Academic Research
Below is a sample of my unpublished, undergraduate research at the University of Michigan. Topics range from exploring modern museum exhibition practices, to evaluating China's One Belt, One Road Initiative (BRI) from a foreign policy stand-point, to a discussion of the moral and legal implications of capital punishment.
Click "Download" to read the entire article.
01
Power to the People:
The Fetish, Colonial Legacy and Museum Exhibition of African Objects
Submitted for Credit in African Art (Seminar), University of Michigan (2020)
It should come as no surprise that the exhibition of non-western art in western museums leaves something to be desired. From the outright culturally insensitive, to the exhibition of looted or stolen artwork, the museum field has long been grappling with the lasting impact of colonial legacy. In this project, I sought to answer two questions: One, how can we improve the exhibition and treatment of African cultural objects in museums? And two, have museums in Africa been more successful in the exhibition of African objects?
The answer is yes and no. Some museums in Africa, like the Beit Gallery in Eastern Zimbabwe, have had great success by incorporating local audience participation.
However other museums still struggle. The reason for this is that many museums across Africa (and around the globe) have deep colonial roots –- the collections, or the museums themselves, are a byproduct of colonization & looting.
Through my research, I arrive at one possible method to improve exhibition practices of culturally complex, sensitive and "living" objects:
Local involvement at every level of the exhibition process, from conception to the visitor experience.
02
Just Call Me Old-Fashioned:
Modernism and Tradition in Communist Chinese Painting
Submitted for Credit in Political Art (Seminar), University of Michigan (2019)
Fu Baoshi’s Abundance on the Way (1961) exemplifies Communist China’s struggle to reconcile the necessity to modernize the nation with the preservation of traditional culture. In essence, Baoshi’s work captures the dichotomy between the past and the future, tradition and modernization, cultural identity and progress. Baoshi’s Abundance on the Way presents this conflict in his combination of traditional Chinese painting style and modern subject matter. Elements of China’s industrialization are rendered awkward in the traditional style –– rather than inspiring and powerful –– suggesting that just as modernization fails to reconcile with traditional technique, so too did industrialization clash with China’s deep-rooted cultural traditions in the government’s attempt to rapidly and radically transform China to the modern age.
Fu Baoshi, Abundance on the Way, 1961, painting.
03
On a Road to Nowhere:
China's One Belt, One Road Initiative
Submitted for Credit in Political Science: International Affairs, University of Michigan (2019)
China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative is a massive economic campaign along the historic Silk Road, reaching across Eurasia and into Africa. This initiative calls for large-scale infrastructure development and foreign investment, as well as an extremely high level of international cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative (also known as BRI) currently involves over 60 countries, with key actors including (but not limited to) China, India, Japan, Russia, Pakistan, and the United States. However, initial optimism for the plan has faded into hesitation and growing reluctance on the part of the international community, leaving the future of the BRI uncertain as prospects for further international cooperation are failing.
The obstacle to international cooperation is two-fold: first, the perception of the BRI being a “trojan horse” for Chinese expansion and/or imperialistic motives has sowed distrust and suspicion among the international community of China’s BRI campaign; second, the economic burden placed on participating nations in the form of high debt, low investment returns, and (again) concerns with sovereignty have motivated domestic audiences to reject many BRI projects, if not the BRI as a whole.
04
Battle of Wills:
The Question of Sovereignty in the East China Sea
Submitted for Credit in Political Science: International Affairs, University of Michigan (2019)
Across a seemingly insignificant 81,000 square miles in the East China Sea a dangerous storm is brewing between two major regional powers: China and Japan. The recent controversy between these two nations concerns the sovereignty of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. Japan has held control over the islands since the 19th CE. Now, Japan’s authority over the region has been challenged by China’s claim to historical sovereignty. To both nations, the disputed territory represents both vital economic advantages and symbolic regional dominance. China has challenged Japan’s sovereignty over the territory through the implicit threat of military intervention and war by repeatedly provoking Japan. China is determined to “reclaim” what territory is perceived as rightfully theirs–– and only Japan’s submission will appease China.
The credibility of China’s threat is high, however Japan’s alliance with the U.S. may pose enough concern to dissuade China from radical action. Meanwhile, China’s threats have only been semi-effective: Japan has not ceded control of the region, but neither has Japan’s response been effective in stopping China’s aggressive and provocative behavior.
05
Exploring Authoritarian Popularity in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia
Submitted for Credit in Political Science: Comparative Politics, University of Michigan (2019)
Are people living in autocracies more likely to show support for their government? The obvious answer many would reach for is that citizens in democracies, like the United States, would be more likely to show support for their government, as opposed to various forms of authoritarian governments. However, consider the intense and deeply rooted partisan divide of American politics, the riots and marches of the working class in France, or the chaotic whirlwind of discontent in the United Kingdom around Brexit. Thus, I would argue that the obvious answer is not the most accurate. Instead of support, citizens in democracies would feel more comfortable to criticize their government without fear of repercussion. Conversely, citizens of authoritarian states would be more likely to show public support for their government.
This research project is extremely limited in scale, acting as a sample for a large research project.
Using data from Afro-barometer, the Pan-African research network, I compared survey data of the question "How much do you trust the president" across the countries of Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia.
To read more about my research methods, including my data analysis and final conclusions, click the "Download" button below.