Just to recap: I took this summer off from teaching to make a significant dent to my dissertation. My goal was to complete 3 chapters by the end of summer vacation. I figure that after the 2 chapters of the proposal, 3 out of 7 chapters is a significant dent to the overall project. With one week to spare on my summer vacation, I have successfully completed 5 of 7… Continue reading
Archive for the ‘ Dissertation ’ Category
The End of Dissertation Summer, Or: How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Author: PriscillaAug 12
2 Comments
Filed under: Culture Thinking, Dissertation | Tagged as: Cold War, consumption, Disneyland, Dissertation, Dissertation Summer, globalism, post-modernism
Goodbye Concept Paper, Hello Thesis Statement
Author: PriscillaAug 1
There is a class in Pacifica’s myth curriculum titled “Dissertation Formulation.” It’s a quarter-long mini-workshop to help students figure out just what their dissertation will be about. Each group is formed of a fraction of their cohort and one faculty, and each student is given an opportunity to present their idea and receive feedback from the rest of the group about their topic. It’s designed to take us from vague… Continue reading
INFJ and Fairy Tales
Author: PriscillaJul 27
Another friend of mine posted this picture on Facebook the other day. It sits nicely with my dissertation methodology.
It’s a Dissertation, Not a Book
Author: PriscillaJul 27
A friend of mine posted a link to this article on Facebook the other day, and it has some good advice. Though I do think that some of the suggestions it offers emphasizes the point that “the only good dissertation is a done dissertation,” which can lull us dissertation writers into a false sense of security or laziness. My school publishes our dissertations on Proquest, meaning that my dissertation will… Continue reading
Dissertation Summer: A Song Don Henley Never Wrote
Author: PriscillaMay 13
It’s here! It’s here! Dissertation Summer! *Happy Snoopy Dances* 
But what does this mean?
As of today, I have only a few administrative things to take care of for the teaching side of things, namely posting my grades into the official school system. Everything is graded, logged into my grade book, and safely locked away in my office filing… Continue reading
Filed under: Dissertation | Tagged as: Dissertation Summer
From Concept Paper to Chapter 1
Author: PriscillaMar 9
The Concept Paper is a proto-chapter 1 that my school requires third year students to write to prove they are ready to start writing the dissertation. It goes through an extensive quarter-long peer review process, and includes an overview of the dissertation (Introduction), a preliminary Lit Review (my bane of existence), and a rough chapter outline. For my dissertation, I succeeded in… Continue reading
Filed under: Dissertation | Tagged as: Disney, Dissertation, dissertation strategies, dissertation woes
In Search of Structure, or: How to Outline
Author: PriscillaDec 1
Writing a dissertation is very difficult. It’s as difficult as everyone makes it sound. Even when you have a solid idea and a clear visualization what should come of it. What makes writing a dissertation difficult isn’t the pulling a great idea of thin air, nor is it the painful hours of reading and writing. No, it’s the structure of the thing.
A lesson i have learned recently is… Continue reading
The Relevance of Disneyland
Author: PriscillaOct 26
Yesterday, I found myself ready to write again. I’ve been grading grading and grading for a month. It was the first major assignment, which usually takes the longest to grade. So I thought I’d work on the nagging question: how is a study of Disneyland relevant to the Mythological Studies conversation?
I initially can come up with two such reasons. First, the work of Walt Disney and Disney Corp… Continue reading
Filed under: Disney, Disneyland, Dissertation, Popular Culture | Tagged as: Disney, Disneyland, Dissertation, place, popular culture
Personal Myth from Wonderland to Who
Author: PriscillaOct 19
Those stories we hold especially close are those that often have some connection with our personal myth at the time we encounter them. It’s not just a happy accident that we fall in love with something. It’s something far deeper than that. Something has been triggered psychologically.
As an undergraduate and throughout a portion of my graduate studies, my myth revolved around all things Harry Potter. Like so many… Continue reading
Filed under: Disney, Dissertation, Harry Potter, Popular Culture | Tagged as: Alice in Wonderland, Disney, Dissertation, Dr. Who, Harry Potter
Disneyland and dissertating
Author: PriscillaSep 29
October 1 is right around the corner. That means hardly anything for you, except maybe a paycheck and a season change, but for me, October 1 marks the beginning of the most difficult project I have ever endeavored: the Dissertation. While I’m confident that my dissertation-writing process won’t be nearly as painful as the fabled stereotypical experience, I am nonetheless intimidated by the process. The original reason this blog exists… Continue reading
Filed under: American Myth, Disney, Disneyland, Dissertation, Popular Culture, Theme Parks | Tagged as: American Myth, Disney, Disneyland, Dissertation