Monday, 15 February 2016

Compiling my first proposal for a Call for Papers

Every time I write something for uni, I discover I need to learn about different styles of writing.

My first draft proposal was naff.  Too much summarising of the content of my work.  Then Vanda sent me a friend's successful proposal to consider.  Analysis of this proposal broke down into scene setting (current popular practice, definition of product, reason for technique, current teaching style); theory of changing practice (what is the theory, why it is important/beneficial, and its purpose); followed by a project description what was created, how (technique) and why.

The successful proposal also had some lovely sentence openings:  "The approach adopted; "This paper seeks to…; "We adopted…; "Our case study begins… "This paper will conclude by …".

It takes me back to classes at Curtin University, Perth, where we were taught to analyse documentation.  And it is not about what the extract says.  It is about how to use words effectively to get best use of a small word count.  It is one thing to be taught how to do it.  It is quite another to understand what it means, and to have the discipline to apply it.

Fortunately Vanda sent me the competent proposal for me to be able to do the analysis!

So, my new improved version, goes as follows:


Valuing Ordinary Women:

Key words: Abstract portraiture; women; textile; samplers; values

Author: Cathy MacTaggart

Conventional portraiture represents people who are significant because of their status within their lifetime, usually using conventional media such as oils on canvas or sculpture.

Political strategic thinking has identified various minority group identities, such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and gender, which can be targeted.  Analysis of museum and art collections often indicates these groups are under-represented in collections and forward thinking organisations aim to address this by identifying interesting people as role models.

Feminism has promoted the political and social rights of women as a group, and has publicized named women who have made significant contributions in the fields of politics, science, arts and education.  However, there is an under-representation of individual women who have made their contribution in mundane or domestic roles.

This paper seeks to demonstrate how textile media can be used to document the achievements of named women, celebrating skills and talents which are often overlooked because of their mundane nature. Analysis of culture by the use of metaphor will consider where and how ordinary women should be represented. Named women have been selected and the reasons for which they were valued (both significant and insignificant) identified.  Abstract portraits of these women have been stitched into samplers, to celebrate their contribution to the society in which they lived, and the affection with which they were viewed.

Women have used textiles through history to express their domestic and social views. The textile object is laden with meaning and is worthy of academic consideration.


Cathy MacTaggart

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