Such an insightful research topic, Phoebe! I admire that you are taking a human-centered approach to such a large scale issue as tariffs and U.S.-China relations, which many scholars purely analyze through an economic or political lens. I am curious to hear how you will continue your research in Europe next summer and draw further cultural connections between America, Europe, and Asia.
I love that you're using this research as an opportunity to connect with new communities! Your realization about the shift in your research question is also so relatable to me, given the ever-changing path of research during the Laidlaw program. The challenges we have all been appearing to face over the past several week is demonstrating to me that a large part of this program is not so much to get us to produce a polished final product that exactly matches our expectation at the beginning, but to discover the limitations of research in general and to learn more about what is realistic to investigate in our fields of interest.
I really appreciate your focus on the importance of studying ancient literature even in the modern day. Though my research focuses on the rapidly evolving field of AI, I find myself gravitating nonetheless to more abstract fields in history, literature, and culture such as yours because I am drawn to their contemplative, abstract, and introspective nature that requires deep analysis to uncover their pertinence to the modern day -- but when that pertinence is located, its inherent power becomes so obvious. I am so curious to learn more about the root of your interest in this topic and how you see it as still relevant (which it definitely is) to issues we see culturally in the modern day.
The issue of cost is definitely a really important consideration! While I have not had to consider this in my own research, as I have been using either free online resources or paying small fees out of pocket for access to APIs, I definitely understand the feelings of regret you might have now that you have found out how much the crystal costed. In general, I think this realization is also a great part of the learning process and that what gives things value is the knowledge and experience gained when it is lost or wasted.
I really appreciate that the challenge you chose is an emotional one, rather than a strictly technical one that is specific to your project. I think the emotional challenges are perhaps the most universal yet at the same time the most taxing, as they require overcoming internal hurdles and reconstructing our own mindsets in order to open the opportunities surrounding us. Rather than having an easy fix that the Internet or the help of our mentors can provide, the issue of connecting your research with a broader whole requires some of our own introspection and reflection on how our passions can be connected to the interests of social good. I admire and totally agree with your honest reflection!
I am fascinated by the combination of computational tools with social science research, and I am inspired to pursue a similar intersection in my own research! Great analysis, Phoebe!
The photography portion of your project sounds so cool! That's inspiring me to potentially include some of my own creative media into the project that would fit well with the topic of my research, such as journalistic writing. I think photography and incorporating an artistic medium in general goes wonderfully with your research project, which innately revolves around the human experience of assimilation and alienation, emotions statistics alone cannot convey a effectively as when they are juxtaposed with art. Do you have a specific idea in mind of what you will take photographs of, and how you intend to use photography to illustrate the feeling of alienation or assimilation among Fuzhounese communities? I am so curious to learn more!
Recent Comments
Such an insightful research topic, Phoebe! I admire that you are taking a human-centered approach to such a large scale issue as tariffs and U.S.-China relations, which many scholars purely analyze through an economic or political lens. I am curious to hear how you will continue your research in Europe next summer and draw further cultural connections between America, Europe, and Asia.
I love that you're using this research as an opportunity to connect with new communities! Your realization about the shift in your research question is also so relatable to me, given the ever-changing path of research during the Laidlaw program. The challenges we have all been appearing to face over the past several week is demonstrating to me that a large part of this program is not so much to get us to produce a polished final product that exactly matches our expectation at the beginning, but to discover the limitations of research in general and to learn more about what is realistic to investigate in our fields of interest.
I really appreciate your focus on the importance of studying ancient literature even in the modern day. Though my research focuses on the rapidly evolving field of AI, I find myself gravitating nonetheless to more abstract fields in history, literature, and culture such as yours because I am drawn to their contemplative, abstract, and introspective nature that requires deep analysis to uncover their pertinence to the modern day -- but when that pertinence is located, its inherent power becomes so obvious. I am so curious to learn more about the root of your interest in this topic and how you see it as still relevant (which it definitely is) to issues we see culturally in the modern day.
The issue of cost is definitely a really important consideration! While I have not had to consider this in my own research, as I have been using either free online resources or paying small fees out of pocket for access to APIs, I definitely understand the feelings of regret you might have now that you have found out how much the crystal costed. In general, I think this realization is also a great part of the learning process and that what gives things value is the knowledge and experience gained when it is lost or wasted.
I really appreciate that the challenge you chose is an emotional one, rather than a strictly technical one that is specific to your project. I think the emotional challenges are perhaps the most universal yet at the same time the most taxing, as they require overcoming internal hurdles and reconstructing our own mindsets in order to open the opportunities surrounding us. Rather than having an easy fix that the Internet or the help of our mentors can provide, the issue of connecting your research with a broader whole requires some of our own introspection and reflection on how our passions can be connected to the interests of social good. I admire and totally agree with your honest reflection!
I am fascinated by the combination of computational tools with social science research, and I am inspired to pursue a similar intersection in my own research! Great analysis, Phoebe!
The photography portion of your project sounds so cool! That's inspiring me to potentially include some of my own creative media into the project that would fit well with the topic of my research, such as journalistic writing. I think photography and incorporating an artistic medium in general goes wonderfully with your research project, which innately revolves around the human experience of assimilation and alienation, emotions statistics alone cannot convey a effectively as when they are juxtaposed with art. Do you have a specific idea in mind of what you will take photographs of, and how you intend to use photography to illustrate the feeling of alienation or assimilation among Fuzhounese communities? I am so curious to learn more!