"So what?"

[chimerically]

I got my project proposal for my social psychology class back today with less-than-glowing comments. I was hoping to carve off a piece of my ongoing research on photography and cameraphones, and proposed studying the ways in which people create identities (e.g. through constructed memories and self-representation) with photographs, narrowing my scope to those online for the purposes of a semester project. The professor responded with, "I don't think I buy 'online photo-sharing identities' as something of sociological interest. I'd encourage you not to do this project. If, however, you are really sold on it, come to my office hours and try to sell it to me." At first, I felt devastated. Why wasn't it interesting? I thought it was interesting ... I was even thinking of expand it into a master's thesis next semester. The fact that I'm getting some "so what" responses from both sides - technological and social - worries me and eats away at my self-esteem. And I just don't know enough about the fields of social psychology or science and technology studies to effectively justify my work to those audiences. But then I thought about the readings of the course, many of whose themes focused on various forms of racial and gender discrimination. Is that what he's expecting? What does he mean by "something of sociological interest?" So it's my plan to review the readings this weekend and try to formulate a rejoinder for office hours next week, and a few questions for him. We'll see how it goes.

In the late afternoon I practiced ballroom for a couple of hours. Practices the last couple of weeks have been really good - we have some new choreography and I feel like we're making headway on some technique issues our coaches have been mentioning for a while now. Tomorrow night we're competing in the Autumn Classic at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in SF, if anyone's interested. :~)

Comments

[temperategoddss.livejournal.com]

I would have to agree. It may be that your professor is simply not tech-savvy and has no idea of the proliferation of interaction and self-definition using personal photography online these days. Nevertheless, I would take it as an opportunity to explore your idea, especially the reasons you may expand it into a thesis next semester, and appreciate that you have to defend it. If you can make your case and argument with someone who is "enh" about your idea, then you should definitely be able to do the same with people who are more sympathetic and open to it. I understand how it would injure your self-esteem, but try to not let it do that and instead learn and grown from it. You know that you have a valid idea and possible thesis, convince your professor of the same.