A Portrait of Dharamsala:
An Honors Creative Writing Thesis Prospectus Exploring the Universal Importance and Nature of Stories
by Rachel Rueckert
Purpose:
I propose to continue the research I began in Ghana last summer on a field study exploring the nature of stories and the authenticity of travel experience. Encouraged by my findings, I have undertaken another field study, this time to Dharamsala, India, to follow up on some of my questions and gather material for a creative nonfiction project. While my learning experiences in Ghana gave me the necessary foundation, this thesis will focus on my findings in India. There are two parts of this project I hope to accomplish:
First, I want to record stories from the population that makes up the unique city of Dharamsala, India through a collection of travel essays that focus on cultural anthropology. Dharamsala is a Tibetan refugee settlement, home of the Dalai Lama, and a diverse city that welcomes people from all over the world. In order to represent this location, I hope to blend both personal essay and analysis of anthropological material.
The second part of this project I hope to accomplish is to maintain an academic blog as a companion to these essays both in the field and during the writing process. My research in Ghana led me to the conclusion that keeping an academic blog improves the authenticity of travel documentation by providing multiple layers of representation. This blog will highlight some of the limitations of my own subjective experience abroad to better understand the fragile nature of stories. It will serve as an aesthetic anthropological tool, allow me to document my learning process, and encourage me to connect with others who can give me immediate feedback along the way.
By having an academic blog along with my final travel essays I hope to add more dimensions to my thesis and give a more holistic portrait of both my experience and the people I am trying to represent. I believe that this project has the potential to help others learn more about Dharamsala, show that stories are universally important, encourage people to recognize stories within their proper context, and demonstrate that evolving digital media not only has enhanced the traditional creative writing process, but it has also become a viable new medium on its own.
Background and Significance:
In order to put this in an academic context, I will demonstrate two things—why we need to tell stories, to justify the importance of my travel essays, and second, that stories are inherently fragile and need to be understood within their limited context, which establishes the importance of having an academic blog.
In order to understand why we need to tell stories, we have to understand that telling stories is a universally acknowledged part of the human experience. Margaret Atwood says that the reason why we need to tell stories is because of the complex languages we construct to communicate, setting us apart from animals. She also says that “we know that people learn and assimilate information much more through stories than they do through charts and graphs,” and it is how we find meaning in life (Atwood).
Coincidentally one of the most influential theorists concerning the importance of stories is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the exiled Tibetan government (Dalai Lama 28). Emily Bell, a former field study student who wrote a creative writing project in Dharamsala in the spring/summer of 2010, had several insights that strengthened the argument that the Dalai Lama not only believes stories should hold and do a hold a special place in the thoughts and practices of humanity, but he also encourages his people to tell them. Emily was surprised by how "readily Tibetans will talk about their lives." She argues that it is from a sense of responsibility since the "Dalai Lama himself has encouraged all newcomers to share their experiences with the world" (Bell 3), something that was reiterated almost daily in her experience in Dharamsala. This gives me encouragement that I will be successful in finding people to share stories with me.
In addition to the human need to tell stories and the importance of this location to my project, storytelling is a method that has been acknowledged and encouraged more recently in qualitative research. In the book Method Meets Art, Patricia Leavy says that by doing arts-based research we can "bridge and not divide both the artistic-self and the researcher-self." There is a "profound relationship between the arts and sciences," and there are several viable reasons that more and more people are turning towards alternative methods (Leavy 2). Art-based research is more holistic—a new genre that "comprises new theoretical and epistemological groundings that are expanding the qualitative paradigm" (3). In many ways it can capture and represent what traditional research cannot, some of the most fundamental aspects of human experience. This book also argues that this art-based method looks more at how knowledge is a process, “a temporary state,” and that it is not linear, helping us to look more at the process of meaning-making (9-10). It allows questions to be posed in different ways, promotes dialogue, raises new questions, reaches nonacademic audiences in a way that standard methodology cannot, and crosses disciplines (18).
This importance of creatively representing cultural material is found in anthropology as well. Keith Basso demonstrates this in his book Wisdom Sits in Places, which not only describes anthropological material in a more creative way, but looks at the value of stories among the Apache’s. Because of the approach in his writing he was able to better represent the topic of stories but also reach a larger audience. Although arts-based research deviates from tradition, it is certainly becoming a very useful tool that yields interesting and valuable results that are sometimes weeded out in the more traditional methods. This is what I will strive to accomplish in my travel essays that will be more creative in nature. By presenting my findings in a more aesthetic way, I am more likely to interest a larger audience outside of academia. However, this brings up the argument of authenticity in representation.
The second part of this academic background that I need to establish, which justifies the importance of my blog, is that although stories are a vital part of our human experience, they must be understood in their proper context as being limited interpretations of subjective truths. I am not so interested in debating the attempts toward truth or what constitutes a more “truthful” account in the Aristotle sense, but I am interested in authenticity. This is not to discredit the value of stories, but it should get us thinking about the problems of representation within narratives, especially in my case, where I am trying to interpret another culture through my limited lens.
Clifford Geertz, an extremely influential anthropologist, has an interesting take on representation in his book The Interpretation of Cultures. He says that all “anthropological writings are themselves interpretations” and “second to third ones to boot” (Geertz 15). We cannot be native or express a native point of view because of our lack of context. This is critical to understand for ethnography, travel literature, and any document that attempts to translate a foreign experience outside of the original context. “Thick Description,” perhaps the most influential chapter in his book, says that the more layers you add to ethnography, the more holistic your findings will be represented. This applies to creative nonfiction, which my essays will fall under, and the challenge I face of trying to balance the subjective and objective selves. Too often creative writers are prone to detachment and isolation, romanticizing their experiences, because they are not really held accountable by a “real” audience, particularly the people they are representing (or exploiting). However, a blog allows for more “layers.” It is less polished and formal, documents things as they happen, can be used as an anthropological and aesthetic tool, and allows for immediate feedback from a larger potential audience. It is friendlier to alternative mediums of documentation, such as photography, which is particularly important to me, and provides a way for the learning process to be recognized as more than just a means to an end.
We have discussed why stories are so important to humanity, but without proper perspective we run into serious danger. While my final travel essays will hopefully contribute to a larger pool of knowledge through recognizing the importance of stories, there is also a need for skepticism or an understanding of the subjective nature of them which will be represented on my blog. Having both is ideal.
Methods and Procedures:
I will be addressing three things in this section of my prospectus. First, how I will gain access to the community and recruit my population, second, the methods I plan to utilize, and third, ethics and the IRB as it relates to this project.
First, I would like to look at my plans for access, recruitment, and the population I am looking at specifically. From my previous field study experience, I have learned that gaining entry into a community is not easy. It is not something you can guarantee or schedule out, but there are certainly things I can do to get out and try. Each day I will be going out into the community and exploring, ensuring that I am not spending too much time staying at home in a sphere of familiarity. Going out each day and walking around town will hopefully put me in the path of potential informants and also strengthen my observation skills. I will do all of my coursework in local hang outs and always try to have conversations with the people I encounter in Dharamsala. Some of these locations will likely be around the temple, at local restaurants, participating in Hindi lessons, yoga training, attending religious ceremonies, shopping at the market, volunteering at English language conversation labs, standing in lines or waiting in the rain, etc. I will recruit through convenience sampling.
As far as population, there is a large pool that I want to tap into. I want my travel essays to paint a portrait of the diversity found in Dharamsala by representing various kinds of people who live and pass through there. Because of this aim, my subjects will be both male and female and anyone over the age of eighteen. This will include people like the backpackers, monks and nuns, my host family, Tibetans—both those who were born in Dharamsala and those who immigrated there, and also the local Indian population. This variety is exactly what I need in order to create this portrait of Dharamsala. I recognize the importance of proper rapport and reciprocity, especially since I will not be giving monetary compensation, but within my project I also realize that giving proper reciprocity will vary quite drastically, say, between a local monk and a European backpacker. I am also aware that these individuals are freely giving me their time and that I need to do something in return to show my appreciation—such as volunteering to help them with their English, buying them a soda, or another small token of appreciation. I will be very conscious of their generous contributions.
The second part of this section I need to address are the conventional methods I plan to utilize for this project. Keeping a paper journal will be an important part of documenting my experience. All information from informal interviews (questions found in Appendix B of this document), participant observation, and my experience in general will be recorded daily in my journal. I will not audio record interviews, but will have a jotting notebook that I take with me throughout the day where I will strive to accurately document my experience and conversations. These jottings will be fleshed out each day in my field journal. This journal will be pretty rough and raw, but it is an important medium to reference as I craft my final travel essays.
As far as my blog methodology, I will be posting three times a week based on three aims: consume, create, and connect. Posts regarding “consume” will be about documenting my learning from both my experience and what others are saying as it applies to my project. “Create” posts will be more aesthetic in nature, maybe some foundational material for my travel essays as well as a place to share my photography, and “connect” posts will comment on my efforts to try and reach a larger audience and make meaningful connections outside of my limited experience.
The last thing to address in this section is the role of ethics in my particular project. This is something I have had to take a considerable amount of time thinking about. I have submitted this project and have received IRB approval as “exempt research,” but I will still be mindful of these concerns by reminding informants that participation is voluntary and keeping their personal and identifying information confidential.
In summary, through convenience sampling I hope to access a very wide range of people for my creative project. In addition to blogging I will be using conventional methods, such as informal interview and participant observation, and will be recording them through a daily field journal.
Preliminary Outline:
Because of the creative nature of my project, an exact outline is hard to predict. However, based on my current expectations and I hope to accomplish two things:
First, I would like to build an academic blog that will be a companion to my experience that can stand on its own as a viable medium. A blog is less linear in nature, but it is chronologically formatted. To establish organization I will have a blog statement of intent, a static page containing my field study project proposal, a search box, and labels to ensure that all information is easily found and organized for readers. Both in the field and after (while I am still drafting my essays), I will be publishing to my blog three times a week.
The second and final product of my project will be a collection of personal travel essays based on anthropological material and my experiences in Dharamsala. These essays will function independently but will be more complete and representative of the diversity of this location and my experience when compiled together. It will contain an introduction that prefaces the work but also comments on the writing process, encouraging readers to also view my companion blog that may present a more authentic portrait of these stories.
After the introduction I will have somewhere from four to seven essays. The first essay will likely be more of a personal essay to introduce the reader to the narrator. Each essay following will be devoted to an experience interacting with a unique person in the community that represents a portion of the diversity that can be found in Dharamsala.
Qualifications of the Investigator:
As an undergraduate student, my qualifications are limited. However, I have already completed a successful field study on a similar topic in Ghana, Africa during the spring/summer of 2010. I have also taken the field study prep class (IAS 360R) in order to prepare me for this new project. This preparation course taught me a number of things, including how to ask descriptive questions, the importance of proper reciprocity, how to gain access to a community, the role of ethics in my project, how to recognize and handle culture shock, etc.
For my anthropology minor I have several introductory courses. In addition to that, most applicable to this project is my Peoples of India course (ANTHR 335) which has helped me to understand some of the basic cultural practices and beliefs in India, including Dharamsala where I will be spending the majority of my time.
As an English major, I have taken all of my foundational English classes which have given me the skills of a good writer. I have also taken Travel Writing (ENGL 306), which looked at some of the styles and ethics of travel documentation, as well as Creative Writing (ENGL 218R), which helped me discover my own creative writing style. In the field I will also be taking Creative Nonfiction (ENGL 317R) through my faculty advisor. In addition, I have had extensive writing practice through maintaining an academic blog of my experience in Ghana, as well as through daily journal writing.
Qualifications of the Advisor:
While my qualifications are limited, I have excellent faculty in the English department who are willing to help me with this project.
My advisor, Professor John Bennion, received his PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston in 1989. He has already advised about twenty honors theses and has led courses dealing with outdoor writing, personal essay, and travel writing for twenty years. Some of these courses include Wilderness Writing, Walking England (where he hiked through the landscape where writers lived), and Integrated Natural History in Utah. He has published a collection of short fiction, Breeding Leah and other Stories (Signature Books, 1991), and a novel, Falling Toward Heaven (Signature Books, 2000). In addition, he has published short work in Ascent, AWP Chronicle, English Journal, Utah Holiday, Journal of Experiential Education, Sunstone Magazine, Best of the West II, Black American Literature Forum, Journal of Mormon History, and others. He has written two contemporary novels, Born of Ashes and Snakes in Eden.
My referee, Professor Gideon Burton, has already mentored my research in Ghana and is continuing to do so in India. He received his PhD from the University of Southern California in 1994, the same year that he joined the BYU English Department faculty. Professor Burton specializes in literature, writing, rhetorical studies, and is currently interested in how technology and new media are changing education. He maintains several academic blogs, including rhetoric.byu.edu, which has earned several internet awards, Academic Evolution, and the online Mormon literature database. His research and experiments in the modern digital renaissance are prolific. Professor Burton has helped many field studies students as has overseen many honors theses. Having completed a field study to India himself, he is an ideal referee for the crucial blogging portion of this project.
Timeline:
From January to April 2011 I was enrolled in a field study preparation class. I will be collecting material for my project for just over 90 days, arriving in Delhi on May 3rd and leaving on August 16th, although the first and last week will be devoted to setting up the program and traveling to and from the location. Each night I will do extensive field notes—including creative writing exercises for a foundation to my essay drafts, and I will post three times a week to my academic blog. Other than these weekly goals, here is what I plan on doing within this time frame:
· Week 1, May 15- 21: Explore the community, map out potential places to interact with others and practice participant observation. Meet host family.
· Week 2, May 22-28: Explore the community, map out potential places to interact with others and practice participant observation
· Week 3, May 29- June 4: 1 Informal interview and participant observation,
· Week 4, June 5-11: 1 Informal interview and participant observation,
· Week 5, June 12-18: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 6, June 19-25: 1 Informal interview and participant observation, preliminary draft of first essay
· Week 7, June 26- July 2: Mid semester retreat to Amritsar
· Week 8, July 3-9: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 9, July 10-16: 1 Informal interview and participant observation, preliminary draft of second essay
· Week 10, July 17-23: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 11, July 24-30: 1 Informal interview and participant observation
· Week 12, July 31- August 6: 1 Informal interview and participant observation, preliminary draft of third essay
· Week 13, August 7-13: Prepare to leave, say goodbyes, ensure all reciprocity has been seen to, and tie up all lose ends
I will return from the field August 23, 2011. Most of my in-field coursework will be due by the beginning of October. I will draft my honors thesis in Writing the Honors Thesis (HONRS 300R) and in Writing a Novel (HONRS 301R). My advisor, Professor Bennion, will be in London during this time so we will be corresponding via email.
I will turn in my honors portfolio by January 15, 2012 and plan to defend this thesis before March 1st. Four copies of my thesis will be submitted by March 8th.
Budget:
Since I am going to India as a field facilitator for the ISP Field Studies Program, some of my costs will be covered. However, there are still several expenses I am responsible for. These costs have been converted to USD from rupees at the current exchange rate as of May 2011, which is 44 rupees to one USD.
· Airfare ($1,400, covered by Field Studies Program)
· BYU tuition (ten credit hours/semester, covered by BYU academic scholarship)
· HTH Travel Insurance ($120, already paid)
