Hey guys.

How's everyone getting along with the old PhD shizzle?

My weeks so far has been relatively stressful.... mainly because of this chapter I feel like I've been writing forever!!! It never seems to end, and am sure it alone will be longer than the rest of the thesis!! Grrrr....

So today, I aim to get some more done on it, then see my sup for a meeting where I'll tell him I'm subitting 2 theses... one of which being said chapter. After that, I'll sort out what I'm saying for a presentation on Friday, which I really don't want to do.

On the plus side.... yesterday I applied for a job. I wasn't sure whether to apply but did anyway and now I'm quite excited. But, closing date isn't till January, so I have a long wait on my hands to hear anything... curse my impatience...

I like this little snowman (snowman)

Art also requires a lot of skill and thought.... and talent. What we are all hoping to present is that messed up bed. The bed is the thesis. It is up to use as the onlooker to viva that thesis. Defend its worth as a piece of art, just as it is up to our examiners to viva us, and allow us to defend our research. The only difference is that we (unfortunately) don't have Emin here to defend her work, and so the art must speak for itself, whereas out research has us to speak for it.

I agree. But I doubt many artists do what they do for the money. Most have to struggle for years, having their art, their passion, as a hobby rather than career in order to make ends meet. Many don't get their "big break" until after they're dead. I wouldn't write them off just because a lucky few do manage to make it big.

I'm much more against the ridiculous amounts professional football players get paid personally. In my opinion, doctors, firefighters, police, teachers... these are the people who most deserve to get paid millions... they're saving lives, nurturing children, helping society. That's just me though.:-)

Sneaks... it's not just about the messy bed. You're looking at the object rather than the meaning.

With the branch thing... yes you can appreciate it without it being in a gallery, but sometimes, it takes someone to bring it to the forefront of our attention before we can appreciate the beauty of it. As humans we do a lot of things absent mindedly, we don't "see" the simple things, because we're so busy with life. Art like this allows us to take a step back and appreciate those things. It provokes thought. Thought that we may otherwise not consider.

On the flipside... you're writing a thesis which will be read by only a handful of people. To many, that might seem pointless. But hopefully, for those who read it, it provokes enough thought to justify it's existence. Hopefully, there is some beauty in what you've discovered, which will allow you to pass your PhD. That's very much like art. We are similar to artists in that we are trying to engage with our audience. We are trying to make them think, and appreciate the effort we've gone to to bring these matters to their attention.

Essesntially, we are all artists of something or another.

I agree with you Cobweb... but do you not think the unmade bed may be beautiful because it makes us think about those waking moments we all forget shortly after the occur... the beauty in knowing we have woken... we are alive.

The urinal... representative of our biological needs? A symbol of evolotion from cavemen to present day? An illustration of how the very private moments of our lives can be so clearly on show to others (a public toilet)?

Like I said there is beauty in everything if you take the time to look. Try not to take things at face value.

This is slander. I vote it is removed too.

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That's the thing... beauty is what you believe it to be. What you find beautiful, I may not, and vice versa. To someone out there, that urinal, and that unmade bed are beautiful. We question why they may find it beautiful, but I'm sure they will have their reasons. Whether it brings back a memory, or because it makes you think outside the box... there is beauty in everything, but we are often blind to the beauty of some things.

I think the more pressing question is "What is beauty to you?"

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Firstly, just to get semantics out the way, modern art actually refers to art completed in the early part of the 20th century, such as that by Picasso and Dali. The art you're referring to is contemporary art.



I agree that some contemporary art seems... well... pointless. I don't personally like much of the new art produced such as Emin's bed, but that by no means deems it unworthy of calling it art. Art is, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder. It's about the personal interpretation you place on the object or painting, or whatever. While we may not appreciate the significance of this particular piece, it does have significance to others. In addition to this, art is often defined in the process in which it is made, but not in the final article. There are several intricacies to "making art" which many people overlook whilst seeking for the beauty of the piece they are looking at. It's often not about the finished piece, but about the reasons behind the piece, the emotions of the artist, the processes of developing the piece and the interpretation of what this means by both the onlooker and the artist, as well as the emotions it evokes as a result of this. I have seen artwork which has made me cry, but has made others feel nothing.



Finally, art is about debate. It's about forcing people to question it's existence and it forces people to take sides. In discussing Emin's bed, we are partaking in her art, because in some way it has affected you to such a degree that you have been willing to post a reply to this thread.



I don't want to risk turning my reply into an essay so I'll stop there. I'm no expert on art, but have an intense passion for it, and so what I say here just reflects my views. Feel free to comment.:-)

I think it depends on your subject area. My undergrad was a joint honours in criminology and psychology, and most of what we learnt was quantitative - there is a HUGE emphasis on stats in criminological studies, despite the fact that researchers will admit that stats often mean nothing, because not all crime is reported, etc, etc, however, for the social psychology side, we only did qualitative stuff. I've now moved over to education, and pretty much all the educational researchers I know and have read, use qualitative, while quantitative research in this area is in the minority.

I think there's still quite a bit of stigma around the use of qualitative methods because it detracts from the "absolute truth" which research is perceived to seek out. However, I can't see the point in stats anymore really, because it says nothing about human nature and the phenomenon we (or at least I) study. For physical sciences and maths I guess it's a completely different story, but for social sciences which attempt to understand and explain behaviour and lived experience, I think qualitative methods are the way forward.

I've just realised this chapter is going to be HUGE!!! I've been aiming for 10,000 words per chapter... except my methodology which was 15,000. I've been writing this chapter (1st of 4 discussion chapters), and just noticed I'm over the 5000 word mark and only about a third of the way through. I may well be writing this chapter forever. Argh!!!

On the plus side...I'm actially writing. This is good.

Hope everyone elses productivity is good today as well. Maybe I needed that liein this morning.

Hi Peckster,

I'm in a similar (if different) position to you. I'm in my third year of my PhD, currently writing up. In my first 2 years I worked in a therapist role for 14 hours per week, which I gave up for my third year to focus on the PhD. I'm also doing a PGCE in Higher Education Teaching, which takes up at least 1 day a week. My evenings are taken up doing the sport I love as I'm training for a very big event, which means most of my weekends are also taken up doing this, and the rest of my time is spent with friends, family and my long suffering boyfriend. Generally I find this ok. I'm not behind on my work (much) and I seem to be able to fit everything in, most of the time. There are 24 hours in everyday afterall!

But I have to admit it can get to me at times because theres very little space for "me" time and it's a bit overwhelming. I think you'll be ok with what you're doing, as long as you're confident it's not too much. I like having lots to do, so in a way my busy schedule suits me but I know if it ever started impeding on me getting my PhD done I'd have to cut down, because that's my priority at the moment.

Good luck with it all!:-)

So today I overslept... a lot! I've been so tired this week. It's ridiculous!

So today, after I've cleaned out the rodents, I will try get some of my chapter done. Then I'm going to chill. Busy weekend ahead!

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I'd love to see the research which presents the 90% of international students your situation applies to Jojo.



In my opinion, and evidenced by the comments here, you are in fact in the minority here.



Again, as I've said before, why post on a forum if you're unwilling to listen to the opinions of others?



Perhaps I'm being presumptious.

Jojo,

At no point was I trying to invalidate your experiences. I was offering an alternative perspective to try show you that your experiences are not representative of all people in your position. I was merely pointing out that stereotyping the whole of the british population based on your negative experiences was unjust, and if I remember correctly I did offer some relevant advice... i.e: talking to your supervisor/ welfare officer about your concerns.

I'm not sure what more you want? Why post if you're not willing to hear other peoples views?


Oh... and no-ones stopping you from leaving Britain if you hate it so much. Sorry to sound harsh, but there is such a thing as freewill.

I've spent most of today doing non-PhD related things. Grrr. All essential though. I figure I may as well carry on this way, and catch up with some admin... So I will:

- go sort out council tax exemption - again
- figure out why I can't access certain journals (this has been bugging me... a lot!)
- plan out what I'm going to do next week
- attempt to sort conference stuff (this has been bugging me as well)