So, I popped my lecture cherry with a talk on how I come up with the things I like to look at sociologically and an example of an analytical method I have employed in the past. I called it “ Making Something out of Nothing ”. I was expecting a maximum of about 6 people to turn up, but much to my surprise about half of the class that I’m a TA/discussant for turned up, I think about 25- 30 people, but I didn’t count because it wasn’t mandatory, but that’s not bad going is it?

So I waffled on about finding something that excites you and turning it in to your research. The example I used was a bit of graffiti I found on my way to uni one day. Seriously, I owe the fine art student who did it a pint if I ever find out who (s)he is! That wee bit of vandalism has inspired me on so many levels and provided me with a kicking off point for so much of my work since then. So after I talked about that image, my dissertation on how urban sports (wo)men subvert space and my dissertation on graffiti in women’s toilets (I know more than any one person should about the sociology of women’s loos). I moved on to explaining how I did a Foucauldian genealogical analysis of the photograph I took of that graffiti. I think it went ok, no false modesty, but public speaking is not my strongest point, and to be fair neither is Foucauldian language really, so for a first timer stretching herself I think I did ok. I didn’t fumble too much and I didn’t swear, so I think I’m improving!
My supervisor meeting went ok. I was told in that I need to start writing down what I’m up to, to use as evidence in my progression review. Apparently they won’t just take my word for it that I’ve been filling my time with sociology and not just sitting in my room reading Mills and Boon novels, whilst eating dainty chocolates. I had submitted a small amount of work to them, in preparation for my ethics approval. Basically the ethics approval submission is a form that tells the uni what your up to, (they are probably just checking that your not conducting covert experiments of orphans, or what ever) it lets them decide if they can get behind your research. It’s sometimes billed as a bit of a formality, but I quite enjoy thinking about the ethics of my proposal. I had attempted to cut my research proposal down to 500 words, because that’s what they request, but brevity is not my strongest point (either). So it was a bit naff, I knew it was a bit naff and I don’t think it lit up Rob and Elaine’s world either. Thankfully they told me I could make my proposal longer if I liked. So I went back to my original ESRC application and went to town on tweaking and adding. I was really pleased in the end. Enjoy reading those 3500 words whoever is in charge of approving me!

On Monday I graduated from my Masters in Sociology. My mum and my gran were there to see me get hooded. This is my third graduation now and I must say it was by far the longest. We had two gentlemen being awarded honorary degrees for their work in sustainability. Their speeches were interesting, I couldn’t help thinking: “This would have awesome at my last graduation.” Town Planners love sustainability. Unfortunately their introductions and speeches made the graduation which started at 10:45 stretch till after 12. Just my luck, I had a lecture to go to at 12, I was really looking forward to flouncing in in my gown. (Hey, it cost me £42 to hire, I wanted to make the most of it.) Alas by the time I hit the building my lecture was in it was 20 past-ish, so I decided to miss it. I hate people who rock up late and disrupt lectures. It’s a shame I was quite looking forward to it too. On the other hand I got to chill out with my some friends from the masters and meet their parents. We all stay in touch on Facebook, but it’s not the same. Now everyone has lives it’s hard to get us all in the same room!

Here are some photos, taken by my mum, who clearly missed her calling as a photographer. Not.

And I clearly missed my calling as a super model.

Well that’s it for the time being. Rock n Roll, eh? Next time I’ll tell you about the post-grad Christmas party, which in actual fact happened last Thursday, but I figure I’ll it’ll give me something to talk about next week whilst I’m on ‘holiday’! I’ll probably also have a moan about the work I’m doing for the last HaSS module I took. If I get a bit too busy to update, have an awesome Christmas!

Initially I wasn’t quite sure what to write about. I doubt my PhD experience is typical. In fact I’m almost sure everyone’s experience is different. Plus beginning this blog at the start of December, when I started Uni in late September, makes me feel like I’m missing a lot out. So instead of going back over the whole term which might be a bit dull both to write and to read I think I’ll enlighten you on the three main highlights of my Autumn term so far:

Amsterdam,
Finding out someone else is using my methodology,
Extreme Strolling.

First, Amsterdam. I’m spontaneous, every now and then I’ll get the travel bug and just book myself a flight. It just so happens that one day I decided I wanted to go on a trip, checked out some flights and moseyed on into uni for a lecture. I mentioned the idea of a trip to Emily (also a Sociology PhD blogger) and that I’d found some cheap flights to Amsterdam. Long story short, the flights were booked within the hour. I had hardly known Emily a month, we’d met in the lift on our way to the school induction, then bonded over finger sandwiches and beer. So I didn’t know her well, but I had gathered we were kindred spirits. So in reading week we hopped on a flight to Holland. It was awesome, very expensive, but awesome non the less. Emily and I are kindred spirits. Both big fans of just exploring a city on foot and drinking in the atmosphere. The Botanic Gardens were a serious and unexpected highlight of the trip! It was also pretty cool to explore the Red Light District with someone who’s area of expertise is women’s sexuality. They say doing a PhD can be lonely, thankfully that hasn’t been my experience so far. I’m sure I’ll elaborate more about Claire the other new PhD student, and the other more established PhD students in future posts.

A photo Emily took of me in the botanic garden.

Second, finding out someone else is using my ‘original’ and ‘innovative’ methodology. Not so much a highlight as a bit of a devastating blow! I’m funded by the ESRC, and as part of that I was invited to a networking conference at The Sage. Alan Bryman (http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/management/people/abryman ) was the guest speaker, I met some facinating new people, such as Verity, a lady who was interested in trying to use some sort of visual methodology to record and interoperate sign language focus groups, all in all it was an interesting and informative afternoon. Then at the end one of the other first year PhD students tells me that my “Walking Elicitation” method of data collection sounded very similar to the “Walking Ethnography” that one of the lecturers at Durham uses. I wont lie. I think I died a little bit inside. On the up swing, I got an introduction to someone who can maybe give me some guidance on how to do my research. So I suppose it wasn’t a total disaster. It just felt like one at the time.

Third and finally: Extreme Strolling. I’ve always thought that Sociology is woefully short of field trips. As a subject that studies people surely the world is your oyster if you want to see theory in action? Often the only chance to “do” sociology students get is when they are doing their dissertation. Extreme Strolling is the catchy title for one of the field trips I helped plan out and supervise as part of my Teaching Assistant work. Elaine Campbell, is the lecturer running the course I’m a TA on this semester, she also just so happens to be one half of my PhD supervisory team too. So, in a nutshell Elaine set some readings for the class, provided the students with a map and some directions and sent them on their way. She asked them to apply the theory from the readings to the cityscape, collect raw data and create a presentation for one of the workshops based on what they gathered. It took a fair bit of planning, luckily I know Newcastle like the back of my hand so when it came to creating the routes I could offer a lot of suggestions. It was really exciting to see a field trip go from the planning stages, through the event and on to the reporting stage. Lots of the students said they’d seen a side to Newcastle they never would have were it not for this walk, a lot of the students also said they had never just “observed” the city before, and that it this had really changed their perspective on existing in a city. I have to say, I was so impressed at the work the students produced. Especially as my own research draws heavily from people and their interactions with the architecture of the city. I felt reassured. Reassured that my own research will turn out okay, that the students were really grasping the concepts that they’d been asked to look into and less importantly I felt reassured that the time I’d spent in helping create the routes had been very well spent!

So that’s it for now. I’m sure my next entry will cover such exciting topics as: my project approval, my latest supervisory meeting and my very first lecture! Next week is shaping up to be busy.