Thursday, June 17, 2010

Major Project Progress

After talking with Mrs Russo two things were clear:

  1. Both my introduction and conclusion need to be longer and stronger. My question needs to be interwoven throughout the piece, especially in the introduction and conclusion - which forces me to ask "WHAT IS MY QUESTION?" Sir has asked me to write my focus question on the top of the essay. Simple? NO. It is so complex, it has developed so much! I know what question I set out to ask, that's easy "How has the historiography os the psychedelic experience developed through time, focussing on the intent, extent and legacy of drug-users." However, it is so much MORE than that now, which is why Mr Carragher was so underwhelmed by that question. He pointed out that I was "selling my arguments short" which is a fair comment but that question is essentially what I set out to do. That was the question I wanted answered. That's what I was interested in. Of course, as the project developed it became a multifaceted and complex piece which can't really be summed up in a sentence - but I guess that was my original question. It may be hard to sell that to Mr Carragher though, so I might have to try to think over my idea. Maybe I will try to think up a title or something more refined. 
  2. Miss wanted me to look into the theory of New Social Movements which delves into the idea that once the sixties came, people began fighting less for their economic wellbeing and more for less materialistic qualities of life. This is useful for my project as drug-use could be seen to combine quite nicely with this idea, particularly Leary's idea of the "fifth freedom - the right to expand your mind." Modern historians understand that the psychedelic experience wasn't a unique and revolutionary call for freedom but one aspect of a much wider atmosphere of social movements (gay rights, pacifism) which also pursued less materialistic endeavours. I want to continue readng up on this and perhaps try to fit into my last argument / conclusion.
Okay well, must get to it!

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