My name is Lys Pinkerton. Welcome to my thesis!
This is the Home page. It walks through what this thesis is about (my context, abstract).
You can click on different sections at the top of the website, or on the button at the bottom of each page. 

I invite you to make meaning and connections based on your context and identities.
I hope this sparks curiosity, reflection, critiques, and questions.
Thank you for taking the time to be here!

Why Crochet?

Since I started crocheting a few years ago, it has become a big part of my life. It's intentional, calming, infuriating, reflective, and satisfying all at the same time. So, I decided to crochet my thesis! 

My thesis is organized by "granny squares"-- an endearing name for small, crocheted squares. I think crochet is a beautiful metaphor for many reasons. First of all, it focuses on the process, not the product. Each square represents a moment in time of my thinking and reflection. 

Next, this process is far from perfect. At times, I will use uneven tension, redo a whole square, make assumptions, and improvise patterns. In my research, I cannot separate myself from my tensions. Narratives of colonial violence are part of my story. I must recognize it to deconstruct it. 

Furthermore, crocheting is a communal process. I read patterns written by other crocheters, watch tutorials, update the staff at my local yarn store on my projects, and constantly ask my friends, my grandmother, and my sister-- all of whom crochet-- for tips and tricks. I am one voice of many. I can never assume that I know everything there is to know about any particular topic. The yarn I use, scholars I read, patterns I choose, self-advocates I listen to, all intertwine with my learning process. 

Finally, everything is connected. I can take two distinct patterns and stitch them together, or I can add and build onto a square forever (if I had enough yarn). I've come to understand oppressive systems as interconnected, too-- ableism reinforcing racism, racism reinforcing sexism, sexism reinforcing classism, etc. These interconnected narratives and textile pieces serve as a material metaphor for the study.

Who is my name?

Alyssa Adel Pinkerton is my name. Recently, at a conference, speakers were invited to share 'who' their names are. Names can tell us a lot about where we come from and what helped shape our identities. My name, Alyssa, was given to me by my mother, who loved the rhythm of how it sounded. I have since chosen to go by Lys, a nickname I had growing up that feels more reflective of how I see myself. I am nonbinary, and the feminine associations that go along with Alyssa do not appeal to me. However, my family and my wife still call me Alyssa. It gives a sense of intimacy knowing that they fully know me; there are no feminine associations, just syllables strung together that represent a piece of me. 

Pinkerton represents patrilineal English, German, and Irish settler colonial roots, while Adel is a name that has been passed down matrilineally-- it is my grandmother's name and my great-great-grandmother's name. My matrilineal side represents Pueblo Indigenous roots and Spanish settler colonial roots. Because patriarchal contexts generally pass down names from man to man, I am grateful for this explicit trace to my female elders and ancestors. I carry both Pinkerton and Adel with complexity. I simultaneously am grateful for my existence, and hold the layers of colonialism woven into my stories.

"where is your abstract?"

Let's get to the point already... what is this thesis exactly? 

This research addresses the guiding autoethnographic question: “What is my process in internalizing, perpetuating, and deconstructing normativity in my educational experiences?” It specifically interrogates the tensions between my intersectional white, trans/non-binary, and neurodivergent identities and a normative, colonial school system. The study employs critical autoethnography as a methodology to examine my own complicity in perpetuating these systems and my transformative process in deconstructing normativity throughout eight years of teacher education and teaching. The research is designed as a multimodal website (https://www.inclusioncrochet.com/) and a layered account that engages with the following data sources: (1) educational artifacts: undergraduate and graduate assignments in education coursework, lesson plans; (2) personal artifacts, including journals and art; and (3) memory work to give artifacts context. Analytical rigor is maintained through a Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) and Arts-Based Methods (ABM), utilizing crocheted art pieces, known as granny squares, and personal narratives. Key findings suggest that [insert key findings here]. These findings offer critical implications for [insert implications here].

Keywords: critical autoethnography, critical inclusion, normativity, intersectionality, neuroqueer theory, arts-based.