New Direction

Okay, so I really need to recreate my blog. I have completely reconfigured my thesis into something that still intrigues me, yet is potentially more feasible. I am planning to get IRB approval and then interview a small group of women within either the UN or associated NGOs about their development of an activist identity. In doing so, I plan to examine the differences and commonalities that have led each woman to become intrinsically involved in her area of activism. This is perfect for me because it wont force me to privilege one social issue over another, but instead allow me to examine how individuals in general become engaged in various issues and movements. I would like to make my research relevant to UVU,  and so I am considering surveying a group of UVU students before I leave for Geneva in order to assess their varying propensities to become activists. By so doing, I will be able to reference them in my research and the ways in which UVU might be able to further encourage them to become socially aware and active. I will be able to do this through comparing their views and experiences to those of the women I interview in Geneva. Additionally, I plan to present my research on UVU campus once I return from Geneva. 

I found an incredibly helpful article on JSTOR today titled "Individual Orientation Toward Engagement in Social Action" which lays out a measure called the Activism Orientation Scale (AOS) which is meant to assess "activist propensity across a wide continuum of social action behaviors, ideological positions, and movement issues" (Corning, Myers, 1). My research could potentially form around this measure. The article also references me to many other potentially informative authors. I plan to continue reading through this article and review any other relevant literature I can find. 

If I can get IRB approval then I can apply for a SCOP grant which could add another $1,500 to my funding. I am also planning to meet with the counselor for the Philosophy department this week to set up my internship credit for the summer, and thereafter I plan to apply for an internship scholarship through the school. I was informed a few weeks ago that the money being donated to my internship/senior thesis from various UVU departments might have to come in the form of a reimbursement rather than an up front contribution. This would be a hassle for many reasons, including I would have to take out a loan, save all of my receipts, and figure out how to pay off the loan with the reimbursement once I return from Geneva. I received and invoice from WOW and am turning that in along with the rest of my travel authorization paperwork with the hope that having the invoice will allow them to reimburse me before I leave for Geneva rather than after. 

I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I am really excited about this new direction, I feel confident it is within my realm of ability and I believe we need to be studying the development of activists in order to encourage activism locally, nationally, and internationally. 

It's coming together

I made additional progress this week in many ways. 

Firstly, I purchased my plane ticket (I will be flying to Geneva on May 15 and flying home on August 8). Finalizing these dates will really help move the process along, as WOW will be able to more concretely set up my grassroots project and know what conferences and events I will be able to attend. Additionally, it gives me peace of mind to know exactly what dates I will need to plan my summer around. 

Secondly, I have continued researching the international initiatives being taken to empower women. A particular organization that will be helpful in my research is the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. They "conduct research and training for gender equality and the empowerment of women as a central focal point for research and training on gender issues within the United Nations system," (Commission on the Status of Women, fifty-second session). I will try to gain access to the ideas of the people involved with this initiative while I am in Geneva, and hopefully set up a few interviews.

I received a confirmation of the generous amount to be donated by Peace and Justice Studies (on the condition that I will keep in contact with Michael Minch throughout my internship/thesis process and present on my experience when I return in the fall). Additionally, I believe the School of Humanities and Social Sciences will be supporting my work with a donation as well, but I am still waiting for a confirmation of this. 

I will be meeting with Mark Olsen of Integrated Studies tomorrow to go over my paperwork and figure out the best way to set up funding for my thesis. It seems that it would be easiest to have all those on campus willing to contribute to collaborate on how to go about this, rather than having to fill out the same forms multiple times. Additionally, Mark brought to my attention the possibility that the donations might have to come as a reimbursement rather than a concrete donation to be received before departing for Geneva. This could potentially be really stressful, if I need to figure out a way to get money elsewhere and be compensated afterwards. I will be going over my options with Mark tomorrow.

The deadlines for my classes are proving helpful, as I am having them revolve around my senior thesis as well. This means that I will have to have an outline for a paper (focusing on international empowerment initiatives) turned in this week as well as a literature review. These deadlines give me something concrete to work towards. 

Additionally, we have been putting a letter together to send to a list of local businesses we are planning to ask for funding. we are also brainstorming some potential fundraisers, such as live bands playing during an otherwise silent auction.

This is where I'm at for now, let me know if you have any feedback! Thanks!