A friend's friend is doing her Master's thesis at Brock on women in the rave scene. I'm attaching an invitation to be a part of her study in case anybody can spare a bit of time in the name of higher learning. Her contact info is at the bottom.
Thanks!
Dear Potential Research Participant,
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in a study titled, “Passing Through Subculture”. I am conducting this study as a student in the Social Justice and Equity Studies Master’s program at Brock University. I am working under the supervision of Dr. David Butz, from the Department of Geography. My overarching interest in the rave culture is the intersection between youth activities and categorizations of deviance and/or resistance. The purpose of this particular study, to which you are being invited to participate, is to explore and compare the past and present rave-related experiences of a small sample of women. Participants who agree to be a part of this study must be women, at least twenty-five years old, who actively participated in the Toronto rave scene from 1996-2004 for at least 2 years.
The general purpose of this study is to explore how gender mediates women’s movements into, through, and out of, the Toronto rave scene. Specifically, interviews will be conducted will a small sample of women in order to discuss potential changes in their values and senses of self from the time they attended their first rave event up to the present day. Via interview methods, I will analyze the various ways that women’s past participations in this scene may continue to inform aspects of their current lives. This focus on the experiences of young women as they move through the Toronto rave scene enables narrow definitions of “participation” and “youth” that are so prevalent in existing literature on youth culture and activities to be enlarged. This research is meant to further discussions about the political characteristics and implications of membership in youth cultures in general, and the Toronto rave scene in particular.
If you choose to participate in this study, all information that you share with me will be confidential. You are in no way obliged to participate in this study. You will not be penalized in any way for declining this invitation. A decision not to participate in this study will have no direct negative consequences for you, or for me. I understand that there a number of reasons why someone may not want to, or be able to, participate in a study of this nature, and you can be assured that there is a large pool of other potential research participants with whom I can engage in these discussions.
Should you accept this invitation to participate, you will be asked to arrange an appropriate time, date and place during which we can sit down and discuss these issues in the form of a one to two-hour, face-to-face, conversational interview. When choosing the location for this interview, I strongly encourage you to consider the reality that we may be discussing highly private and/or sensitive issues about which you may not want other people to be aware. Before the pre-arranged interview begins, I will ask you for your permission to audio tape our conversation. I will also repeat and explain the purpose and objectives of this study to you. I will review, and give you a copy of, the Letter of Invitation and Informed Consent Form that accompany this study. In these documents, you will find a list of the potential risks and benefits associated with participation in this study. At this time, I will also inform you that you may stop the recording of the interview at any time and that you may decline answering any questions posed during the interview process.
Interviews will begin with some general questions about how you became aware of raves, when you attended your first raves, and with whom you went to raves. In essence, you will be asked to describe and discuss your movements into, through, and out of Toronto’s rave scene. In accordance with semi-structured interview methods, there will be list of guiding questions to which I may refer during the course of each interview. This list will include both potential interview questions and possible follow-up questions. Despite the use of this list, interviews will be guided more by the particular responses and interactions that develop during each interview, than by any pre-determined interview questions.
At the end of each interview, there will be a brief Debriefing Process followed. During this time, you will have the opportunity to tell me if there was anything that was not discussed during the interview that you think should be mentioned. Approximately one month following each interview, you will receive a copy of your interview transcript. You will be encouraged to read this transcript and to contact me if you would like to edit, revise and/or omit any part of the interview data, or if you would like to discuss any aspects of the interview process or the rationale of the study. Approximately two weeks later, you will receive a follow-up e-mail or telephone call to ensure that you have received these documents. At this time you will have another opportunity to tell me if you are comfortable with the personal information that is included in your interview transcript, and you will have the option to edit, change and/or omit any part or all of this data.
I encourage you to pass this Letter of Invitation along to female friends and/or acquaintances of yours who you feel may be interested in participating in this study, or to male friends and/or acquaintances who may know someone who may be interested in participating in this study . My reason for asking for referrals is to help ensure that the number of potential research participants is as large, diverse, and discrete as possible. This will help to ensure higher degrees of research participant anonymity. You are not required to do this in order to participate in this study, and you will not receive monetary reimbursement for participating in this study or for suggesting that other people participate in this study. Please contact me via e-mail or telephone if you are interested in participating in this study, or if you would like to find out more about what the study entails.
I would like to thank you for the time that you have spent reading and considering this invitation. In closing, I would like to remind you that you are in no way obliged to: (a) participate in this study, and/or (b) to invite other women to participate. Again, I encourage you to contact me at any time by telephone (905-688-5550, extension 3205) or e-mail (jg04xp@brocku.ca) if you have any questions or concerns about this letter and any information contained herein. You may also contact my research supervisor, David Butz, at 905-688-5550, extension 3205, or dbmarley@brocku.ca. Any further concerns related to this study may be directed to a Research Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services at 905-688-5550, extension 3035.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Julie Gregory
MA candidate, Social Justice and Equity Studies
Brock University
This project has received clearance from the Research Ethics Board (File # 05-107).
In the event that you have any questions or concerns about your participation in this study, please contact me at 905-688-5550, extension 3205, or by e-mail at jg04xp@brocku.ca. Concerns about your involvement in the study may also be directed to a Research Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services at 905-688-5550, extension 3035.
Thanks!
Dear Potential Research Participant,
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in a study titled, “Passing Through Subculture”. I am conducting this study as a student in the Social Justice and Equity Studies Master’s program at Brock University. I am working under the supervision of Dr. David Butz, from the Department of Geography. My overarching interest in the rave culture is the intersection between youth activities and categorizations of deviance and/or resistance. The purpose of this particular study, to which you are being invited to participate, is to explore and compare the past and present rave-related experiences of a small sample of women. Participants who agree to be a part of this study must be women, at least twenty-five years old, who actively participated in the Toronto rave scene from 1996-2004 for at least 2 years.
The general purpose of this study is to explore how gender mediates women’s movements into, through, and out of, the Toronto rave scene. Specifically, interviews will be conducted will a small sample of women in order to discuss potential changes in their values and senses of self from the time they attended their first rave event up to the present day. Via interview methods, I will analyze the various ways that women’s past participations in this scene may continue to inform aspects of their current lives. This focus on the experiences of young women as they move through the Toronto rave scene enables narrow definitions of “participation” and “youth” that are so prevalent in existing literature on youth culture and activities to be enlarged. This research is meant to further discussions about the political characteristics and implications of membership in youth cultures in general, and the Toronto rave scene in particular.
If you choose to participate in this study, all information that you share with me will be confidential. You are in no way obliged to participate in this study. You will not be penalized in any way for declining this invitation. A decision not to participate in this study will have no direct negative consequences for you, or for me. I understand that there a number of reasons why someone may not want to, or be able to, participate in a study of this nature, and you can be assured that there is a large pool of other potential research participants with whom I can engage in these discussions.
Should you accept this invitation to participate, you will be asked to arrange an appropriate time, date and place during which we can sit down and discuss these issues in the form of a one to two-hour, face-to-face, conversational interview. When choosing the location for this interview, I strongly encourage you to consider the reality that we may be discussing highly private and/or sensitive issues about which you may not want other people to be aware. Before the pre-arranged interview begins, I will ask you for your permission to audio tape our conversation. I will also repeat and explain the purpose and objectives of this study to you. I will review, and give you a copy of, the Letter of Invitation and Informed Consent Form that accompany this study. In these documents, you will find a list of the potential risks and benefits associated with participation in this study. At this time, I will also inform you that you may stop the recording of the interview at any time and that you may decline answering any questions posed during the interview process.
Interviews will begin with some general questions about how you became aware of raves, when you attended your first raves, and with whom you went to raves. In essence, you will be asked to describe and discuss your movements into, through, and out of Toronto’s rave scene. In accordance with semi-structured interview methods, there will be list of guiding questions to which I may refer during the course of each interview. This list will include both potential interview questions and possible follow-up questions. Despite the use of this list, interviews will be guided more by the particular responses and interactions that develop during each interview, than by any pre-determined interview questions.
At the end of each interview, there will be a brief Debriefing Process followed. During this time, you will have the opportunity to tell me if there was anything that was not discussed during the interview that you think should be mentioned. Approximately one month following each interview, you will receive a copy of your interview transcript. You will be encouraged to read this transcript and to contact me if you would like to edit, revise and/or omit any part of the interview data, or if you would like to discuss any aspects of the interview process or the rationale of the study. Approximately two weeks later, you will receive a follow-up e-mail or telephone call to ensure that you have received these documents. At this time you will have another opportunity to tell me if you are comfortable with the personal information that is included in your interview transcript, and you will have the option to edit, change and/or omit any part or all of this data.
I encourage you to pass this Letter of Invitation along to female friends and/or acquaintances of yours who you feel may be interested in participating in this study, or to male friends and/or acquaintances who may know someone who may be interested in participating in this study . My reason for asking for referrals is to help ensure that the number of potential research participants is as large, diverse, and discrete as possible. This will help to ensure higher degrees of research participant anonymity. You are not required to do this in order to participate in this study, and you will not receive monetary reimbursement for participating in this study or for suggesting that other people participate in this study. Please contact me via e-mail or telephone if you are interested in participating in this study, or if you would like to find out more about what the study entails.
I would like to thank you for the time that you have spent reading and considering this invitation. In closing, I would like to remind you that you are in no way obliged to: (a) participate in this study, and/or (b) to invite other women to participate. Again, I encourage you to contact me at any time by telephone (905-688-5550, extension 3205) or e-mail (jg04xp@brocku.ca) if you have any questions or concerns about this letter and any information contained herein. You may also contact my research supervisor, David Butz, at 905-688-5550, extension 3205, or dbmarley@brocku.ca. Any further concerns related to this study may be directed to a Research Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services at 905-688-5550, extension 3035.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Julie Gregory
MA candidate, Social Justice and Equity Studies
Brock University
This project has received clearance from the Research Ethics Board (File # 05-107).
In the event that you have any questions or concerns about your participation in this study, please contact me at 905-688-5550, extension 3205, or by e-mail at jg04xp@brocku.ca. Concerns about your involvement in the study may also be directed to a Research Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services at 905-688-5550, extension 3035.
