Social and Cultural Field
Cultivating Talented Individuals:Support Scheme:Investigative Research Assistance (for student)
Troy Keith KNUDSON / Investigation Area: Washington DC, USA
2008.06.08
Study Region(Country/City)
United States of America,Washington,District of Columbia
The objective of research
The purpose for joining the Summer Institute at GW was two-fold. First, as my research deals with the impact of the news media on US foreign policymaking, I wanted to know how people in foreign policymaking circles assess the media's influence. Although I already had a theoretical understanding based on literature, I wanted to hear more practical ideas from people involved in the foreign policymaking process.
Second, I was seeking to find out some concrete ways in which the US can more constructively contribute to integration in East Asia.Again,rather than theoretical considerations,my interest was in a feasible contribution respective of ties the US already has in the region and the agendas of competing interest groups in the US trying to ifluence foreign policy toward the region.
Second, I was seeking to find out some concrete ways in which the US can more constructively contribute to integration in East Asia.Again,rather than theoretical considerations,my interest was in a feasible contribution respective of ties the US already has in the region and the agendas of competing interest groups in the US trying to ifluence foreign policy toward the region.
Research Topic
In order to realize the first purpose,I explicitly focused some of my questions to presenters on the kind of relationship their organization has with the news media.With speakers who had not mentioned the media in their presentation,my questions were more exploratory,hoping to elicit any type of response.However,when speakers had specifically mentioined how their organization utilizes the media,I asked them to expand on why certain media are more useful than others and how successfully the media represents their interests.With speakers who were actually from the news media,I explained in detail how the media's role in foreign policymaking is understood by researchers and asked their opinion on the validity of this research.
As for the second purpose,I realized early that East Asia is low on the list of priorities concerning US foreign policy; moreover, regional integration is hardly a concept in Washington DC. Thus, Whenever relevant to the discussion, I intentionally pushed East Asian issues with my questions to elicit ideas from the speakers. The general lack of attention on East Asia inspired me to focus my personal research at the Sumer lnstltute on a feasible US contribution to integration in East Asia. Although free time was limited, I took advantage or 24-hour access to the GW library to begin researching this topic with an aim to writing a policy paper in the near future.
As for the second purpose,I realized early that East Asia is low on the list of priorities concerning US foreign policy; moreover, regional integration is hardly a concept in Washington DC. Thus, Whenever relevant to the discussion, I intentionally pushed East Asian issues with my questions to elicit ideas from the speakers. The general lack of attention on East Asia inspired me to focus my personal research at the Sumer lnstltute on a feasible US contribution to integration in East Asia. Although free time was limited, I took advantage or 24-hour access to the GW library to begin researching this topic with an aim to writing a policy paper in the near future.
