dissertation dilemmas

[tisiphone]

While the idea of a month in NZ is lovely, I'm afraid it's realistically going to be too expensive (unless I stayed in a hostel, and I can't do that, I'll go insane). New idea: the bodily technique and meaning of corset-wearing. I can do that in the UK, and I can have a huge amount of fun at any Voller's seller for a tenth the cost of a month in Auckland. So, it's early days yet, but how many of you would be willing to talk to me sometime in March about a) goth shopping or b) the wearing of a corset or c) the observation of the corset-wearing of others? If you don't want to volunteer in public please email or PM me.

Comments

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

If you need the point of view/what goes into the construction of corset from a makers perspective feel free to tap me.

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

That would be fantastic, absolutely fantastic! Especially since I think you've constructed for the stage, yes? I'm thinking performance and performativity is going to be part of what I look at, so that would be amazing.

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

yep can discuss/illustrate the differences between a dance "corset"for movement, a fashion corset and tight lacing. If you feel like spending an afternoon having lunch and going over stuff at my home work shop let me know, any weekday besides Tues/thurs is good between noon and 22:00.(you can always stay overnight at mine if you want to come after class and stay in London)

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

That would be great. I need to get my idea approved first, but it shouldn't be a problem (assuming I can find someone to supervise it, which I will get on immediately), so it might be a month or two before I get to it.

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. Let me know. Also I have lots of books on corsets to raid, uhm,I mean borrow.

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for any sort of support for your PhD, and serious about possibly getting a job in academia on teaching and research side, you might want to think about making sure your MA diss leads into what you want to do for your PhD. In History, at least, admissions and hiring committees like to see people whose work is focused enough that it will be feasible for the applicant to produce on the scale that the REF wants, and that will attract students. I'm not saying breadth is discouraged -- far from it -- but a research agenda that is coherent and feasible is becoming ever more important. Getting published in the right places is really difficult unless you've started to carve out a niche for yourself.

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm definitely thinking about that. I don't want my MA dissertation to be too similar to my PhD proposal, since that'll lead to the view that I haven't progressed, but at the same time I don't want to look too random either - I want it to be sequential and built on previous work. I also want to make sure it's in a field that's visible, but not too crowded, and that I'm actually doing original work at this level. Which is why there's probably going to be a lot more navel-gazing from here on out, since in anthro that's a difficult mix. (One reason why I'm focusing on material studies, which is relatively new and trendy without being too weird.)

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

New if you aren't an historian... This might be one of those times when serious consultation with faculty might be in order :-)

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, new within anthropology :)

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

just saw this link from a follower on my blog, 1887 medical study on effects of corsets :
http://haabet.dk/patent/The_corset/