4 posts tagged “dissertation plan”

I've done again what I thought I would never do...again.  I started a new blog.  I know, I know.  You're thinking to yourself, "Kate, what the heck?  Shouldn't you be writing sociology instead of starting a new blog?"  The answer is, "Yes. But."  What I was finding was an urge, a hankering, a need to basically just complain about schoolwork. I've been resisting to do that much here because I don't want to clog up this lovely, established, usually light-hearted blog with business. That just makes me sad and wasn't going to work for me.  So, I set up another tent that's a chronicle of the business of school.

Back in the day, not so long ago, I had the Pop Culture Tent and it was a moderate success in terms of giving me a forum to practice sociological analysis of popular culture (alright, alright...I talked about Project Runway and Top Chef).  It's fizzled over time as my analysis of culture and communities has had to come to the forefront; I've found I don't really want to talk about pop culture as much as I do other things.  So,  The Culture Tent is a re-tooled version. I'm gonna stick everything related to my dissertation, special fields, and the process of this PhD on there.  For me it will likely be 1/3 venting, 1/3 informally discussing (mostly with myself) some of these key concepts, and 1/3 taking the graduate student story out of the black box and giving it some air. So that I can stay sane.  I've found over the past couple months that, the more I talk about this thing, the better I feel about it.  So, that's my hope.

For you (my lovely readership of 2--Hi Mom and Meghan), you can see what I'm up to.  So, it's also kind of a measure of accountability.  And an avenue for breaking down mental blocks.

So, there it is.  Check it out.  You can keep track of my daily dosages of alternating "sociology as torture" and "sociology as the greatest thing ever..."

This is a big week in the life of Katie P. for a lot of reasons.  It's the last week of October meaning that we're leading in to November, easily my most favorite month of the year (though generally under appreciated, I think). It gives us Thanksgiving, wonderfully seasonally cool temperatures and...well, I don't need anything more for it to be great.  But I've also decided to do the InAdWriMo in November again.  This is basically a commitment to myself to write a certain amount of words towards my special field paper in culture.  Last year I soared past my 20,000 word goal so I kicked it up to 30,000 this year.  That's right.  Time to dig in.  The writing meter will appear before you know it.

Having said that, I'm spending this week in preparation for all of this.  Here's my list of things that MUST BE done before November and all its goodness can commence:

1. Swap my computer desk and my square table; computer moves to living room, square table moves to dining room. This is a big move.  In a moment of "academic seriousness," I decided to move the computer away from the tv.  All this did was make me turn on the tv extra loud so I can still hear it when I work.  I should have known better.  When you grow up doing homework in front of the tv, you can't write a dissertation or anything prior to that removed from said tv.  Sad but true.
2. Set up the Wii.  Fall and winter means an almost daily need to beat "Barracuda" on Hard in "Guitar Hero."  And playing Wii sports.  During the summer it almost seemed ridiculous that I bought that thing but as soon as October rolled around, the itch started.  Now it's a full blown rash.  I need Wii and I need it now.
3. Wash my favorite winter blankets.  This means a special trek to the laundromat so I can use the washer marked "extremely large loads" which I always think is the textile equivalent of those trucks moving houses on the freeway that are marked "wide load."  I need those blankets.  I can write when it's cozy.  And those blankets--some fleece, some woven--create cozy.
4. Re-stock my tea.  For singing, I drink this awesome elm bark tea that tastes like licorice.  But for writing, I need some kind of green-tea infused goodness.  I'm thinking ginger might do it this year.  I already bought a couple new "inspirational" mugs.  Awesome.
5. Re-start yoga.  I always think better when my chakras are aligned and my hamstrings are well stretched.  Namaste.
6. Watch "30 Rock." It's good to establish lasting routines and the premiere is Thursday.  I'm ready for the responsibility.
   

There used to be a day when my entire life and breath depended on the movement of the calendar toward June 12.  Why that date in particular?  Because when one's whole life revolves around the high school schedule (as mine did for 4 years of my own education and 6 years of teaching other impressionable, somewhat-entitled young adults--others may call them "brats"), June 12 is usually (give or take a day) the actual first week-day that the alarm does not have to ring pre-7am and bells don't dot the landscape of the day in 50-minute increments.  For three months, life could flow breathlessly and easily. Sleep could be reclaimed as an actual activity, sanity restored, health and hope in the future returned.  It was a glorious time.
    Well, as I've been reflecting and trying to understand this general malaise that continually creeps into my days, even when I start them with the greatest of hopes, I believe my loss of June 12 has contributed a lot to what I can now call my personal anomic crisis (thanks a lot, Sociology). Oh how I need to revive my respect and reverence of June 12 (or another date like it) to fuel my own progress--if I have nothing to work toward, I'm a goner, as I feel I am right now (professionally, that is...not personally...no need to make that "very important phone call" just yet).  June 12 stood as a symbol of all of my hard work and sacrifice; it heralded the beginning of a piece of time designated by the structure itself (ah...high school) that served as a reward for all of the concessions of time that had to be made during the year: studying, grading, practicing, meeting.  June 12 meant it was Summer and Summer was good. Summer was restorative and healthy.  Everybody looks good during the summer.
    The problem that I have now (and I know I'm gonna get crucified on this point by anyone that actually works a "regular" job or that laments a life in which time does not feel like their own) is that I am overwhelmed by the fact that every one of my days COULD be June 12.  June 12 doesn't look any different, really, than March 23 or May 10.  If I had any kind of natural tendency toward discipline or internal work ethic, it might.  My friend Meghan (hi Meghan) makes me feel like a sloth when it comes to work.  I wish a little of her self-starter qualities could rub off. I wish that, just one day a week, I could wake up with the energy and motivation she seems to have toward her work...and her life.  But those qualities won't rub off; that energy and focus cannot be borrowed.  I know that I'm fueled by a deadline on a calendar.  I thrive creatively on the rush of adrenaline that comes from knowing that I have to write 15 pages in the next 8 hours or...or else.  I guess I'm coming to the realization that it's my responsibility now (at least until the end of this god-forsaken degree that I've come to temporarily HATE for this VERY REASON) to return meaning to June 12. 
    It won't be this year...I've farted around too much now to make that work.  But, by God, next year June 12 is gonna mean something: that I've busted my ass enough during the year that Summer will once again be a reward for 9 months of seriously back-breaking, mind-tethering academic work.   Once again, the alarm resting idly will come to be a monumental occurrence and not a daily habit.  I can feel my spirit returning even dreaming about that feeling.
    To June 12, 2009. May it mark the end of one year of some serious, grown-up, academic work focused on an idea I think is important and worthy. Amen. Praise Jesus.

    Sociology has taught me many things, one of the most important being that theory is meaningless without a practical application.  Thus, in response to my mostly theory-laced musings about June 12, I'm providing a calendar for my "Year of Very Hard Work." This calendar is partial because there's only so far I can go in estimating time frames but it's important nonetheless. I need to be accountable.  I need to see it publicly displayed.  I need people to know what I'm up to, even if they don't want to, so that I'll feel some urgency to stick to my word.  In other words, this is really for me and not really for you.  However, I'd invite you to hold me as stringently to my word as you dare.  (I suspect John Patrick--hi John Patrick--will take this immediately to heart and possibly plan an action strategy of his own...and I love that.)  Also, I'm open for debate/discussion/guidance/advice from those who know (and don't know, I guess...all commentary will be considered) about time frames and orders of things.
    I'll definitely be asking for help (a lot of help) along the way.  Here goes:
    Deadline #1: May 31, 2008 Independent Study #3 Done
Yes I know...it's tomorrow.  I'm on track to do it.  This IS will serve as the basis for my Dissertation Proposal which is why it gets a deadline of its own.
    Deadline #2:  June 30, 2008 Culture Special Field has been seriously outlined
Because I'm moving in June, I can't say this will be totally written although that's the ultimate goal.  The more realistic one is that it'll be ready for writing in the first week of July. So serious outline means completely conceptually mapped out with the full, final bibliography.
    Deadline #3: July 31, 2008 Gender Special Field seriously outlined
Again, I want to imagine it'll be totally written but I think complete conceptual mapping is very realistic.  If I can also get it written, bully for me. We'll see how things go.
    Deadline #4: August 15, 2008 ISA Paper on Marx and Alienation Revised and Ready for Presentation
Lauren's been asking me for this, oh, for about 7 months now.  That's the time I'm going to give it and he'll have to deal.  It'll be totally ready for the conference Sept. 4-7.
    Deadline #5: September 30, 2008 Culture/Gender Special Fields approved finally and Dissertation
    Proposal Done
I know there's gonna be clean-up work on those field papers and who knows how long that takes so I think this is enough time to get it all worked out.  Since the IS paper is already done, the proposal shouldn't take longer than this to get into a form that'll be acceptable.
    Deadline #6: October 15, 2008 (my mom's birthday, by-the-by) Dissertation Proposal Hearing Scheduled
    Deadline #7: December 15, 2008 Applications for the Schmidt and the 4th Year Fellowship Well Under
    Way
So, there it is.  In reality, I have no idea how this will all fall into place in the end, but my thinking is that if I personally stay committed to this time-schedule, then I can't be that far off where I want to be.  Maybe I'm naive and this is too much of an ambitious time frame, but something tells me I'm better off erring on the side of ambition than leisure.  We've all seen what's happened to me in the spirit of leisure...it's not been pretty.