October Reflection

During October, I set out to complete my plan from the previous month and start my initial research into Western literature in the education system. After completing my planning from September, being a mind map of ideas on my chosen topic and completing my PPR up to the mid-way review. After doing this, I decided to focus more on the secondary research, looking at the education system and influences within it.

I decided to take on these things as my main concerns within October, and have put a star (*) next to the ones that I am currently working on or have completed, and an exclamation point (!) next to the tasks that still need to be completed.

• Update blog with initial ideas/any changes *
• Create a timeline of things I plan to complete *
• What is culture? (define and research) *
• Research Stuart Hall and his influence on media and literature *
• Look into books that are taught within schools in the UK and the cultures seen within them *
• Create a pie chart with the data and research into the exam boards choices *
• Look at other cultures/countries education system (on literature) !

By using this system and creating a timeline it has allowed me to keep on track and meet deadlines to ensure I have sufficient research to create a fair and just argument when I begin to write my dissertation.

I think that, within October, I have developed my research and organisational skills, by creating a clear list of what I need to do each month and using research based on if I think it is a reliable source or not.

I hope to develop my research skills further by examining the articles and writers reliability and completing primary research on people's knowledge within the UK.

The issue with the AQA specification

This week I decided to look at which books were taught in the education system and the cultures presented within the novels at GCSE and A Level (within the AQA exam board - the exam board that was taught at our school).

Books - AQA Exam Board

*although I looked into the cultures presented within each book, some were not specified or hard to find out.

Through my research, I found that the majority of novels, (72.5%), taught in the AQA exam boards specification only included Western culture, and took no other cultures into account. In addition to this, 22.5% of books included other cultures, and 5% of the books either did not clearly specify the cultures presented or I did not manage to find.

This clearly shows that, not only do books including other cultures not get included often within the education system, but we may also be becoming more ignorant to other cultures due to this.

As well as this, if characters from other cultures were included within the novels or plays, they were often presented as peasants or servants. This is seen through plays such as 'Othello', where he is seen as using "black magic" to get Desdemona fall in love with her, as her father believes he is not good enough for her due to his race. As well as this, other books such as 'The Sign Of Four' by Arthur Conan Doyle show racial prejudice, towards minor characters like Tonga, described as a "savage, distorted creature". The majority of the time, discarding plays such as 'Romeo and Juliet', where the Italian characters were present as they were in Italy, characters from other cultures are either portrayed as antagonists or minor characters put there to serve other characters.

I believe that, within our education system, we need to integrate novels and plays with a fair representation of other cultures, to allow children to be taught more about other cultures and, in turn, learn more about the world to be less ignorant to other countries and cultures different from the Western culture we are so often presented with.

Stuart Hall

During my research on Western literature within the education system, I have decided to look at Stuart Hall, who moved to England in 1983 to give lectures on culture and what we focus upon within literature. I wanted to look at Hall as I believed that he could offer me insight into someone who has a first-hand experience on my topic and show how he may have influenced how UK citizens view cultures in other countries.

Research on Stuart Hall

This research mainly focuses on Hall's life moving from Jamaica to England and his thoughts on the 'division' between the different classes and cultures that have been established within society, as well as Hall's beliefs on the education system and values within the United Kingdom.

I have used these sources, (from the New Yorker and The Guardian), to look at how Hall changed how people saw 'the study of popular culture', as I believe them to be more reliable sources from trustworthy companies, whilst allowing me to see editors opinions on this topic. This, therefore, allows me to research into a lecturer who has experience on the topic and can offer both sides of the argument to give me two different sides on the topic question. As well as this, by looking at the Stuart Hall Project, it allows me to see the impact that Stuart Hall had, and, in turn, the impact that others can have within the Western education system. I plan to use ideas on Hall to offer a different view into how people from other cultures may see how we are taught and the literature that we are exposed to within the education system.

What is culture?

Culture, as defined on the Cambridge Dictionary website, is "the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at a particular time".

- Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 

Within my EPQ, I plan to explore novels, plays and poems taught within the education system, both past and present, and look at the cultures within them.

I believe that, in the UK, we should be taught about other people's culture, instead of focusing solely on the Western culture, to allow us to be more well educated about the rest of the world. I think that this is not currently happening and we are, in fact, becoming more ignorant to what is happening in other cultures/places from the United Kingdom or the USA.

Through looking at and learning more about cultures of others, we become "more open-minded, tolerant and global" (Samir El A. Morocco: in the video from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs). Varying cultures need to be displayed not only within novels, but through TV and film, however I think we need to start with the education system to allow the new generation to learn more on the world and other people.

Timeline

This is what I plan to do within my EPQ topic on a weekly basis in order to stay organised.

September: Start of project
- 3rd: look at different topics that interest me and look to see which are the best options to do
- 10th: general research and ideas on the topic
- 17th: complete a mind map on chosen topic
- 24th: write up and complete PPR up to mid-way review

October: complete plan and start research
- 1st: create timeline and update blog with initial ideas/any changes
- 8th: what is culture?
- 15th: research Stuart Hall and his influence on media and literature
- 22nd: look into books that are taught within schools and the cultures within them
- 29th: create a pie chart with the data and research into the exam boards choices

November: continue with key research
- 5th: look into 'Poems from Other Cultures' studied previously on the AQA specification and research why it was cancelled
- 12th: look at the authors used within the education system
- 19th: conduct primary research on people's knowledge of culture within the UK (questionnaire)
- 26th: email an exam board on chosen topic (try to get an interview?)

December: complete research and begin to plan essay
- 3rd: finalise research (look at books on topic at library)
- 10th: look at more academic research on the topic
- 17th: finish research on the topic and start to plan dissertation
- 24th: continue planning dissertation
- 31st: ...

January: start planning dissertation
- 7th: complete a structure/plan of essay (what/how do I plan to talk about things?)
- 14th: have at least introduction and two sections done
- 21st: complete two more sections of dissertation
- 28th: finish rest of sections and plan conclusion

February: continue writing dissertation
- 4th: finish draft of dissertation (including conclusion)
- 11th: change/edit dissertation
- 18th: get a second opinion on writing and edit
- 25th: final dissertation completed

March: plan presentation
- 4th: ensure dissertation is complete and begin planning presentation
- 11th: start plans for presentation
- 18th: continue planning for presentation (start draft?)
- 25th: start presentation

April: writing the presentation notes
- 1st: focus on finishing presentation
- 8th: continue working on the presentation
-15th: complete the presentation
- 22nd/29th: ensure the presentation is completed and speaking notes are done

May: finishing up
- 6th: everything should be completed by this date ready for the presentation