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Collective Memory, War and Peace Museums

I have long admired professors who are capable of offering classes that are both engrossing and informative. When I was an undergraduate student, just beginning to explore what kind of major I wanted to pursue, I had a professor who taught an entry level political science class in a way that was not only informative, but he approached the teaching in a way that pulled me in and made me look forward to attending every week. Having taken classes with those types of educators, it has inspired me to follow in their footsteps and my overall aim as a researcher is to find a balance between exploring new avenues of research to expand the field and introducing the next generation to the concepts that I found such enjoyment in learning. Additionally, I believe that a robust grouping of perspectives makes any field considerably more dynamic and I hope to have the opportunity to work with many people from different backgrounds.

I am researching the presentation of the Second Sino-Japanese War through the medium of war and peace museums with a focus on China and Japan. Through the analysis of the narrative in the museums, I aim to explore the presentation of the narrative and the interconnected processes that have led to the formation of distinctive outlooks and how these constructive narratives contribute to the ongoing “history problem” in the East Asian region. By examining a range of history museums with a focus on collective victimhood and the resulting collective memory, I aim to examine if, and how, reconciliation is being used and if it is effective within the medium. To achieve a thorough examination of the museums in question, observational research is a cornerstone of the work and multiple visits to each of the museums have been and will continue to be performed.