Preparing for Conferences:
Writing my Abstract for the Midwest Modern Language Association Conference
05/06/2022
GROWING CONFIDENCE
Sharing my Work
I have been composing my literature review for 5 months now. As I continued to establish a foundational knowledge that reinforces the directionality of my project, I noticed my sense of imposter syndrome diminishing. This newfound confidence inspired me to share my project with other English scholars, motivating myself to apply to Midwest Modern Language Association's (MMLA) Undergraduate Symposium.
STEP ONE
Reading and Annotating the Prompt
After expressing the desire to apply to MMLA's Undergraduate Symposium with my mentor, he recommend the following approach to help me draft a conference proposal; this technique included printing out a copy of the organization's prompt, reading the prompt in entirety, and then going back to annotate the prompt by highlighting key words and/or phrases that align with my current research. I will then use these annotations as the core ideas of my abstract to assure a review committee that my project aligns with their prompt.
Below you can find a copy of the annotations my mentor and I made.
STEP TWO
Crafting a Draft
After completing the exercise above, I then took a month to draft my MMLA abstract. Below you can find a copy of this draft:
"This paper aims to explore how Rudine Sims Bishop’s concepts of mirror and windows can aid in the public’s understanding of how the inclusion of the female gaze in coming-of-age films can assist the genre’s target audience in identity acceptance and construction. In her essay “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors,” Bishop warns “when children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part of.” By reducing the prominence of the male gaze in coming-of-age films, and instead implementing the female gaze to highlight the experiences, values, and cultures of other races, genders, and ethnicities, it increases the target audience’s exposure to intersectional identities. This exposure to intersectional identities has the potential to catalyze diversity acceptance because the display of intersectional identities in pop culture reinforces these populations’ value in and to society. Because the target audience is in the “identity vs confusion” stage of psychosocial development, the exposure to validated intersectional identities will better assist them in their own identity construction, thus allowing them to establish an identity that best represents their genuine self. For this change to occur, it is the responsibility of directors and producers of coming-of-age films to center a female gaze perspective in their productions, as well as the responsibility of consumers and educational figures to expose youth to these diverse texts/mediums."
STEP THREE
Revising the Draft
After crafting the draft you read above, I then shared copies of my abstract with my mentor and other University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire English Department fellows to acquire feedback. The image below details the collective criticism I received. I will use this feedback to construct my final MMLA abstract.
STEP FOUR
Submitting the Draft
After I have incorporated the critiques above into my proposal, I will then submit my final draft for review before the deadline of May 20th.
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