Thank you all for your assistance. i just wanted to know if there was existing research out there that might help me. I guess i am lucky to have looked into something new! I have been looking at museum websites for sample menus and i will visit some museum cafes in new york. Thank you once again. >From: Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Thesis Assistance >Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:52:46 -0700 > >Indigo, > >I'll grant Adrienne and Tim (and myself) credit for not dismissing the >question . . . for knowing enough to be encouraging of that line of >inquiry. > >The application of the Post-Colonial concept of "Otherness" to museum gift >shop merchandising and café food/beverage has not likely occurred to other >thinkers. (After all, three museum professionals wrote immediately to >encourage that line of inquiry!) Your message implies there is always some >resource to be found. If there has been research on the subject, it's >buried in some library; but my first assumption is the idea is novel . . . >and likely has not been researched. Sometimes one must find tangential >resources and extrapolate. > >It's also important to point out graduate-level research is intended to >involve moving beyond existing and established research and knowledge. >Thank goodness! Otherwise we'd be churning out MAs and PhDs who just >repeat the same research and information that's their professors taught, >and their professors before them, and so on and so on. > >To move 'beyond' existing and established research and knowledge requires >meeting and talking with supervisory/thesis committee members; reaching >agreement about the validity of such inquiry; deciding upon appropriate >method(s) of research/survey and interpretation; etc. It *is* a difficult >path to tread . . . but rewarding to contribute new perspectives. (The >next best discovery is still awaiting its discovery, right?) > >From my perspective, our responses were encouraging of the line of inquiry >which implies a void of knowledge of the subject. Also, don't ignore >reference to some potentially applicable Post-Colonial theorists and >historical precedents: (1) The "noble savage" was described by Jean-Jacques >Rousseau differently from how European colonists brought indigenous peoples >before their monarchs as a "freak show" . . . and all assumed a >holier-than-thou, "we're more civilized than them" approach. And, (2) >European colonial powers' exclusion of the "Other" (the indigenous peoples >of the Americas) whilst plundering/raping the land of its natural resources >for export. Helpful ideas, I'd hope . . . > >If Adrienne, Tim and I were there when Columbus set sail, we'd have been >supportive . . . unlikely to repeat threats that he'd fall off the edge of >the flat Earth or tell him to keep trying to find better and better maps >that simply didn't exist until he drew the map! > >Best wishes for a happy weekend, >Sincerely, > >Jay Heuman >Curator of Education >Salt Lake Art Center > >20 South West Temple >Salt Lake City, UT 84101 >Phone: 801.328.4201 x 21 >Fax: 801.322.4323 >URL: www.slartcenter.org > >Salt Lake Art Center: >Celebrating 75 Years! >1931-2006 > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >On Behalf Of Gayle "Indigo Nights" >Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 1:38 PM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Thesis Assistance > >Guys, I'm having a little trouble with the advice >given, that basically she should tough it out and go >it alone. > >What she's done is, rather than to make phone calls, >or face-to-face visitions that may be out of her >financial reach at the present (ever heard of starving >students?), she's taken the approach of going to the >group and asking for their inputs. Doesn't mean she >can't extrapolate your feedback into something that >becomes her own, but she's taking "the smarter way," >in my book of getting expert advice at less expense. > >Anybody seen lately how god awful schooling has >become? I should hope that, if a student comes to >this learned body and looks for assistance, they >wouldn't be turned away and told go find it for >yourself. That doesn't mean a student should >plagiarize anything; it just means that one should >pour the knowledge between the ears through the spigot >of the internet to lend them a hand. > >Not picking on Jay or anyone. I just believe we have >a responsibility to help our young people where we >can, and they have a responsibility, as well, to help >in return. > >========================================================= >Important Subscriber Information: > >The Museum-L FAQ file is located at >http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed >information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail >message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should >read "help" (without the quotes). > >If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to >[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff >Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).