Bear and seesaw images believed to be Public Domain; jugging attributed to Cliparts.com, public domain)

Check Out the Theme Song to the Webseries “Where the Bears Are”  (on ITunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/where-the-bears-are-single/id556082747 ) and the Youtube Video (at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byJZviHNC40 ). It’s a fun song that expresses a lot about Bear culture. “Where the Bears Are,” by the way is mystery comedy series  (4 seasons and going) set in the Bear community in LA (comedy in the style of “Porky’s” or “American Pie” or “National Lampoons Vacation”–for mature audiences). Aside from intentionally or unintentionally promoting stereotypes, it’s a reflection of the community that many community members would agree fits for many members.  I think it aptly demonstrates that men in this community have embraced their larger bodies (and other men’s) and their identities are rooted in that shared appreciation, but that lots of activities in the community that reinforce those notions aren’t necessarily healthy choices for a lot of Bears–poor diet, heavy alcohol consumption, as two examples.

So, a juggler, a dancing bear, a seesaw, and a song about the Bears…let’s see how these evolve into a post on community-engaged research. I initially was thinking about dancing as the metaphor for CEnR (plus, dancing is always a part of any Bear gathering, so it seemed appropriate). I can’t dance. Not at all. However, what I overhear while other people watch “Dancing with the Stars” and what I remember from watching “Dirty Dancing,” is that dancing is about trust, sharing an understanding of choreography which tells each dancer what to do and when to do it, and determining who will lead and who will follow at different points–at least in partner dancing. That seems to fit what I know about CEnR so far. Also, I was thinking about what Tracey and Sadie were talking about in terms of partners working together to carry out project–the clear message I picked up on was that in these kinds of partnerships, it does no one any good if either (or, worse, both) partners “dance around” issues and avoid addressing them.  Juggling also entered my mind as I thought about it. For the academic researcher, at least, I think there’s the juggling of what the researcher wants to accomplish as a curious and altruistic individual or practitioner (engaging a community, helping a community, applied research with tangible value) with the expectations for an academic position (journal articles…journal articles… more journal articles…for some kinds of researchers also labs and experiments…large datasets and quantitative methodologies…large grants…objective stance conducive to a positivist orientation–and the time that is necessary to do what needs to be done in order to earn tenure and promotion–and later promotion). I’m guessing another place where there is juggling is identity–When the researcher is also an insider in the community (a researcher who happens to also be a bear…a researcher who grew up in the community…a researcher who has moved into the community…it might be any kind of community membership)–How does the researcher juggle that successfully? Sometimes one? Sometimes the other? Sometimes both? I’m thinking hard about this one for my study for certain. Then there’s balancing. In a partnership like this, I’m guessing there are lots of times when the partnership can be unbalanced, or at least teetering. How do the partners balance expectations, responsibilities, power, resources, needs, schedules, outcomes that differ? ) On this kind of teeter-totter partnership, what does each partner have to give to the partnership to make sure that both partners are staying level and one isn’t falling as the result of the other rising? And most of us who have been on a seesaw will remember the hard “slam” when we have been high in the air and a seesawing partner suddenly abandons us, jumping off and we fall quickly and painfully down.  Is this kind of work dancing, juggling, or balancing? Or all three? Guess I’ll find out.