My passion for history and geography, which began during my school years, is what inspired me to pursue this course and module today. I have always been interested in case study topics and feel that this is what truly feeds my learning. From learning about the USA and Great Britain, Russia, China and India, I always felt that there was a gap in my learning, and this was especially prominent in the Middle Eastern region.
Historical context is very beneficial to fully understanding and engaging with a topic/region – hearing about the Islamic golden age as a child. The ways that scholars, philosophers, scientists and more were able to preserve such crucial advancements in academic contributions always left me wondering what happened next and how the region has become so fragmented.
Istanbul is essentially the boundary between Europe and Asia, with the Bosphorus Strait flowing at the centre of it – Istanbul becomes a large contributor to global relations with this divide and a crucial shipping route for Northern states. Being able to see this division in the city will contextualise a lot for Turkish culture; seeing how obvious the divide is will be telling about how the Turkishs preserve culture in different regions, and as part of the Middle East, it will be interesting to see whether or not you can really call this a ‘divide’.
I am looking forward to seeing the architecture, especially the world-famous Mosques. As a white Briton growing up in a predominantly white area, assimilating with other cultures is always a treat. I really enjoy exploring other cultures and ethnicities’ ways of life and traditions, where they are welcomed, and maintaining respect. I feel that now, with the Israel-Palestine conflict, there has never been a more important time to educate myself on Islam and Middle Eastern cultures.
Although I strongly advocate for physical immersion in a topic, such as field trips, which greatly enhance learning – discussion is equally beneficial. The discussions and lectures on the trip will be from Turkish scholars and professors from Thailand. Having academics from London (West), Turkey (Middle East), and Thailand (South-East Asia) will allow us to see broad global patterns, with a particular focus on comparisons, contemporary politics and societal issues.
With all the activities planned across the weekend, the Istanbul field trip will deepen my understanding of local-global contexts and further my understanding of development, which I can apply and compare within the region.
Katie Bracci