Okay, so here is what I have so far. I have two serious holes, my literature review and my methods, because these are still in the making, but everything else is here.
Intent:
We all tell stories. It is part of the human condition no matter when we were born or what culture we belong to. I am interested in learning more about this process going on in Dharamsala, India—a refugee community composed of Tibetans living in exile with their leader the Dalai Lama, forced to flee their homeland because of Chinese invaders. My purpose is to collect the stories of the many different people who make up this unique location and to compile a creative writing project consisting of short stories and narratives about their experiences as well as my own. I will also document the process I go through to collect these accounts in order to learn more about the nature of storytelling and documenting experiences. On a personal level, I am fascinated by the Tibetan culture thriving in this distinctive location, and am anxious to learn more from the personal accounts of the people who live here. I want to further develop my writing skills, immerse myself in another culture, and learn more about the diversity of Dharamsala.
Ethics and Approval:
Ethics is something I will constantly keep in mind while conducting my study. Because I intend to share the information and personal histories of the people I meet, I will need to change the names and any information that would make them easily identifiable in that community. I plan on documenting a lot of my process on an online blog as well, and I will need to be careful about what I post and again change the names of the people and sift through all of my material to ensure I am not posting anything sensitive without permission. If needed, I will obtain informed consent to be as ethical as possible during my stay in Dharamsala.
In order to minimize risk and maximize the benefits of my study, I will make sure that I am up front with what I am doing with the people I meet. I will always ask them if they are okay if I share their stories, and I will not press them on sensitive topics. It is my job to let them know that they are participating voluntarily, and that they can stop at any time. Other than some potentially touchy subjects, I think that the risks are fairly minimal as long as I am careful and respectful about what I am representing. I will facilitate sustainability, practice appropriate reciprocity, and be mindful of the people who are helping me with this experience.
In order to keep my ethics in check, I will receive approval from the IRB (Institutional Review Board) if necessary to ensure that there are more benefits than risks to my presence in Dharamsala. Since I am planning to have a creative project as my outcome, I am hoping that I will be exempt from being a “research” project, but I will still need to be mindful of ethics. I have been through the IRB process before and I am confident that if I plan well I will receive approval for this second time in the field as well.
Preliminary Plans for Post-field Application:
My goal is to have a creative writing project by the end of my study to submit to publishers, including the BYU Inquiry Journal. I would also like to present at the Inquiry Conference at BYU. If I am able to gather enough pictures, I would also like to have the option of having a exhibit of my photography. This study will help me gain more writing experience and make me more eligible for graduate school.
Qualifications:
Probably my best qualification is that I have already done a similar field study to Ghana, Africa during the summer of 2010. This experience helped me polish my framework and has helped me figure out what it is I want to do for this next field study. I am also an avid reader and a prolific writer. I have kept a journal my entire life, and this drive, coupled with my foundational education at BYU, has contributed to my desire to do this project. My university ENGL 218R (Creative Writing) taught me creative writing skills, while ENGL 251 (Fundamentals of Literary Theory) exposed me to literary theory, and ENGL 291 and ENGL 292 (British Literary History 1 and 2) gave me a background for important movements and emerging genres. ENGL 293 (American Literary History) also exposed me to important names and movements, including the American travel narrative as a genre.
My Anthropology minor has also given me a foundation for the ethnographic skills to access my population. ANTHR 309 (Language, Culture, and Society) taught me about the nature of translation across culture and ANTHR 206 (Contemporary Theory) exposed me to important contemporary theorists. IAS 360R (International Field Study Prep) has also familiarizing me with research skills and helping me organize my creative project. I am also in a beginning Tibetan language class to help me with basic communication skills. For photography, ART 212 (Introduction to Photography) helped me understand how to represent culture and express meaning with my lens.
Qualifications of Primary Faculty Mentor:
My faculty mentor, Gideon Burton, is a Professor of English who specializes in the history of rhetoric and new media. He maintains several academic blogs and websites, including Silvia Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric and The Mormon Literature Database, and is interested in incorporating new media into our understanding of literature. Professor Burton graduated from Brigham Young University in 1989 and went on to receive his Master of Professional Writing (MPW) degree from the University of Southern California in 1955. He later received his Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literature in 1994 from the University of Southern California. Professor Burton’s qualifications will compensate for my lack of experience. Completing a field study to India himself, he has gone on to oversee many other students field studies student projects, including mine in 2010. His interest in incorporating other mediums into literary studies suits my project where other mediums, such as photography, will be used in conjunction with a narrative to question the authenticity and nature of experience.
Limitations:
My project is limited because of time restraints and potential problems with access in the community. If I cannot find members of the community who can help me with my project, I can always just fall back on my own experience and write a personal narrative. Another potential problem could be my camera, which could easily be stolen or break in the field. If something were to happen to my camera that would be problematic to the visual component of my project, I am also a painter and might be able to utilize that as the alternative artist representation of my experience. No matter what problems could arise, my project is focusing on the interpretation of my experience and the narrative I write about it, so any unforeseen problem will not void out my ability to conduct this creative writing project. I do not know what stories I will find yet, but no matter what happens I will have some kind of a story.
Justification of In-field Coursework and Faculty:
While in the field I will take a total of ten credits. 1 is for field studies, but the other 9 are left up to me. I plan on taking digital civilization with my mentor, Gideon Burton, who will oversee my research blog. I would also like to work with Aaron Eastly from the English department and set up a directed readings course with literature from the area I am studying. I worked with him on my last field study and he specializes in post-colonial literature. For my third class, I will either take cultural proofs, or a creative writing class. This could be on poetry, personal essay, or even short stories. I do not know who I could work with for this last class yet, but I have many options available to me.
Schedule:
From January to April 2011 I am enrolled in a field study preparation class where I am crafting my project, developing my proposal, and getting necessary approval. My IRB proposal is due March 9th, and my final project proposal is due April 13th of 2011. I will be in the field for approximately 90 days. Here is what I plan on doing within that time.
· Week 1: Getting into the community
· Week 2: Getting into the community
· Week 3: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 4: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 5: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 6: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 7: Mid semester retreat
· Week 8: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 9: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 10: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 11: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 12: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 13: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
I will return from the field at the end of August 2011. My final papers will be due December 15th, 2011.
Budget:
Since I am going as a field facilitator, some of my costs will be covered through the field studies program, such as airfare, in country transportation, the mid semester retreat, and communication for the program. There are still several expenses I am responsible for though. My BYU academic scholarship will cover my tuition, and I will be applying for other scholarships offered to students going abroad. However, I will not need outside funding in order to finance my study.
o Airfare ($1,400, covered by program)
o BYU tuition (ten credit hours/semester, covered by scholarship)
o HTH Travel Insurance ($120, already paid)
o Passport and Other Travel Costs ($100–200)
o Vaccinations ($100–300)
o Living Expenses ($200 month)
o In-country Travel ($150–250)
o Application Fee ($25, already paid)
o Acceptance Fee ($100, already paid)
As far as budget goes, I do not have means to pay my informants, but I can offer my time, friendship, and service in whatever way I can to ensure that their time and efforts for my project are valued and appreciated.
A Portrait of Dharamsala:
A Field Study Proposal on the process of Collecting Stories and the Need to Tell the Tale
By Rachel Rueckert
A Field Study Proposal on the process of Collecting Stories and the Need to Tell the Tale
By Rachel Rueckert
Intent:
We all tell stories. It is part of the human condition no matter when we were born or what culture we belong to. I am interested in learning more about this process going on in Dharamsala, India—a refugee community composed of Tibetans living in exile with their leader the Dalai Lama, forced to flee their homeland because of Chinese invaders. My purpose is to collect the stories of the many different people who make up this unique location and to compile a creative writing project consisting of short stories and narratives about their experiences as well as my own. I will also document the process I go through to collect these accounts in order to learn more about the nature of storytelling and documenting experiences. On a personal level, I am fascinated by the Tibetan culture thriving in this distinctive location, and am anxious to learn more from the personal accounts of the people who live here. I want to further develop my writing skills, immerse myself in another culture, and learn more about the diversity of Dharamsala.
Ethics and Approval:
Ethics is something I will constantly keep in mind while conducting my study. Because I intend to share the information and personal histories of the people I meet, I will need to change the names and any information that would make them easily identifiable in that community. I plan on documenting a lot of my process on an online blog as well, and I will need to be careful about what I post and again change the names of the people and sift through all of my material to ensure I am not posting anything sensitive without permission. If needed, I will obtain informed consent to be as ethical as possible during my stay in Dharamsala.
In order to minimize risk and maximize the benefits of my study, I will make sure that I am up front with what I am doing with the people I meet. I will always ask them if they are okay if I share their stories, and I will not press them on sensitive topics. It is my job to let them know that they are participating voluntarily, and that they can stop at any time. Other than some potentially touchy subjects, I think that the risks are fairly minimal as long as I am careful and respectful about what I am representing. I will facilitate sustainability, practice appropriate reciprocity, and be mindful of the people who are helping me with this experience.
In order to keep my ethics in check, I will receive approval from the IRB (Institutional Review Board) if necessary to ensure that there are more benefits than risks to my presence in Dharamsala. Since I am planning to have a creative project as my outcome, I am hoping that I will be exempt from being a “research” project, but I will still need to be mindful of ethics. I have been through the IRB process before and I am confident that if I plan well I will receive approval for this second time in the field as well.
Preliminary Plans for Post-field Application:
My goal is to have a creative writing project by the end of my study to submit to publishers, including the BYU Inquiry Journal. I would also like to present at the Inquiry Conference at BYU. If I am able to gather enough pictures, I would also like to have the option of having a exhibit of my photography. This study will help me gain more writing experience and make me more eligible for graduate school.
Qualifications:
Probably my best qualification is that I have already done a similar field study to Ghana, Africa during the summer of 2010. This experience helped me polish my framework and has helped me figure out what it is I want to do for this next field study. I am also an avid reader and a prolific writer. I have kept a journal my entire life, and this drive, coupled with my foundational education at BYU, has contributed to my desire to do this project. My university ENGL 218R (Creative Writing) taught me creative writing skills, while ENGL 251 (Fundamentals of Literary Theory) exposed me to literary theory, and ENGL 291 and ENGL 292 (British Literary History 1 and 2) gave me a background for important movements and emerging genres. ENGL 293 (American Literary History) also exposed me to important names and movements, including the American travel narrative as a genre.
My Anthropology minor has also given me a foundation for the ethnographic skills to access my population. ANTHR 309 (Language, Culture, and Society) taught me about the nature of translation across culture and ANTHR 206 (Contemporary Theory) exposed me to important contemporary theorists. IAS 360R (International Field Study Prep) has also familiarizing me with research skills and helping me organize my creative project. I am also in a beginning Tibetan language class to help me with basic communication skills. For photography, ART 212 (Introduction to Photography) helped me understand how to represent culture and express meaning with my lens.
Qualifications of Primary Faculty Mentor:
My faculty mentor, Gideon Burton, is a Professor of English who specializes in the history of rhetoric and new media. He maintains several academic blogs and websites, including Silvia Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric and The Mormon Literature Database, and is interested in incorporating new media into our understanding of literature. Professor Burton graduated from Brigham Young University in 1989 and went on to receive his Master of Professional Writing (MPW) degree from the University of Southern California in 1955. He later received his Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literature in 1994 from the University of Southern California. Professor Burton’s qualifications will compensate for my lack of experience. Completing a field study to India himself, he has gone on to oversee many other students field studies student projects, including mine in 2010. His interest in incorporating other mediums into literary studies suits my project where other mediums, such as photography, will be used in conjunction with a narrative to question the authenticity and nature of experience.
Limitations:
My project is limited because of time restraints and potential problems with access in the community. If I cannot find members of the community who can help me with my project, I can always just fall back on my own experience and write a personal narrative. Another potential problem could be my camera, which could easily be stolen or break in the field. If something were to happen to my camera that would be problematic to the visual component of my project, I am also a painter and might be able to utilize that as the alternative artist representation of my experience. No matter what problems could arise, my project is focusing on the interpretation of my experience and the narrative I write about it, so any unforeseen problem will not void out my ability to conduct this creative writing project. I do not know what stories I will find yet, but no matter what happens I will have some kind of a story.
Justification of In-field Coursework and Faculty:
While in the field I will take a total of ten credits. 1 is for field studies, but the other 9 are left up to me. I plan on taking digital civilization with my mentor, Gideon Burton, who will oversee my research blog. I would also like to work with Aaron Eastly from the English department and set up a directed readings course with literature from the area I am studying. I worked with him on my last field study and he specializes in post-colonial literature. For my third class, I will either take cultural proofs, or a creative writing class. This could be on poetry, personal essay, or even short stories. I do not know who I could work with for this last class yet, but I have many options available to me.
Schedule:
From January to April 2011 I am enrolled in a field study preparation class where I am crafting my project, developing my proposal, and getting necessary approval. My IRB proposal is due March 9th, and my final project proposal is due April 13th of 2011. I will be in the field for approximately 90 days. Here is what I plan on doing within that time.
· Week 1: Getting into the community
· Week 2: Getting into the community
· Week 3: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 4: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 5: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 6: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 7: Mid semester retreat
· Week 8: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 9: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 10: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 11: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 12: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 13: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
I will return from the field at the end of August 2011. My final papers will be due December 15th, 2011.
Budget:
Since I am going as a field facilitator, some of my costs will be covered through the field studies program, such as airfare, in country transportation, the mid semester retreat, and communication for the program. There are still several expenses I am responsible for though. My BYU academic scholarship will cover my tuition, and I will be applying for other scholarships offered to students going abroad. However, I will not need outside funding in order to finance my study.
o Airfare ($1,400, covered by program)
o BYU tuition (ten credit hours/semester, covered by scholarship)
o HTH Travel Insurance ($120, already paid)
o Passport and Other Travel Costs ($100–200)
o Vaccinations ($100–300)
o Living Expenses ($200 month)
o In-country Travel ($150–250)
o Application Fee ($25, already paid)
o Acceptance Fee ($100, already paid)
As far as budget goes, I do not have means to pay my informants, but I can offer my time, friendship, and service in whatever way I can to ensure that their time and efforts for my project are valued and appreciated.
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