When I was a freshman I took a complex, thought-provoking course called “Cultural Interactions in an Interdependent World.” The class focused on the role of culture in the perpetuation of both physical as well as institutional violence. I wrote my final research paper ("Turning a Blind Eye: The Media's Neglect of the Historical and Cultural Intricacies of Violence") on how the media had oversimplified and thus misrepresented intertribal conflict between the Nuer and Murle tribes of South Sudan, focusing on how external pressure from Sudan affected the two groups as well as how cultural processes of self-identification pushed the two into conflict. My paper was recommended to and published by the Jackson School Journal of International Studies as an example of outstanding coursework.
Significance
This paper helped me understand and appreciate idea generation. Many college students, especially undergraduates, often consider themselves to be consumers of knowledge rather than producers of it. It is critical to not just absorb information but create our own understandings and knowledge as well. I did this throughout the paper, articulating and arguing for my own unique perspective. Undergraduates in the social sciences do this all the time, but it is rare that we get the chance to share it with the world. I was very fortunate to have my ideas published and added to the literature. It is important that we always question the answer, because things may be more complicated than they appear. Indeed, this is the case with regard to how the media portrayed the conflict between the Nuer and Murle.
Tasks Accomplished
For the assignment itself, I began with identifying South Sudan as an intriguing place to look at internal strife. South Sudan is the youngest country in the world, having only just declared independence from Sudan in 2011. I was curious as to why things seemed to be falling apart so quickly. I quickly discovered that military pressure from Sudan was providing a considerable external threat to South Sudan, forcing ethnic groups such as the Nuer and Murle to fight over resources. These conflicts, however, were portrayed in the media as simple cattle raids. Little attention was paid to context, which I argued was fundamental to understanding where the violence was coming from. I compared how ethnic conflict in South Sudan was being covered in the media to the case of the Somalian Civil War, drawing parallels between popular narratives of intertribal conflict that suggested that ethnic groups fight each other simply because they hate each other.
Competencies
First and foremost, this paper significantly contributed to my ability to thoroughly analyze information. I successfully demonstrated that the conflict between the Nuer and Murle was much more complicated than it had been portrayed in the media, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of ethnic conflict as a cultural and historical development. As a student in the social sciences, the ability to accurately analyze any given situation or institution has been incredibly valuable. Development of the analysis capacity has gone a long way in ensuring my academic success.
This paper also furthered my skills in research. For me, the most important part of any research project is the evaluation of the information itself. Where did it come from? Should this source be trusted? What potential biases might this source have? What is the context for the information provided by this source? These were all tremendously important questions that I had to ask myself when doing research for this paper.
I also gained experience in systems thinking. I was able to look at the context of the situation and identify variables (such as the external threat of war with Sudan) as having indirect effects on internal conflict within South Sudan. This big picture, institutional way of thinking has lent itself to a number of my academic pursuits. These include courses on structural oppression such as sexism or ableism, as well as a number of political science courses on socioeconomic stratification.
Lastly, this paper developed my capacity for idea generation. This was incredibly important, because students in the social sciences are often called upon to develop unique and original ideas and argue on their behalf. Idea generation is tremendously valuable because we often see ourselves as consumers of information, rather than producers. It is incredibly important to be critical of where our knowledge comes from and how it is created. This paper pushed me to challenge conventional wisdom and create my own ideas as to why the Nuer and Merle were in conflict.
Lessons Learned
The most important takeaway from this experience is that we should always be questioning the answer. We are all consumers of knowledge, but we can all become producers of knowledge as well. This experience has empowered me in my coursework while also serving as a jumping-off point for future academic work. I have considered attending graduate school, and the ability to originate unique ideas will be fundamental in both getting there and being successful. I never really acknowledged just how important my own perspective could be in discussing important issues such as ethnic violence. Having this paper published was very empowering.
This paper helped me understand and appreciate idea generation. Many college students, especially undergraduates, often consider themselves to be consumers of knowledge rather than producers of it. It is critical to not just absorb information but create our own understandings and knowledge as well. I did this throughout the paper, articulating and arguing for my own unique perspective. Undergraduates in the social sciences do this all the time, but it is rare that we get the chance to share it with the world. I was very fortunate to have my ideas published and added to the literature. It is important that we always question the answer, because things may be more complicated than they appear. Indeed, this is the case with regard to how the media portrayed the conflict between the Nuer and Murle.
Tasks Accomplished
For the assignment itself, I began with identifying South Sudan as an intriguing place to look at internal strife. South Sudan is the youngest country in the world, having only just declared independence from Sudan in 2011. I was curious as to why things seemed to be falling apart so quickly. I quickly discovered that military pressure from Sudan was providing a considerable external threat to South Sudan, forcing ethnic groups such as the Nuer and Murle to fight over resources. These conflicts, however, were portrayed in the media as simple cattle raids. Little attention was paid to context, which I argued was fundamental to understanding where the violence was coming from. I compared how ethnic conflict in South Sudan was being covered in the media to the case of the Somalian Civil War, drawing parallels between popular narratives of intertribal conflict that suggested that ethnic groups fight each other simply because they hate each other.
Competencies
First and foremost, this paper significantly contributed to my ability to thoroughly analyze information. I successfully demonstrated that the conflict between the Nuer and Murle was much more complicated than it had been portrayed in the media, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of ethnic conflict as a cultural and historical development. As a student in the social sciences, the ability to accurately analyze any given situation or institution has been incredibly valuable. Development of the analysis capacity has gone a long way in ensuring my academic success.
This paper also furthered my skills in research. For me, the most important part of any research project is the evaluation of the information itself. Where did it come from? Should this source be trusted? What potential biases might this source have? What is the context for the information provided by this source? These were all tremendously important questions that I had to ask myself when doing research for this paper.
I also gained experience in systems thinking. I was able to look at the context of the situation and identify variables (such as the external threat of war with Sudan) as having indirect effects on internal conflict within South Sudan. This big picture, institutional way of thinking has lent itself to a number of my academic pursuits. These include courses on structural oppression such as sexism or ableism, as well as a number of political science courses on socioeconomic stratification.
Lastly, this paper developed my capacity for idea generation. This was incredibly important, because students in the social sciences are often called upon to develop unique and original ideas and argue on their behalf. Idea generation is tremendously valuable because we often see ourselves as consumers of information, rather than producers. It is incredibly important to be critical of where our knowledge comes from and how it is created. This paper pushed me to challenge conventional wisdom and create my own ideas as to why the Nuer and Merle were in conflict.
Lessons Learned
The most important takeaway from this experience is that we should always be questioning the answer. We are all consumers of knowledge, but we can all become producers of knowledge as well. This experience has empowered me in my coursework while also serving as a jumping-off point for future academic work. I have considered attending graduate school, and the ability to originate unique ideas will be fundamental in both getting there and being successful. I never really acknowledged just how important my own perspective could be in discussing important issues such as ethnic violence. Having this paper published was very empowering.