending time with my family. I work hard to keep an open mind. I hope to improve my understanding of how people can find a way to connect in any setting - on small and large scales. .
3.2.2. My cultural characteristics include...
3.3. What do I want others to take away from my agenda?
3.3.1. I want others to take more time to reflect, be compassionate, and connect when creating dialogue with others regardless of authority level, race, gender, etc.
3.3.1.1. My personal mission is about...
3.3.1.1.1. My research purpose is to gain a better understanding of social connection and maintaining healthy relationships within communities. My agenda seeks to explore how groups (such as Higher Ed) can better connect in society by taking the time to reflect and understand others better. I will study how people build connection over developing common ground, such as the experience that is generated from having a cup of coffee with one another. This study is important because social isolation is on the rise after the pandemic. There is a need to reintroduce how to build healthy relationships with one another that produce positive dialogue and reflective listening.
3.4. What questions does my agenda seek to explore?
3.4.1. My agenda seeks to explore how we can better connect in sociey by taking the time to reflect and understand others better. How can we improve how we react and respond?
4. How did my action research activities lead me here?
4.1. How have my questions emerged and changed along the way?
4.1.1. When beginning this research I was focusing on human interaction and then realized not much was occurring and that a total disconnection was noticed. I then shifted to social connection and how to build on it.
4.1.1.1. Hearing about or seeing a social problem elsewhere in the world can trigger thinking about what might be done to solve that problem (J. Kickul & T. Lyons, p.40)
4.2. What have been my most significant moments in my journey?
4.2.1. My journey is just beginning and I have not yet collected enough data. However, when noticing the disconnect amongst people I knew that it was a significant issue that many were facing in the world.
4.2.1.1. Realizing that coffee is a common ground and that I can talk to my general doctor about it and my mom about it - who is a custodian. I actually had these conversations and found that they equally had beneficial feedback. Neither outranked one another.
4.2.1.1.1. Starting - Creating an activity that can measure social connection on my campus and is helping people.
4.3. What key takeaways do I have from my semester of inquiry?
4.3.1. To be continued...