The last couple of weeks have been extremely overwhelming for me, but this week I do feel that my project proposal is finally coming together. I have been researching my topic for the last few weeks and have quite a lot of information already. However, sometimes I do feel you can have a little too much info at the start, which can confuse and overwhelm you. This in turn, can make you feel as I did, not sure about where to turn and if you are on the right track. After last weeks one to one and the surgery session I do feel much more confident and that I am on the right track for my project and also for my short essay. Although, I am still a little nervous about doing my informal presentation on Tuesday, I do feel like I have a plan to follow and I also have a first draft of my proposal yay! I can then hopefully refine this next week after feedback from both tutors, peers and the unconference next Saturday.
My project will be a comparative essay concentrating on Bengal and Dundee, specifically focusing on the labour force in the mills and three main areas (which I will go into in greater detail on Tuesday).
Looking Forward to Next Year…………
This week I also received an email on information and deadline for my application for my honours dissertation/project. I honestly thought this would have been a little later on. However, I would like to find a way to continue my research in this area for my dissertation/project as it is something that I am very interested in. One idea I have is to expand into the textile trade with Dundee in a specific timeline, concentrating on global connections with the flow of raw materials and textiles in other parts of the world and Dundee, with specific attention to imports and exports. This will also take a look at industrialization and how Dundee became renowned for its textile industry. Is this a good idea?? I’m not sure, what does everyone else think? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Karen,
I know exactly how you feel about having an information overload when you first start researching your project. It can feel like you’ve picked a topic not too wide in scope; something manageable, and then suddenly it seems like the largest topic in the world!
Your idea sounds very interesting. As someone also from Scotland, but who is not working on a project which really integrates our nation, I am excited to hear your presentation and to learn more about Dundee’s labour relations with Bengal and the wider world. A focus on labour movements is sure to make this an interesting transnational study, as you move to discovering really how varied and open the structure of Dundee’s trade was.
This seems like it would make a great starting point to continue on next year, and you seem well ahead and now have many months to enjoy reading more widely around the subject post-project. As you mention, taking a focus on flowing raw materials would be a great standpoint, and you could perhaps pair this with some study of the individual, to really get a micro history going and to move away from any meta narratives. Maybe you could pair it with some micro work in bengal as well? Perhaps you could also think about the wider reach of the relationship between Dundee and Bengal- were there other actors and nations participating? How was the trade affecting those at home and those migrating to Dundee (the Irish, for example)? How did this impact Dundee in the centuries after?
Again, I don’t know much about the subject at all but these ideas just came to mind when reading your post. Having Dundee as your home is surely only going to benefit any work you do, especially as things start to open up and you can get your hands on some excellent primary sources (I know this is definitely one current struggle for me!). Good luck with the rest of your research.
Morven