Contextualizeing Narratives

This topic submitted by Brian, Jason, Maggie, Randy, Ryan on 2/14/03. Additions were last made on Tuesday, April 8, 2003. Section:

Dear Brian, Jason, Maggie, Randy, and Ryan,

Comments in Black are from CW and in blue are from MB
We have read your proposal and conclude that it needs a lot of work. The chief problems are that you donÕt really explore any hypotheses or critically consider the downside of your approach. Thus we are asking you to make substantial revisions of your proposal and resubmit it to this Web site no later than midnight on Thursday February 20.

Telling stories with various characters is really not the same as learning about different perspectives. Your writing about an African-American woman character is not the same thing as researching a real African American womanÕs perspective. Here Dorceta Taylor might be a start. There are also big problems with anthromorphizing other organisms, and plenty of room for inaccuracies. Also what about the perspective of exotic and invasive species as well as the excess algae in the creek? How do you get from stories to ecosystems? Rudyard Kipling wrote a lot of "Just so" stories about such things as how the bear got a short tail. Almost all such tales make a moral point. Many Native American stories are also linked to the goal of learning lessons from nature. It is probably important to be clear in our minds when we are writing more in the style and purpose of Kipling and when we are writing "natural history." I think if we can be quite clear that this is natural history we are "on the same page" but not if you are in the mindset of Kipling and we are in the mindset of say, Humboldt or Barry Lopez.

There really isnÕt a clear scientific dimension to this project because what you propose in that respect is too vague. The focus on biodiversity is promising but needs to be beefed up to be of real value. You may want to have a look at what other groups are proposing for inspiration Ð noting, however, that other groups have their own issues and shortcomings. For example, if you were to focus on invertebrates such a caddis flies or mayflies you could talk about the fish that eat them and the birds (e.g. Kingfishers) that eat them etc. That would give your narratives some basis in your scientific dimension. It is worth you while to discuss this carefully in the meeting you have before your resubmission.

The interview idea seems underdeveloped. Whom would you interview? What would be your research questions and your hypotheses? Since you raise sexual orientation, why, for example, would we expect a gay farmer to have different ideas about Four Mile Creek from a straight farmer? Clarify please. Finally, your timeline seems pretty optimistic.

Be quite clear about your audience. Are you doing work that is descriptive or prescriptive? Do you wish your project to be of influence on some group beyond our class? Does your work involve any kind of hope for a change in behavior? Would the water be treated in a different way? Would roads be treated differently? Would easements be given as buffers between farms and the water?

We are confident that you will come up with something cogent, coherent, and creative if you really work on it. Please start that hard work now and have your proposal polished by Thursday February 20. Best wishes.

Let's consider this a DRAFT of a name for the project, shall we??? ;-)

Next Article

Return to Main Article