Research: Women in Tango Lyrics
Donation protected
What's going on? / ¿Qué pasa?
(El texto en castellano aparece en el "update #1".)
I've been accepted to the Doctoral program in Hispanic Studies at the University of Edinburgh for 2015.
For the second time!
I wasn't able to secure funding last year, so I'm at it again - never say die!
In a nutshell, I want to study how women have been portrayed in Argentine tango lyrics. I also want to look at how certain words used for women (known as cultural markers in the biz) might be translated into English. Once that's done, I want to translate those lyrics into singable, poetical English. It's a big undertaking, but so far I've been met with enthusiasm for the project by all the professors I've contacted. (See abstract below for more details.)
Now, I just need the funding.
What's the money for?
The money I'm asking for will cover my expenses for the first year of the 3-year program, plus yearly travel and incidentals. I'm highly optimistic that once I've started, I'll be able to secure funding to finish. Here's the breakdown (in USD):
$19,426: U. of Edinburgh postgraduate international student tuition
$20,761: Living stipend, based on UE's information
$5,700: Estimated air travel costs between US/UK and UK/Argentina (includes a visit or two home - I get homesick too!)
$500: Approximate cost for Tier 4 Visa to the UK
$500: Approximate moving fees to store my stuff at my parents'!
$3526: Approximate processing fees for the GoFundMe campaign.
Total: $50,373
Why do I need help?
I believe in standing on my own two feet. And I have been. For a long, long time. I raised two children as a single mom, putting myself through grad school to get my M.A.T. to become a teacher. I've worked for years teaching high school Spanish, doing a great job, even though I knew it wasn't my vocation. When I discovered both tango and translation, that's when my imagination really got fired up!
In 2010, after my children were safely launched and off to college, I sold my house and car, downsized my life, and moved to Barcelona to pursue a Master's in Translation Studies. My return to the US was a bit rocky, as I landed in the middle of the economic crisis, but after several months of scraping by, I started teaching again. Yet in spite of my renewed stability, my dream of doing my doctorate wouldn't go away.
As I said, I applied and was accepted to the Edinburgh program last year, but I only made the reserve list for the scholarships I applied for, so I had to postpone. I applied for everything again this year, and was accepted... again! However, I just received news that I didn't get one of the scholarships and I'm waiting on the other; Rather than passively waiting, I decided I would try out one more avenue, and so now I am asking for your help!
What if I don't reach the funding goal?
Well, my nickname is "La Traductora Terca" (The Stubborn Translator)! So even with partial funding, I should still be able to pull this off, albeit with much more difficulty. In the "worst case scenario," I would undertake the research on my own, forgoing the doctorate, and using any money raised to finance research trips to Buenos Aires and publication of my work. However, it could take me a decade or more to complete on my own, rather than the 3 years I would spend focused in the doctoral program. The point is: either way I will do this, so you're not wasting your money!
What am I willing to do to help myself?
Keep fighting. Never give up.
I'm reluctant to take out student loans for the total amount, but I would consider it for a partial figure. In the UK, I'd be eligible to work up to 20 hours/wk during term, and full time in the summer. I've been working since 1979, so why stop now!! That, and I'll be continuing the hunt for the funding for the remaining two years, in order to carry the project through to fruition.
With your help, you'll be buying me a little hope.
Here's the formal abstract for my research:
La Mina del Tango: Women in Argentine Tango Lyrics
In the tango lyric, Mano a mano, a jilted lover rails against the woman who has left him for a wealthier man, painting a musical picture of the innocent girl he loved, then lambasting her for a depraved gold-digger. This apparently machista viewpoint notwithstanding, images of women in Argentine tango lyrics are as diverse as women themselves.
This study proposes an interdisciplinary approach to examine those images to gain insight into the portrayal of women as Other in Argentine tango lyrics, as well as into the cultural markers associated with these images. As Hispanic studies research it will examine Argentine literature and culture via the representation of women as Other in tango lyrics, while as a Translation Studies project it will identify and examine cultural markers pertaining to women, along with their handling in translation from Spanish to English. As far as can be determined, there are no previous studies that identify the women who inspired lyrics to tangos, or how they are represented in this music vis-à-vis cultural markers.
Questions that will be addressed in this study include:
1. How are images of women rendered in tango lyrics?
2. What can these images tell us about women as Other in tango lyrics?
3. What role do cultural markers play in creating these images?
4. What part, if any, of the cultural weight of cultural markers may be rendered in translation, and how?
5. If specific lexical units of translation are examined, what insight can be gained regarding culture as a unit of translation?
Finally, it proposes to undertake the translation of as extensive a corpus of tango lyrics as possible, thereby bringing this sonorous poetry within the reach of those who would otherwise remain ignorant of their linguistic beauty.
(El texto en castellano aparece en el "update #1".)
I've been accepted to the Doctoral program in Hispanic Studies at the University of Edinburgh for 2015.
For the second time!
I wasn't able to secure funding last year, so I'm at it again - never say die!
In a nutshell, I want to study how women have been portrayed in Argentine tango lyrics. I also want to look at how certain words used for women (known as cultural markers in the biz) might be translated into English. Once that's done, I want to translate those lyrics into singable, poetical English. It's a big undertaking, but so far I've been met with enthusiasm for the project by all the professors I've contacted. (See abstract below for more details.)
Now, I just need the funding.
What's the money for?
The money I'm asking for will cover my expenses for the first year of the 3-year program, plus yearly travel and incidentals. I'm highly optimistic that once I've started, I'll be able to secure funding to finish. Here's the breakdown (in USD):
$19,426: U. of Edinburgh postgraduate international student tuition
$20,761: Living stipend, based on UE's information
$5,700: Estimated air travel costs between US/UK and UK/Argentina (includes a visit or two home - I get homesick too!)
$500: Approximate cost for Tier 4 Visa to the UK
$500: Approximate moving fees to store my stuff at my parents'!
$3526: Approximate processing fees for the GoFundMe campaign.
Total: $50,373
Why do I need help?
I believe in standing on my own two feet. And I have been. For a long, long time. I raised two children as a single mom, putting myself through grad school to get my M.A.T. to become a teacher. I've worked for years teaching high school Spanish, doing a great job, even though I knew it wasn't my vocation. When I discovered both tango and translation, that's when my imagination really got fired up!
In 2010, after my children were safely launched and off to college, I sold my house and car, downsized my life, and moved to Barcelona to pursue a Master's in Translation Studies. My return to the US was a bit rocky, as I landed in the middle of the economic crisis, but after several months of scraping by, I started teaching again. Yet in spite of my renewed stability, my dream of doing my doctorate wouldn't go away.
As I said, I applied and was accepted to the Edinburgh program last year, but I only made the reserve list for the scholarships I applied for, so I had to postpone. I applied for everything again this year, and was accepted... again! However, I just received news that I didn't get one of the scholarships and I'm waiting on the other; Rather than passively waiting, I decided I would try out one more avenue, and so now I am asking for your help!
What if I don't reach the funding goal?
Well, my nickname is "La Traductora Terca" (The Stubborn Translator)! So even with partial funding, I should still be able to pull this off, albeit with much more difficulty. In the "worst case scenario," I would undertake the research on my own, forgoing the doctorate, and using any money raised to finance research trips to Buenos Aires and publication of my work. However, it could take me a decade or more to complete on my own, rather than the 3 years I would spend focused in the doctoral program. The point is: either way I will do this, so you're not wasting your money!
What am I willing to do to help myself?
Keep fighting. Never give up.
I'm reluctant to take out student loans for the total amount, but I would consider it for a partial figure. In the UK, I'd be eligible to work up to 20 hours/wk during term, and full time in the summer. I've been working since 1979, so why stop now!! That, and I'll be continuing the hunt for the funding for the remaining two years, in order to carry the project through to fruition.
With your help, you'll be buying me a little hope.
Here's the formal abstract for my research:
La Mina del Tango: Women in Argentine Tango Lyrics
In the tango lyric, Mano a mano, a jilted lover rails against the woman who has left him for a wealthier man, painting a musical picture of the innocent girl he loved, then lambasting her for a depraved gold-digger. This apparently machista viewpoint notwithstanding, images of women in Argentine tango lyrics are as diverse as women themselves.
This study proposes an interdisciplinary approach to examine those images to gain insight into the portrayal of women as Other in Argentine tango lyrics, as well as into the cultural markers associated with these images. As Hispanic studies research it will examine Argentine literature and culture via the representation of women as Other in tango lyrics, while as a Translation Studies project it will identify and examine cultural markers pertaining to women, along with their handling in translation from Spanish to English. As far as can be determined, there are no previous studies that identify the women who inspired lyrics to tangos, or how they are represented in this music vis-à-vis cultural markers.
Questions that will be addressed in this study include:
1. How are images of women rendered in tango lyrics?
2. What can these images tell us about women as Other in tango lyrics?
3. What role do cultural markers play in creating these images?
4. What part, if any, of the cultural weight of cultural markers may be rendered in translation, and how?
5. If specific lexical units of translation are examined, what insight can be gained regarding culture as a unit of translation?
Finally, it proposes to undertake the translation of as extensive a corpus of tango lyrics as possible, thereby bringing this sonorous poetry within the reach of those who would otherwise remain ignorant of their linguistic beauty.
Organizer
Elaine Newton-Bruzza
Organizer
Portland, OR