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:
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:
