GREENVILLE, Pa.—Thiel College Lecturer of English Sean Oros ’15 presented “Suppressed Stories: the Power of the Personal in Poetic-Autoethnography” at The Creative Psyche and Arts-Based Research Conference on June 14 in London, England hosted by the London Arts-Based Research Centre.
The conference focused on arts-based research methods in the Jungian tradition, allowing space for many creative forms of research. Oros presented on the process of Poetic-Autoethnography, an arts-based research methodology based on ethnographic practices. According to Oros, if ethnography is a study of a people or culture, then autoethnography is a self-study of one’s own culture, and poetic-autoethnography uses poetry as part of the process to do the same. In short, it uses a combination of memory elicitation, unguided free writing, and poetic verses as a form of self-reflection and self-research. The goal of this particular methodology is to disrupt “rehearsed narratives,” or the practiced retellings of stories that we’ve told over and over again from our memories, in order to look at particular life experiences from a new angle. This is not to invalidate our memories, but does give a window for a fresh look at memories that may have modified over time through repeated retellings. In the process, the self-researcher also finds scholarship to support the general topic matter, establish the methodology, and situate the following poetic verses and explanations. The particular methodology Oros presented on was established by Dr. David Hanauer of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Oros is currently participating as a co-editor of an edited collection honoring Hanauer’s contributions to and process of this arts-based research methodology.
Oros was a history and English double-major at Thiel and graduated in 2015. He earned a Master of Arts in social sciences, specializing in history from the University of Chicago in 2017 and is working on Ph.D. at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in composition and applied linguistics. In 2024, Oros was recognized by the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce as a member of its annual 30 under 40 awards.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.