The 1997 brainchild of Randy and Lisa Wilson, Purity Balls are elaborate social functions wherein girls, aged 4 to 19, pledge their purities to their fathers. The father, in turn, accepts his daughter’s purity by placing a ring on her wedding finger. He vows before god and the congregation to be the protector of his daughter’s chastity until the day she is married. Today, Purity Balls are prominent in 48 states in the
My two-year MA research project will focus on developing a comprehensive analysis of the roots of this movement by the New Christian Right. My principal question will narrow in on why such a conservative, religious movement is gaining popularity in the otherwise secular landscape of 21st century
During this two year degree, I will be undertaking course work that will supplement my own research, including courses that explore ethnographic issues, and political discourses in the realm of religion. As well, as part of the Master’s program at the Centre for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto, students are required to show evidence of reading knowledge of one language of modern scholarship or a necessary source language. To this end I am currently focusing on French, as it is a vital language to posses in my field of research due to its prominence in modern scholarship.
My primary methodologies will be historical and theoretical. I intend on exploring the political and religious environs that gave rise to the late twentieth-century phenomenon of Purity Balls. Furthermore, I would like to investigate the symbolism that this ritual is rife with – including, but not limited to, girls as the owners of the means of sexual pollution, inherently incestuous undertones, and the absence of a matriarchal figure in the ritual itself. While I would eventually like to employ an ethnographic lens through which to study the topic of Purity Balls, I feel that a two year Master’s program is not time enough to explore the amount of detail that an ethnographic work would entail. By building a theoretical and historical foundation for the topic, I feel I am laying the groundwork for future ethnographic work on the subject. I believe that through my major research project, I will be able to contribute a critically unique perspective on a ‘traditionalist’ modern movement that is quickly gaining prominence in the North American consciousness.
[1] Arnault, Lynne S. "Praying for a Godly Fumigation: Disgust and the New Christian Right." Global Feminist Ethics. Ed. DesAutels, Peggy & Whisnant, Rebecca. Lanham , MD
[2] Gills, Charlie. “Dad's your prom date: Wedding-like purity balls celebrate men as father-protectors.” Maclean’s Magazine. October 8, 2007 .
4 comments:
Hey Roselle,
Great work on your proposal!
I have a few suggestions:
- this paragraph (below) seems a bit unnecessary to say, i don't think that it really says much about your thesis, it seems like "filler" info
"While no additional coursework is required for me to collaborate with the Women & Gender Studies Department, my major research paper will have to focus on an issue pertinent to the study of women and gender."
- My second suggestion is to narrow your methodology. I realize that your topic could easily turn into a PhD dissertation but I think for the purposes of this MA proposal you need to show that you are able to narrow down your topic into something that can be done in 2 years. Show that you are able to do this because you can!
- maybe mention something about what has prepared you to take on this thesis, course work, languages, etc...
I hope that these suggestions help. Great work! I am actually very curious to hear more about your topic and the reason why you became interested in this!
Hi Roselle!
What an interesting topic! I think your proposal is well organized and intriguing. The first paragraph does a great job of conveying your topic, followed by a second short paragraph to explain the ritual being explored.
In paragraph three, you state your question “why such a conservative religious movement is gaining popularity in the otherwise secular landscape of 21st century North America”…In my opinion this is a bit loaded in terms of the vocabulary- what do you mean by conservative here? This seems to be a bit of a value-judgement that is probably better if left out of the proposal. Also the phrase “otherwise secular landscape” suggests that North America is, apart from the evangelical movement, secular- not an easily defensible claim. I would suggest either rewording this with more selective language or referencing a work to support your claim, since the question is often the most heavily-scrutinized part of a proposal.
One other thing was that after reading your proposal I was left wondering about your plan of action. Are you planning on using primary accounts by girls who have participated in this ritual? Any documents in which this ritual is discussed by those who practice it? Maybe a bit more on how you intend to explore this topic.
Some minor issues include a possible typo in paragraph 3, line 5 you write “a two year MA program affords me the chance pursue a collaborative degree”. I think it should read “a two year MA program affords me the chance to pursue…” Also in paragraph 3, line 6, the term “complex entity” seems a bit static and compartmentalized- maybe change this to “complex topic/domain/subject”.
Those are my thoughts- best of luck!
Hi Roselle,
Seriously great proposal. I agree with Nat that paragraph about the course requirements seems unnecessary, I think your paragraph will end with a better punch if it ends with your sentence on interdisciplinarity.
Also, not sure if the proposal expects you to mention the background literature in the body of the proposal itself, or if the footnotes are enough. Maybe you could say a word or do about what has already been done, and how you will be contributing and furthering existing research?
However, this proposal reads really easily all in all, great work!
Very well done, and a fascinating topic.
I'll echo the sentiment that the "no additional..." sentence can be removed, and I also think the sentence discussing French may be unnecessary, and you can use the collaborative program as a means to explain why you are doing a two year masters program.
I really liked the last paragraph. You limit your M.A research to a historical study, and then explain how you can use this research at the ph.d level. This shows great academic planning.
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