This week we began editing. The process is extremely long. In staying true to traditional sociological method, we have chosen to code our video clips according to their content. Some of our codes include class, space, bodies, home, and change. Hopefully after doing all of this, our research will yield a clear conclusion. We only have access to the clips on one computer, so Kayli and I will be splitting up the coding process. As with traditional sociological research, having two coders can lead to some difference in interpretation and bias. We will then rewatch our clips once they are coded and begin to organize the documentary. We have decided that we will do a director’s cut where we talk over the film and explain certain decisions and findings. If we choose to exclude some elements from our documentary, like some of our sources, this is where we will incorporate those findings.
We are still thinking about how we want to frame resistance in our film. The sociology of resistance is an entirely different subject, but we have found many of our interviewees had a complicated understanding of resistance. No one accepted the term at face-value, and often struggled or asked for clarification. Most people claimed their fashion was not resistance, although we would qualify it as resisting the norm. I think it might be best to steer clear of attempting to define resistance, because of the different definitions. It seems evident that definitions depend on intersecting identities. We need to figure out how we are going to frame this. In trying to keep our documentary’s message clear, we run the risk of simplifying certain concepts.
We have decided that it is too basic to organize our film by race, class, gender, and sexuality. We have found that millennials interpret their style as resistance, or have more freedom to resist norms, depending on the space that they are in and the bodies that they occupy. The politics of identity intersect with the bodies of those interviewed while interacting and reacting to the environment. Right now, this is looking like a useful way to structure our footage and frame our thesis. By separating our argument according to bodies, space, and the intersection of both, the topic of identity will arise naturally. This week, we will continue editing and compose a trailer to show for our presentation.