Ok, so here's more of the ideas I've been thinking about for research.
Devolution: So, while Tony Blair was in office, more power and freedom was granted to Scotland and Northern Ireland. This would definitely fit into the idea of a millennial topic.
There are many questions to be raised here. Why did the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland want to be more separate? What events in history caused this difference in culture and political feelings to create this divide? I think this is something that goes back further than the first King of England in 1066, and past the Roman occupation as well, and includes a lot of history in-between.
I might already be getting a bit broad here, but part of working in the research group will be to narrow it down, so for now I will just throw out ideas.
What were the political means and presidents to allow this to happen? What was it about this particular point in history that caused this? What exactly are the government relations between England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland now, and what were they before this recent devolution occurred?
What are the major events in history (such as battles, deaths, marriages, legislation, etc) that caused this to culminate? Was there any event that might have changed the ultimate outcome had it been different? Or was this bound to happen?
How was it that England, one of the largest empires in history (at one point covering a quarter of the globe), was still unable to fully integrate Scotland and Ireland into the British culture and political system? All of these and more are fascinating questions to ponder and research, and if this turns out to be my topic I will have to think pretty seriously about narrowing it down a lot!
I haven't done very much research on this yet, so my opinion could change, but overall I feel like the devolution of Scotland and Northern Ireland was a good thing. I think in general it's a pretty good idea to give more political freedom to smaller local governments in favor of large federal ones, especially if the people are so passionately in favor of it. In any case, it will be something interesting to study!
Please feel free to comment or ask questions or throw in your opinion on anything in my posts! And please let me know if you would like to join me in one of these topics!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Research Topics
I have done quite a bit of thinking about research topics, but am still undecided. There are just so many things that spark my interest here in England! But as promised, I will give an update on the research ideas I have been thinking over.
Architecture: I have been very inspired by a lot of the architecture I have seen in London and Oxford so far on this trip. There are several distinct styles that continue to show up in each place I visit, as well as styles that seem very original to my eyes. There is definitely a large Gothic influence in many buildings, as well as some classical Greek or Roman designs. I am mostly interested in older architecture, stuff made out of rock and so forth, castles, old state buildings, churches, and cathedrals and the like.
I am not entirely decided on what the research question on this would be, but I have a few possible ideas. First of all, where did England get its architecture from, and how? What caused the people of this country to choose one architectural style over another? What influence did the various invasions of England (Romans, Anglo Saxons, William the Conquerer) have on changes in architecture? What role did necessity play (such as castles and fortresses) and what role did aesthetics play?
How could we tie this into something relevant today? How do people view these buildings today, and what impact does it have on current buildings and culture? How are existing older building put into use in this modern era?
Also, a lot of the architecture at UW was allegedly inspired by architecture in England. Suzzallo Library is built in a style called "Collegiate Gothic", and much reference in readings about Suzzallo is made to both Oxford and Cambridge. I think this would be something interesting to look into.
Ok! Stay tuned for my thoughts on other research topics, such as the devolution of Scotland and Ireland, the reduction of power of the Crown, and the evolution of the British Political system and so forth! My brain is swimming with ideas, but needs a port to find land!
Architecture: I have been very inspired by a lot of the architecture I have seen in London and Oxford so far on this trip. There are several distinct styles that continue to show up in each place I visit, as well as styles that seem very original to my eyes. There is definitely a large Gothic influence in many buildings, as well as some classical Greek or Roman designs. I am mostly interested in older architecture, stuff made out of rock and so forth, castles, old state buildings, churches, and cathedrals and the like.
I am not entirely decided on what the research question on this would be, but I have a few possible ideas. First of all, where did England get its architecture from, and how? What caused the people of this country to choose one architectural style over another? What influence did the various invasions of England (Romans, Anglo Saxons, William the Conquerer) have on changes in architecture? What role did necessity play (such as castles and fortresses) and what role did aesthetics play?
How could we tie this into something relevant today? How do people view these buildings today, and what impact does it have on current buildings and culture? How are existing older building put into use in this modern era?
Also, a lot of the architecture at UW was allegedly inspired by architecture in England. Suzzallo Library is built in a style called "Collegiate Gothic", and much reference in readings about Suzzallo is made to both Oxford and Cambridge. I think this would be something interesting to look into.
Ok! Stay tuned for my thoughts on other research topics, such as the devolution of Scotland and Ireland, the reduction of power of the Crown, and the evolution of the British Political system and so forth! My brain is swimming with ideas, but needs a port to find land!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Arrival at Oxford!!
We have finally arrived at Oxford University!! We just finished the check-in stuff and moved into our room. The train ride here had a very nice view of the English countryside. Hope to see you all soon!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Arrival in London!!!
My brother Aaron and I finally arrived in London! We did some sightseeing earlier today before checking into our hotel. We went to see the Houses of Parliament, took a tour through Westminster Abby which was awesome (there's a lot of famous dead people there!), and walked by Buckingham Palace after hours. We did quite a bit of walking around the city! Tomorrow we are going to see the Royal Mews! See you all in Oxford on Friday! :)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Getting Caught Up!
Hi Everyone! :)
Finals are finally over and I've had a nice first week off! I have slowly been getting caught up on things in the last few days, so expect more posts very soon!
My brother Aaron and I watched a video documentary on the Blair administration yesterday, and it was very interesting. I will be posting details about this soon, it made a very big impression upon me.
I have also been thinking a lot about what research I would like to do. I think the research component of this trip will be extremely fun, and a great way to explore our individual interests. I am very interested in architecture for one thing, and England and specifically Oxford has architecture that is particularly interesting to me. In addition, i am very interested in the general history of England, as well as it's political structure and history. I also find the cultural and political divides between England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to be an intriguing subject. I am still not sure what my final decision on research will be, but I will be posting more on this in the next few days.
Stay tuned!!
Finals are finally over and I've had a nice first week off! I have slowly been getting caught up on things in the last few days, so expect more posts very soon!
My brother Aaron and I watched a video documentary on the Blair administration yesterday, and it was very interesting. I will be posting details about this soon, it made a very big impression upon me.
I have also been thinking a lot about what research I would like to do. I think the research component of this trip will be extremely fun, and a great way to explore our individual interests. I am very interested in architecture for one thing, and England and specifically Oxford has architecture that is particularly interesting to me. In addition, i am very interested in the general history of England, as well as it's political structure and history. I also find the cultural and political divides between England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to be an intriguing subject. I am still not sure what my final decision on research will be, but I will be posting more on this in the next few days.
Stay tuned!!
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