A narrative inquiry into home, a space called anywhere

grantor: University of TorontoThe theory explicated in Home: A Space Called Anywhere was born in the experience of leaving home after 25 years. The focus is the universal yet particular concept of home, the sentiment of 'at home', and its function in how the world is viewed and understood. The phenomenon of changing geographic and personal space is examined within personal, social and educational contexts of spaces we call home to discover how behaviour is determined and knowledge created in a world of change and uncertainty. On a continuum of a physical move at one end and a mental move at the other, a dialectical notion of experience exists. Changing space, and separation, exposed the complexities of adaptation and harmony. The traditional concept of home was no longer a fixed permanent space and the sentiment of 'at home' was freed of any fixed location. The resolution of an image of home is critical in understanding the sense of belonging that this emotion evokes. This study is the narratives of three families and settings of home. Multiple issues surfaced guiding the inquiry into narrative, folkloric methodologies. The data was composed of interviews and participation in the activities of my participants. An eclectic collection of documents such as journals, death and birth certificates, historical texts, recipes and perusal of artifacts presented an historical and cultural profile of familial and personal lifestyles. My participants are elderly, deeply rooted, and have a vast reservoir of practical knowledge. The intimacy of story revealed the sentiments that shaded and built memories. The hermeneutical quality of story rendered the multiple perspectives of cultural realities. Tradition implies preservation and permanence. Inclusion of photographs complements the text, adding permanence to moments. The universality and familiarity of home can be a benefit and detriment in the context of schooling and educational research. Images of school as home can establish a sense of interdependence and community. Other images suggest an absence of harmony, a separation of space and sentiment. A generational and conceptual gap establishes an ironic relationship between today's society and the past, between my elderly participants and students in today's schools. Leaving home is an educative experience one can presume many encounter; a life experience about adaptation and for some painful.Ph.D