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"Can't you hear me, S.O.S.?": TLG's PhD study blog!

New blog can be found here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7614702

26 year old ethnomusicology student (University of London) researching ABBA fandom, seeks TSR peeps to act as cheerleaders as she battles her way through PhD studies. Apply for cheerleading position(s) by following/posting on this thread :biggrin:

A bit about my PhD topic

A bit about my specific PhD project: I am doing an ethnographic study of ABBA fandom in the 21st century :awesome:

(Ethnographic means that there's a practical element to the research, like going to fan meet-ups/conventions and interviewing people, etc, rather than just theorising ABBA based on my own guesswork/conclusions.)

I chose to do this partly because I am an ABBA fan myself, but also because I think ABBA are an interesting case study, since they continue to be part of mainstream culture despite having never reformed. (They have actually turned down $1 billion USD in the past to reform :headfire:

) I figured there must be some interesting things to say about them!

I have been doing participant-observation fieldwork with the UK branch of the Official International ABBA Fan Club, and have interviewed an ABBA biographer, as well as the curator/director of the ABBA Museum in Stockholm. I've also been keeping tabs on Facebook groups revolving around ABBA. So a lot of my work involves hanging round on Facebook. Such a tough life I lead :emo:

A bit about me/some housekeeping rules

A few bits of contextual info about me/my PhD, for those who don't know me that well:

1. I suffer from schizoaffective disorder and am registered as mentally disabled. This inevitably shapes how my PhD journey goes a lot

2. Ethnomusicology is (put crudely) the social anthropological study of music. It is the study of "music IN culture" and "music AS culture" (Alan Merriam). Traditionally it referred to so-called 'world musics' but now it encompasses everything

3. My undergraduate degree is in music from Woosta College, University of Oxford. My MA degree is in music (ethnomusicology pathway) from Goldsmiths, University of London. Had a **** time at Oxford for many reasons which I will not discuss here, but which again shape the way I approach my PhD. Goldsmiths was much better. I am currently at a different college of the University of London (would prefer not to name it here).

4. If you are one of these people who like to put two and two together and find my uni website page/academia.edu - please DO NOT refer to me on here by my full first name, or my full name (first name/surname). I prefer to keep a degree of anonymity on here

If you wanna call me something, you may call me Shan or TLG.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 20

vis break

3

so ur gunna become Dr. of ABBA?? subscribd

Reply 21

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by vis break

so ur gunna become Dr. of ABBA?? subscribd

That's the plan :colone:

Reply 22

Anon_98

19

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Apply for cheerleading position(s) by following/posting on this thread :biggrin:

Can I be the flyer? :woo:

Spoiler

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 23

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Anon_98

Can I be the flyer? :woo:

Spoiler

Posted from TSR Mobile

I've no idea what a flyer is :redface:

Is that the cheerleader who tends to get tossed in the air? :tongue:

Either way, of course you can be the flyer :colone:

Thankies

Reply 24

Craghyrax

17

Original post

by vis break

so ur gunna become Dr. of ABBA?? subscribd

Hmmm... maybe I should market mine as 'Dr of TSR' :beard:

Reply 25

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Craghyrax

Hmmm... maybe I should market mine as 'Dr of TSR' :beard:

You totes should :ahee:

(You're up late - hope you're OK?!?! :eek:

)

Reply 26

Craghyrax

17

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

(You're up late - hope you're OK?!?! :eek:

)

There will be a stop to this when I have a study blog! :shakecane:

Reply 27

Anon_98

19

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I've no idea what a flyer is :redface:

Is that the cheerleader who tends to get tossed in the air? :tongue:

Either way, of course you can be the flyer :colone:

Thankies

Yes, it totally is aha XD Thank you too! :bubbles:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 28

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Craghyrax

There will be a stop to this when I have a study blog! :shakecane:

With regards to your own study blog: link or GTFO :teehee:

Original post

by Anon_98

Yes, it totally is aha XD Thank you too! :bubbles:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Phew, that was a good guess of mine :colondollar:

Reply 29

tomfailinghelp

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Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Depends what you mean - I'm not sure one can say there is 'objectively' a "best" ABBA song. I think it's a very intricate song that no other band would have come out with, if that's what you mean :smile:

😉 I am understanding that to be a 'yes'

Reply 30

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by tomfailinghelp

😉 I am understanding that to be a 'yes'

Well my vote actually goes for 'The Winner Takes It All', but you can take it as a 'yes' if you like :biggrin:

Reply 31

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

A bit about my specific PhD project: I am doing an ethnographic study of ABBA fandom in the 21st century :awesome:

(Ethnographic means that there's a practical element to the research, like going to fan meet-ups/conventions and interviewing people, etc, rather than just theorising ABBA based on my own guesswork/conclusions.)

I chose to do this partly because I am an ABBA fan myself, but also because I think ABBA are an interesting case study, since they continue to be part of mainstream culture despite having never reformed. (They have actually turned down $1 billion USD in the past to reform :headfire:

) I figured there must be some interesting things to say about them!

I have been doing participant-observation fieldwork with the UK branch of the Official International ABBA Fan Club, and have interviewed an ABBA biographer, as well as the curator/director of the ABBA Museum in Stockholm. I've also been keeping tabs on Facebook groups revolving around ABBA. So a lot of my work involves hanging round on Facebook. Such a tough life I lead :emo:

Reply 32

Snufkin

22

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

They have actually turned down $1 billion USD in the past to reform :headfire:

Oh my god. Why on Earth did they turn that down?! I've never thought about ABBA much but Wikipedia informs me that Frida is from Nordland! :eek3:

Reply 33

Mazzini

16

Subbed

Good luck hun :lovehug:

Reply 34

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Snufkin

Oh my god. Why on Earth did they turn that down?! I've never thought about ABBA much but Wikipedia informs me that Frida is from Nordland! :eek3:

Not sure, but they did verify that story a few years ago (before it had just been a rumour). It's kinda interesting in a way because the men (the ABBA women don't really do much promotion of the ABBA brand these days) apparently had to be coaxed into doing the Mamma Mia! musical (which first opened in 1999) because they were not so interested in promoting ABBA's legacy. Yet since then, we've had the film, the museum and a new ABBA-related attraction is being built as I type, next door to the Museum! So maybe they have changed their attitudes towards their work with ABBA and maybe they would consider it differently now.

That said, I am glad they have never (and likely, will never) reform because I think it would be so hyped up and then fail to live up to expectation :yes:

Yes, she's half-Norweigian, half-German, but brought up by her grandmother in Sweden from a very young age :yep:

Reply 35

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Mazzini

Subbed

Good luck hun :lovehug:

Thankies

Reply 36

Mazzini

16

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Thankies

You will be fab :top:

Luke 1:37 NRSVA

'For nothing will be impossible with God.'

Reply 37

Snufkin

22

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Yes, she's half-Norweigian, half-German, but brought up by her grandmother in Sweden from a very young age :yep:

I'm surprised her mother went off with a German considering how hated the Germans were, and how active normal people were in the resistance. But still, Nordland, woo (see sig).

Reply 38

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Snufkin

I'm surprised her mother went off with a German considering how hated the Germans were, and how active normal people were in the resistance. But still, Nordland, woo (see sig).

Yeah I know what you mean, tiz a bit weird! But if it hadn't happened, then we would not have Frida! :eek:

So it all worked out for the best, I guess :tongue:

Reply 39

gutenberg

14

Original post

by Snufkin

I'm surprised her mother went off with a German considering how hated the Germans were, and how active normal people were in the resistance. But still, Nordland, woo (see sig).

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Yeah I know what you mean, tiz a bit weird! But if it hadn't happened, then we would not have Frida! :eek:

So it all worked out for the best, I guess :tongue:

I read an article about Norway's 'war children' and how German soldiers were permitted (indeed actively encouraged) to pursue relationships with Norwegian women as part of the Lebensborn programme, as the Norwegians were considered Aryan. To this day the children of those relationships are ostracised and discriminated against in Norway, which is why the family settled in Sweden I believe. The wider story is very interesting but also very sad - wikipedia page here gives an introduction.

I'll go back to lurking now :tongue:

"Can't you hear me, S.O.S.?": TLG's PhD study blog!

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