Landscapes and humanism

Been a busy month for me. I wrote the first draft of my introduction to my thesis and wrote another critical annotation. I also went to Portland State University and Steamcon 09, in Seattle. You are probably asking what do these have to do with landscapes and Humanism. You know I can tell you.

Last time I talked about the classic work Space and Place. Well in October I read Key Thinkers in Space and Place. This book covered many writers in the field since Space and Place was written. While not the best field survey it did give me some guidance. I learned I fall in the humanist court of landscape studies.

This is the result of me focusing on the experience of people within the landscapes I am studying. This study will be covered through my ethnographic study. I find this unusual for me sense because I am normally a structuralist looking for patterns and rhythms. I have to admit though my planed conclusion will come back to my structuralist roots.

Off to Portland I go. While the trip was full of the drama of a missed connecting flight and a bump to first class on the next flight out I went there on business. I went to talk to PSU's School of Urban Planning and Studies about attending there for a Ph.D. Long story short. They seemed to like me but not falling over themselves for me. They did not have a problem with my current thesis and even accepted my idea to study the I105 corridor between San Fransico and Seattle as a cultural incubator . However they would want me to stress my Social Sciences not my humanist/humanities background. Back to a structural approach or even better continuing to find my own approach of combining the two together.

Back on the train to Seattle. There I went to Steamcon 09. While I was there to see friends I also there to study Steampunk culture. This is important to my thesis since I am in part studying steampunks in SL. These observations were trying to come to grips what individuals see and express steampunk.