Research Topic

So I realize that we need to have a semi-formed research theme or idea by our next meeting. I have also come to the realization that I don’t have one! After much thought and bits of research here and there, I know that I am leaning towards doing an assignment regarding British culture and potentially making a comparison between it and our modern American culture within Seattle or Washington. After watching a film titled Chronique d'un Ete (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronique_d'un_%C3%A9t%C3%A9), a film dedicated to the understanding the word “happiness” within the French working class, I have begun to look at this research project through an anthropological lens. Of course the film is an inquiry into French society but it has inspired me to do some sort of abstract look into British culture, perhaps based on a simple question raised in the film: “Are you happy?” 

My academic interests are deeply rooted in the social sciences and one attraction of this program is the chance to interact with a culture that is seemingly parallel to our own but in actuality exists on another plane entirely. As Americans it is very easy for us to label things, people, or experiences as foreign or different, and as a country with a very rich (and powerful) culture it isn’t hard to shroud ourselves in our own familiar lives and never bother to recognize what else exists in the world. It is our own unmistakable culture and history that allows us to be unreceptive and closed minded about diversity and the world at large. Our widespread cultural influence also allows us to assume or pretend that everyone is either alike us or completely different. My view of the American perspective of British culture is that Brits are pretty much like us; they party when they are young, get jobs when they are old, wear whatever’s in style, and are impacted by the same media sources that we are. I understand that perspective, especially because everyday it becomes harder and harder to remember which musician is British or American, or which superstar is from which side of the world. For the longest time I didn’t know that Robert Pattinson was British in the first place… Edward is American!

I really want to explore what makes us different than them, and I want to go deeper than the accent. I even want to go deeper than the history; I am interested in distinguishing between ideals and deeply rooted definitions of happiness, success, reality, purpose, etc. What delineates Americans from Brits or Arabs from Swedes or private school kids from public school kids is culture, and I what defines culture is a mixture personal identification and group recognition. I feel like it is very possible to get real insight on this type of question by asking the people in Oxford, and really, asking ourselves