And with that Intro to World Politics is done and we’re getting ready for finals and winter break! The semester flew by ridiculously quick, and I just wanted to say that I’m really happy to have had the opportunity to have class with all of you GloSchos, Preston, and Professor PTJ. This class was really interesting and exposed me to new ways of thinking about and discussing politics, through lenses I’d never considered or had words to express before. For me, personal identity has always been something I’ve questioned and had a deep interest in and was how I got involved in international politics. As an adoptee and product of China’s One Child Policy, since I was little I’ve always been aware of the deep effects public policy can have on individual lives, and international policy is then a way for me make changes in both the countries I call home: the US and China. Being stuck in an in-between place gives me a very “in-between perspective” when looking at politics. At the same time however, I never considered how personal identity construction could affect entire systems and policies, such as inspiring nationalism and nationalist tendencies. I never considered identity politics as leading to “a real job”, and yet here I am preparing to take the Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture thematic area gateway next semester. . .all because I found constructivism as we discussed it to be such a fascinating idea.
Regarding our final paper, I haven’t completely hammered out what my thesis is going to be, but I would like to incorporate constructivism, potentially through the “us versus them” mentality, competition and who’s allowed into the “liberal world order”, and how perceived exclusion leads to increased nationalism (as in the case of China) and extremism. Or I’ll talk about nationalism and extremism in general (such as the rise of populism, terrorism, and hate crimes). This semester has definitely been a period of huge personal growth and self-reflection for myself. I think through the college experience here at American, even though I was already very confident in knowing myself, I’ve become even more aware of what I feel like defines me and what my goals are in life. I am an overthinker. I am someone who made a whole five-year plan when I graduated high school and someone who was excited to retire by age twelve. Throughout high school I was very much what many would describe as “a wonk” and I was very fastidious about doing all the right things to “prepare for the next step” and all that. . .but this semester I’ve found myself to really be over that whole culture. There’s so much more to life than classes and good grades, and I say that as someone who has absolutely loved the classes at AU and the passion from both professors and students. I want to do work that impacts individuals and communities; I want to work in or with Asians; I want to meet people and go places. Maybe that’s really through a double major in stats or econ and an accelerated program, or maybe it’s through research projects in constructivism and gap years in China, or maybe it’s through a combination of those things and other ventures. I really don’t know what I’m doing, where I’m going, or how I’m going to get there, but I hope that I can always keep a feeling of “meaningfulness” and “passion” along the way. I really do want to sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of my life this semester, including everyone involved in our World Politics class. Everyone’s intelligence, supportiveness, and unwavering curiosity has been truly inspirational. I hope everyone has a good finals week, a great break (safe travels!), and I look forward to seeing everyone next year!
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KateHi, I'm Kate! I'm from Madison, WI and am planning on majoring in SIS focusing on East-Asia China. I like practicing kung fu, listening to music, and drinking bubble tea. Archives
December 2018
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