Short Answer Questions

On the PhD Application process, there are some short answer questions listed below. I have answered them using chatgpt. What I require is to re-answer them, not just by using paraphrasing tools (to the answers I give you) that can be detectable, but to answer them in a human, but still academic language way.

These are the questions and the answers to them, plus the characters limit for each one:

Q1) Please describe why you chose (or why you are planning to choose) the topic of your Masters thesis. What has been the biggest challenge in working on it so far? Please include the title of your thesis in your answer, if you already have one. Max 900 characters

My Masters thesis (https://mau.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1899706&dswid=5030) is titled Urban Rides, Social Tides: Skateboardings Influence on Youth Empowerment and Urban Cultural Dynamics in Nairobi, Kenya. I chose it to study skateboarding as an everyday urban practice: how it builds community and belonging, supports youth agency, and reworks contested public spaces in Nairobi. The biggest challenge has been turning rich field material into a clear, rigorous argument without romanticizing empowerment. That meant defining empowerment precisely, balancing individual stories with broader urban dynamics, and handling ethics/positionality carefully (trust, anonymity, and sensitive topics like stigma and gender) while integrating multiple theoretical lenses coherently.

Q2) Please describe which course or seminar you enjoyed most during your studies and what made it particularly interesting or useful for you. Max 700 characters

I most enjoyed Sport in Society to Address Challenges (IV601G, Malm University) because it treated sport as a social and political phenomenon rather than just performance. It helped me connect theory to real-world issues (inequality, governance, public space, youth agency) and directly shaped how I later framed my Nairobi skateboarding worklinking embodied practice to broader urban and social dynamics.

Q3) Please briefly describe the main tasks, responsibilities, or activities involved and explain how they relate to your proposed doctoral project. Max 600 characters

Masters thesis research on skateboarding, youth empowerment, and urban cultural dynamics in Nairobi. Conducted qualitative fieldwork (interviews and participant observation/fieldnotes), coordinated access through local skate groups/NGOs, and analyzed how skateboarding shapes community, inclusion, and the use of public space. Built core skills in ethnographic design, research ethics, and qualitative analysis directly relevant to my PhD topic.

Q4) Please briefly describe the main tasks, responsibilities, or activities involved and explain how they relate to your proposed doctoral project. Max 600 characters

Research & Development collaboration with Bryggeriets skateboarding high school. Assessed motivational challenges among students and identified strategies to increase engagement. Strengthened applied research skills (problem framing, data collection in an educational setting, stakeholder communication) and expanded thematic expertise on skateboarding cultures, youth development, and institutional contextsuseful for designing a feasible and socially grounded PhD project.

Q5) Please briefly describe the main tasks, responsibilities, or activities involved and explain how they relate to your proposed doctoral project. Max 600 characters

Social Media Administrator / Sports Marketing Specialist. Produced and managed content, ran campaigns, and used analytics to understand audiences and participation. This experience supports my PhD by strengthening research-adjacent skills in documenting cultural practices, communicating findings to non-academic publics, and working with communities and institutions in sport settings (useful for recruitment, dissemination, and public-facing impact).

Q6) Briefly explain how the person knows you and why you selected them as a reference. Max 400 characters

Supervised my Masters thesis on skateboarding and youth empowerment in Nairobi and can assess my qualitative research design, fieldwork execution (interviews/observation), and academic writing. Also co-authored my peer-reviewed published article on skateboarding and decolonial placemaking in Nairobi, so can speak to my capacity to produce publishable research.

Q7) Briefly explain how the person knows you and why you selected them as a reference. Max 400 characters

Collaborated with me during an applied research & development project in a skateboarding education setting. Can confirm my ability to work professionally with stakeholders, handle real-world research constraints, and translate research into practical insights relevant to youth and skateboarding contexts

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Q8) Please briefly explain why your choice of supervisor fits your doctoral project. Max 600 characters

My project builds on my prior ethnographic work and publication on skateboarding in Nairobi and extends it into a ViennaNairobi comparison focused on emotions-as-practice, material culture, bodies/senses, gender, and sport. Dr. Ahners approach to everyday life and her interest in affect, materiality, and sport align directly with my research questions, methods (ethnography, interviews, sensory/material elicitation), and analytical focus on touch-based mechanisms of belonging.