New and hoping I'm doing this right

[anthro_researcher]

Hello!

I am actually a researcher (as indicated by my username) and would like to make sure I'm only participating here with express permission from the admin. However, I'm having trouble because it won't let me send private messages as a brand new account. So here's my introduction post!

I'm an anthropology postgraduate student at a university in the UK, and I'm conducting research on how urban preppers in London experience the world around them. This is merely research for a class project, not journalism or anything else intended to draw attention to or express an opinion about your forum. I'm mostly just hoping to find Londoners to talk to about their experiences. I'm also happy to give more information if desired.

Feel free to delete or tell me off as you see fit. I will not be collecting any information or doing anything on this forum unless approved to do so.

Thanks for your time!

[Yorkshire Andy]

If you would like to post a academic email address then any members who would like to contact you to discuss your research can do

[GeraldTheBonzai]

That's an interesting distinction. Have had a few conversations in the past about urban vs metropolitan prepping. Would be interested in your research.

[Frnc]

Not a Londoner, but would be interesting to read the research. How do you see prepping relating to anthropology, in a nutshell? Are you testing a hypothesis?

[pseudonym]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.


Preppers sometimes are reluctant to talk as they are often portrayed incorrectly despite getting assurances from the researcher/reporter.

This may come down to a Professor or Editor wanting a different slant on the paper/article.

[Arzosah]

One researcher finishing off her PhD signed up here asking for interviews, and actually linked to an article in a popular psychology magazine she'd written, which she said comprised the last chapter of her thesis. It detailed how she lived on a doomsday ranch in the USA, and got sucked in to their mythology of an oncoming invasion of the USA by North Korea (!!! I mean, come on!!!) In other words, she lost all sense of her self and of reality. I emailed her asking if that was an accurate representation and she said it was, so I replied I'd have nothing to do with her. She hadn't realised she'd told me that that article, describing her loss of reality was part of her thesis. In other words, she told us any old tut and was surprised when it showed her up to be ... patronising, let's say.

That's the kind of experience that leads me/us to distrust even academic researchers.

Anthro researcher, the first thing you should probably do is look at https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-st ... artnership
and then look on here for what Londoners have said about preparedness. But if you still want to ask people questions, you should probably post a list of questions here.

[anthro_researcher]

If you would like to post a academic email address then any members who would like to contact you to discuss your research can do

My email address is natasha [dot] christensen [dot] 24 [at] ucl.ac.uk.

I'm hoping to chat with several people who would call themselves 'preppers' and live within the Greater London area. My project focuses on how urban survivalists relate to the spaces around them when considering SHTF. For example, do you check for escape routes on your daily Tube commute? Do you think about sheltering in place when you choose a home to rent or buy? Do you dress in order to blend in as a 'grey man' amongst the crowds?

Please send me an email if any of you would be willing to talk with me further. I'm looking to build friendly relationships with local preppers and perhaps even attend a survivalist training in the spring. I will take all precautions to keep your identity anonymous throughout the project.

[anthro_researcher]

That's an interesting distinction. Have had a few conversations in the past about urban vs metropolitan prepping. Would be interested in your research.

It's been especially interesting researching this, as I am more familiar with the American style of prepping. If you happen to live in London and would like to chat, please shoot me an email: natasha [dot] christensen [dot] 24 [at] ucl.ac.uk. If not, I'm happy to post a bit here after the research is conducted, if people think that would be interesting.

[anthro_researcher]

Not a Londoner, but would be interesting to read the research. How do you see prepping relating to anthropology, in a nutshell? Are you testing a hypothesis?

Prepping for many people is intertwined with day-to-day life, which is what anthropologists love to talk about. My hypothesis, basically, is that being a prepper in London means you see the world around you differently than others you'd come across on the street. When you're on the Tube, you may be considering emergency exit routes. While at work, you may be considering the quickest way home to your family if SHTF. Because you believe in being prepared for disaster scenarios, it can affect many small choices and thought processes as you move around the city.

I'd be happy to share the results here if people are interested.

[anthro_researcher]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.


Preppers sometimes are reluctant to talk as they are often portrayed incorrectly despite getting assurances from the researcher/reporter.

This may come down to a Professor or Editor wanting a different slant on the paper/article.

Very understandable. As a former journalist, studying anthropology has been refreshing, because there is certainly more of an attempt at simply portraying a group of people neutrally and collaboratively, vs. trying to take a stance on something or grab readers' attention. Thanks for the welcome!