This class began its process to challenge the commonly accepted way of thinking
in the first assignment when Tolstoy argued that historical moments are not
created by the Great Men that history praises, but rather an interweaving of
events that would bring about this precise moment to be seized upon by men in
the right place at the right time. This alone creates a wormhole that can be
delved into to analyze the multifaceted history that has often gone unexplored.
Latour has built off this idea by introducing an addition notion to the
experience of viewing history. He rejects the notion of human supremacy and
encourages the acceptance of the environment as an actor in the world’s
affairs. These affairs have been tied into the world stage so I have been able
to apply it to debates over things such as the international security system
and drone strikes that I often face in my area of study. Technology has created a new actor in the drone and it
should be analyzed in a political basis but also with a moral perspective,
which is what this class has done. As the course discussion has evolved, we
find ourselves considering the idea of the ‘’trickster.” I have appreciated the
debate on the validity and impact the trickster can have as someone who acts as
mediator between cultures, by being an expert in one area and its ambassador to
another. As someone would hopes to work in the field of Foreign Service, this
has given me a new perspective on the work I could be going. How others will receive
an outsider as an expert within their sphere is something that must be
considered.
My last presentation gave me a new perspective on
how to consider the anthropologists and the stories told by fieldworkers. I
have long considered the perspective of policy makers and the field of elite
politicians and how they navigate the stories they tell, but it has been a new
experience for me to consider its impact on how history will be remembered. Tolstoy refers to the way we consider stories
of history, and now we are finishing by considering the way in which we can
give history stories a voice to the world. This class has encouraged me to
think dynamically and view history in a more multilayered approach. I do not
simply consider the events of our world, but everything that is encompassed
within a story like its actors and impact. War and peace is a way in which I
can use this layered approach to analyze today’s society.
Ultimately, this class tested the way I viewed the world I live
in and gave me knowledge to equip myself with going into the future. It
questioned every way I considered my actions in the world as well as my
perspective on its history. Though it has been difficult at times to find
myself discussing a topic so familiar yet from a whole new perspective at times,
I think it was a necessary challenge to add an additional level of depth to my
understanding that I may not have gained elsewhere. The blogs have given me an
outlet to flesh out my thoughts on the topics before entering a class where I
am introduced to a room full of additional opinions from which I can learn. One
thing I can confidently state that I have come away with in this class is a new
take on my previously unquestioned understanding on history, and a shift in the
feeling of responsibility I have in providing knowledge to the world.
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