A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Etheses - Queen Margaret ...

Chapter 4: Subject Positioning
Introduction
I have rediscovered a memo I made in September 2007 as I was on my way to a highland
town to meet and interview Rose for the first time. Rose has asked that the name of the town
she lives in should not be disclosed.
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At the railway station, buying tickets to travel for my first interview with Rose, I
find Mr McHenry, a wee man with a white moustache, serving.
“Return to the highlands, coming back today,” I say.
“The highlands!” Mr McHenry exclaims. “My, you‟re travelling a long way!”
This is the guy who, some time ago, questioned the idea that I could travel to
London by myself.
“Are you sure there‟s nobody going with you?” he had asked then.
On this occasion I explain to him that I‟m going to interview someone for my PhD.
I suppose that‟s about trying to assert my identity as someone who‟s competent and
has a right to travel on my own to the highlands if I want.
“And how long‟s your PhD going to take?” he asks.
“A couple more years...”
I‟m not sure whether he believes me or whether he‟s convinced I‟m living in some
handicapped fantasy world.
Probably the latter.
Interactions such as this can really piss you off, put you out of good humour, leave
you going over the situation again and again.
Why did I feel the need to state the purpose of my journey? Because I wanted to let
him know that he‟s mistaken in his judgement about me. But why should I have to
justify myself?