Well, yesterday I went before the Chambre Ardente (I just cannot resist mentioning one of my favourite, unrelated in any way, pieces of witchcraft history here: the Affair of the Poisons, it has absolutely nothing to do with this post except for the evocative name of the chamber! I guess I just have to romanticise and Gothicise everything out of all proportion, all of the time!). This 'chambre' consisted of two archaeologists and a historian and I was in there in order to be assessed in regards to my first year of PhD research. In the US it's called 'Defending your Dissertation' I think. We call it 'Confirmation' as it means you become a confirmed PhD candidate rather than a probationer. The exprience was a bit like an initiation, but only really in regards to waiting outside the 'temple', entering it, being grilled, going out to the Chamber of Reflection while further mysteries occurred within the chambre, coming back into the temple, some further grilling, and then success! Now I understand what Ronald Hutton was saying in one of his books - I think it was 'Witches, Druids and King Arthur' - about academia being a kind of secret society into which one penetrates through ascending grades, and I'm paraphrasing of course, as I'm too lazy to look up the reference, even though the book is not 2 meters away. Anyway, I'm decorating this post with a Mark Ryden animated tree, as that's what my PhD topic is on, but in the prehistoric Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
12 comments:
Congratulations.
A thesis or dissertation "defense," however, takes place after the document is written, immediately preparatory to the degree being granted (or not).
Oh right. Well in Australia all things are completely different, I gather. Like we're supposed to do our PhD within 3 years, etc. So, frankly I don't really know the equivalent terminology.
Yes, in this situation, Confirmation, I only had to produce a 1/10 th of my actual thesis. So, 10,000 words.
Well done Caroline!
I should simply have said that "thesis defense" or "dissertation defense" is what Americans say instead of "viva voce."
And it does make my flesh crawl to hear the Brits say "VYE-va," since I'm used to the Spanish pronunciation.
Word verification: lateddeg.
"It's too lateddeg to worry about it."
Chas, you're lucky that you have not encountered the old Brit pronunciation, which would be weewa wovchay. See that wonderful book on British history 1066 and All That, which all historians should read. It explains how Julius Caesar decided that there were three types of Gauls, weeny, weedy and weaky.
Caroline, very good wishes. If you like romantic Gothicky stuff, see if you can get hold of John Dickson Carr's The Burning Court. He wrote many classic locked-room detective stories, and one or two historical witchy/satanic ones.
Thanks Daniel, I've never heard of the author you mention, will have to hunt him down.
Re: what Chas Clifton said - in my understanding of the UK process - I am going through it at the moment - one starts as an MPhil applicant then after jumping through a series of vile hoops - ie justifying ones research to various academic big-wigs who don't really know anything about it, but pretend they do, via a short essay/set of application papers one then becomes a PhD candidate for real.....I think Chas may be referring to the final Viva - in which one is made to justify ones thesis document prior to the award being granted. The justification at the beginning of the process is still a form of defence - which hones down the research and puts the candidate in the right frame of mind to fight on - or give up!!!!
Hmm, in many ways prof Hutton is right but he forget that thoughtforms (gods, goddesses, spirits etc) he mentioned, throughout the ages has become so much 'energy' from us humans that their realy are living/excisting beings. From my point of view as a ancestorbeliever of my Indonesian heritage I can say that.
Furthermore, I think prof Hutton is in fact a nonbeliever but a (good)scolar in his research into historical and cultural facts. He has all these years flirted with paganism needed for his theses is my opinion.
What I can recommended to the readers is: do not depend on assumptions and facts based only on his research but also on your own observations, feelings, encounters, and that accompany the contacts you have/had as a wicca/witch. Stick to your believe.
B*B J.A. Dumais (Alexandrian Hps)
Antler, yes, in Australia you can convert from a MA to a PhD, but in my case I just went straight from honours (4th year) to PhD, so I haven't done a Masters at all. Although I do see good points in doing a 30,000 word thesis too.
Jetske, did you mean to reply to the actual Hutton interview?
US way of defending dissertation can really be different when it comes to defending it in the UK. But, both can really need dissertation help like being confidence in what you are doing so that you would feel good once you stood in front to defend the paper. Anyway, what happened to your paper?
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