The 'Stitching Up' of Regional Development Governance: metaphorically speaking

Abstract

In this paper, metaphor is explored for its capacity to create meaning in the early stages of doctoral research. Metaphor has been useful in enabling me to make sense of disparate literature surrounding regional development governance and gender. The construction of a metaphor has enabled me to consider my own subjectivities and build a voice within the research. Metaphor by nature is descriptive and it is this cognitive aesthetic which has made it engaging as a method for creating a sense of wholeness out of many disparate parts. It is hoped that the metaphor will also be useful for women and men involved in the regional development context who wish to make sense of their experiences.