====== Panic ======

No, sorry. Wrong guide.

====== The guide ======

Welcome, hello, naa marni, guten morgen. This space is a growing self-reference on conducting social science research, or in German, gesellschaftsforschung. I’m [[aidan_cornelius-bell|Aidan]], and I take a Marxian and radically progressive approach to the conduct of research, the publication of thoughts and commentary, and a transformative view towards the power of education and research in synthesis. 

This growing resource is designed as a reference and field guide for social science research with a liberatory focus. For clarity, to me, this means [[Marxism]] and its compatriots, and as such is natural enemy to sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and so on. If you’re reading this, right now, you’ve found the site in a growth state. That means that as you read things are likely to change. 

Indeed, this site is a (single author) wiki, but my approach to wikis is to use it more akin to a growing and learning blog; a kind of living curriculum. As I conduct research and commentary projects, do research and education tasks, give solicited advice to students, and so on I’ll document things I and others have found useful. That means that this space is not going to be written like a research textbook, but more like a field guide, a how to, or a blueprint on “doing the work”.

Eventually, as the site grows, I’ll aim to develop categories, specific interests, approaches and other things in a more navigable way. At the moment, however, the sidebar will serve as a space for the identification of what’s where. You can also use the search above to locate text or pages. 

:!: You can start your journey through the guide on the [[start|start page]]!
===== Towards liberatory praxis =====

“Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” — (([[isbn>1573922587]])) Marx, 1845 

Liberation, above all else, is about understanding the world and //changing it//. Theory and practice are interlinked (vis praxis). Emancipatory social science, therefore, should guide transformative political action. This generates further praxis to be studied, and the world improves in a cyclical nature. Beyond voluntarism, our research and educational praxis must be grounded in a socialist [[ontology]]. 

By developing a robust understanding, research, and disseminating this understanding in accessible and useful forms we can share what we know of [[structural mechanisms]] of the [[capitalism|capitalist]] [[mode of production]]. Here, following Marx “we know” that capitalism gives rise to alienation, exploitation, and oppression — the things we are working against. And, in a true methodological form, this, Marx studied, in his analysis of commodity fetishism, surplus value extraction, capital accumulation, and so on (([[isbn>1840226994]])) kickstarting our tradition (or, soon to be, one supposes).  


===== Why me and what is this? =====

Hello, you can learn more [[aidan_cornelius-bell|about me over here]]. I’m a social scientist and researcher working on Kaurna Country in Australia. I completed a Marxist / Gramscian cultural studies PhD in 2021 and have been advocating for transformational research for many years. Across my career I have worked in a range of higher education and research settings, predominantly in public institutions. I am also an activist and have thrown the small weight I have behind transformative political movements when possible.