Month: January 2010

Exploring the Space Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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china-america gears
Photo from Global Markets

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will discuss US-China relations as they pertain to human rights and environmental issues AND how these issues affect interactions between China and the US as well as the implications for surrounding nations. 

 

To answer these questions, I will pull from the following resources:

 

  • a variety of online sources including American and Chinese news agencies 

 

  • Chinese history and culture, possibly including English-language blogs by Chinese authors

 

  • scholarly articles about US-China relations, US foreign policy and China’s treatment of human rights and environmental issues

 

  • interviews with faculty and students who have knowledge of US-China relations as well as current human rights and environmental issues

 

I look forward to sharing the answers I find!

Mission Statement: Rogue Nations

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In my blog I will focus on U.S. Foreign Policy toward countries deemed as rogue nations. I will seek to investigate the concept of “rogue nations,” the role the phrase plays in U.S. Foreign Policy, and the way the media portrays issues involving such countries. In order to accomplish this mission, I will examine journal articles and other scholarly works pertaining to rogue states; I will interview members of the Furman and Greenville communities, and Furman professors with expertise in foreign policy and the use of language to frame and reconstitute issues; and I will examine newspaper articles and other media related to the topic.

Haiti Earthquake: America Responds

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My blog will monitor Americans and Haitians response to the Haiti Earthquake and relief efforts in the US media. The goals of my blog will be to detect which responses have been the most effective, and trace areas of tension and collaboration among the United States and the republic of Haiti with regards to the relief effort. To answer these questions I will watch a news program and read an article once a week on the efforts America has in Haiti. I will also choose one other media outlet per week (such as a blog or YouTube video) that has a specific person’s reaction to the American earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Finally I will interview members of my family (both American and Haitian) who live in Haiti on how they feel about American response towards earthquake relief.

Terrorism in the Air

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Throughout the course of the semester I would like to examine the evolving nature of international air travel security as it relates to US foreign policy.  After 9/11, heightened security has become one of the most effective measures against terrorism. Implementing these new restrictions on air travel have afftected US relations with countries and their citizens, espcially those of the Middle East.  I will monitor recent restrictions on air travel from the  Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and evolving technologies involved with air security.  I will also use information published by the government, articles concerning instances of terrorism in the air, and interviews from airline employees and passengers regarding the policies enacted in order to ward off terrorism.

american place

Mission Haiti Underway

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Let’s talk about a recent event that has affected the lives of many….

Let’s talk about what happened in Haiti on January 12, 2010…

Woman being carried out of the rubble.
Woman being carried out of the rubble.

I find the earthquake disaster in Haiti a completely relevant and necessary topic to cover right now.

Now, I understand that the media is covering the Haiti Relief Effort like movie theatres cover popcorn with butter (that’s a whole lot) but I want to find different angles to explore this traumatic event and the relief efforts that have followed the disaster…

I want to focus on:

  • Public Opinion: What does the public think of our role in Haiti? Are we giving too little or too much? 
  • Media Framing : How does the media in the US frame our role in Haiti?
  • Human Interest Stories: How are people that are directly connected to Haiti reacting and coping with the tragedy? What have people at Furman and nearby been doing in response to Haiti’s cries for help? 

I want to explore the role the United States is playing both as a government but even more so as a people. What do Americans think of the role the US is playing  in Haiti? What do Haitians think of US relief efforts in Haiti? There is so much that the media has not covered (I know, hard to believe) and I want to explore those angles.

U.S. Environmental Relations with Europe

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Environmental policy has entered a time of global, dynamic change.  This blog will strive to look at U.S. relations with Europe in regards to addressing global climate change and other environmental issues.  I would like to examine the different measures that the European Union and United States are taking to lower their climate impact.  I would also like to examine environmental treaties and agreements between the two powers.  To learn more on this topic, I will study scholarly journals, news outlets, and speak with experts at Furman, including faculty with knowledge of environmental change and environmental politics and staff at the Shi Center for Sustainability.

COM 121 Blog

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Welcome to COM 121 Blog!

This semester we will be blogging on different aspects of US Foreign Policy. Some of the topics we will cover include:

  • Foreign Aid
  • Haitian Earthquake
  • HIV AIDs
  • Medical AID
  • Climate and Environment
  • Immigration
  • Human Trafficking
  • US – Latin American relations
  • US – Yemen relations
  • US – China relations
  • Terrorism