Pursuit of a Problem
I have so many research interests, I think we all do. I have come to the realization that it is hard to put into words exactly what I want to research. My proposal when I was accepted to this program was to look at intra-state instability and how it bleeds over into inter-state conflict—sometimes even regional conflict. There are numerous examples I can look at for this problem. Somalia and the Horn of Africa is the first example that comes to mind. As I am learning more about research, and about how Olson Scholars is going to go, I see that I will end up looking at conflict in new and exciting ways. Everyone wants stability, and we hope everyone wants peace. I hope that by examining conflicts around the world, I can identify commonalities that contribute to continued instability in these areas of conflict. By identifying these commonalities, we may be able to minimize the impact they have, or even stop them from occurring in the first place. I am looking forward to going on this journey together.
This is a good start, Josh, and you are not alone in having multiple research interests. As you think about the specific areas of instability/conflict, what have you read recently in the topic area? Starting to investigate scholarship on your broad/general topic area is a good next step since identifying the debates among scholars (debates about what we understand / what we don’t understand) is one important part of identifying your own specific research puzzle. I look forward to seeing how the research develops!