"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.

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(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 380

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

At the airport, full update in a few days' time :biggrin:

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Reply 381

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Arrived back safely. Full update will follow in the next few days :danceboy:

Reply 382

Perfectly_Imperfect

17

hey TLG

Subscribing

Reply 383

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Started writing up my fieldnotes. Nearly 5 whole A4 sheets in on Word and I'm only on Saturday's breakfast :sigh:

You may all be waiting a while for my full report :colondollar:

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Reply 384

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

8 pages into report - only on Saturday afternoon :sigh:

This could take a looooooooooooong time :eek:

I've got my annual progress review on Weds :eek:

Supervisor and friends have been trying to contextualise things and calm me down, but am still like :afraid:

Wish me luck?!?!?! :puppyeyes:

Reply 385

Interrobang

20

Good luck

Reply 386

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by *Interrobang*

Good luck

Thankies

Reply 387

Pixsoul

18

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

8 pages into report - only on Saturday afternoon :sigh:

This could take a looooooooooooong time :eek:

I've got my annual progress review on Weds :eek:

Supervisor and friends have been trying to contextualise things and calm me down, but am still like :afraid:

Wish me luck?!?!?! :puppyeyes:

Good luck

It won't be anywhere near as bad as you think; it might not feel like it right now, but you will have done far more than you think. Plus - quality over quantity - so the value of your trip alone should count for a lot, before you add reading and other work.

Reply 388

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Pixsoul

Good luck

It won't be anywhere near as bad as you think; it might not feel like it right now, but you will have done far more than you think. Plus - quality over quantity - so the value of your trip alone should count for a lot, before you add reading and other work.

Thanks Pixsoul :lovehug:

You're probably right. In fact, you're almost certainly right. I'm just a tad scared of my PhD adviser, who's on the review panel :redface:

Obviously supervisor is fine (she's not meant to say anything though, lol) and the panel chair is nice and knows a bit about me, so should be OK if adviser is less scary than I anticipate :redface:

Reply 389

Pixsoul

18

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Thanks Pixsoul :lovehug:

You're probably right. In fact, you're almost certainly right. I'm just a tad scared of my PhD adviser, who's on the review panel :redface:

Obviously supervisor is fine (she's not meant to say anything though, lol) and the panel chair is nice and knows a bit about me, so should be OK if adviser is less scary than I anticipate :redface:

Reply 390

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Still writing a shorter report for the fans, which I will C&P here when done :work:

My supervisor just became a Professor :eek:

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Reply 391

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Still working on shorter fieldtrip report for you all :redface:

I have picked up a book AND opened it AND started reading it and making notes :headfire:

This is the first time I've been able to bear opening an academic book since flaking out of my journal article at the eleventh hour. It's difficult but am trying to enjoy the small victory of being able to even psych myself up into reading a book, tbh :redface:

Reply 392

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

(For context and as a reminder: I flaked out of journal article at the very end of February. So have opened a book and started reading/making notes for the first time in over 2 months :eek:

)

Reply 393

Midnightmemories

18

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

(For context and as a reminder: I flaked out of journal article at the very end of February. So have opened a book and started reading/making notes for the first time in over 2 months :eek:

)

Reply 394

Perfectly_Imperfect

17

Yay! I think breaking the mental block is often the hardest part

Reply 395

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by Perfectly_Imperfect

Yay! I think breaking the mental block is often the hardest part

Thanks! It really is :frown:

Sadly, both supervisor and disability team are yet to come up with any kinda solutions, however short-term. They just think my skim-reading skills are poor. Granted they're not as sharp as they can be, but the problem is more overcoming the mental block involved in actually OPENING a book, rather than my being **** at reading altogether :ninja:

Reply 396

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Sorry for lack of updates, peeps. It's been a pretty distressing week, ngl. All uni work has been abandoned and I cancelled the supervision I was meant to have today because it wasn't safe to go :frown:

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Reply 397

Interrobang

20

Original post

by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Sorry for lack of updates, peeps. It's been a pretty distressing week, ngl. All uni work has been abandoned and I cancelled the supervision I was meant to have today because it wasn't safe to go :frown:

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hope you feel better soon. Take care of yourself :smile:

Reply 398

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Original post

by *Interrobang*

hope you feel better soon. Take care of yourself :smile:

Thank you

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Reply 399

The_Lonely_Goatherd

OP

20

Trying to get back on the reading bandwagon. Yesterday I read only a page, though :frown:

Next week my department is having one of its postgraduate days. It's mainly for the PhD students but sometimes Masters students come too. Myself and my friend are running a one-hour roundtable on mental health issues that PhD students can face. Hopefully people will come and engage, and find it useful :redface:

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

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