2007 SUMMER PROJECTS
SURF fellows write about their research plans.
| SURF Fellows from past years: | Summer 2006, | Summer 2005, | Summer 2004, | Summer 2003, | Summer 2002 |
Esperanza Rosario Huanca, member secretary of the "Vision of the Country" commission, and DevinDevin Burnett Beaulieu, Geography
“Bolivia's Constituent Assembly: Remapping the State”
Mentor: Michael Watts, Geography
After half a decade of political turmoil and the rise of social and indigenous movements in Bolivia, elections in 2006 and early 2007 have put the new party "Movement Towards Socialism" lead by Evo Morales in power with the charge of "refounding" the state and writing a new constitution. This summer I will travel to the constitutional capital Sucre, and observe the ongoing process of drafting new articles in the constitution under the categories of "Land and Territory" in the Constituent Assembly. Through onsite research and interviews, I hope to gain insight into the politically contested processes of remapping the Bolivian state in relation to emerging conceptions of indigeneity and "intercultural" social relations. The shape of the new constitution will not only have repercussions for the nationally divisive politics of land inequality and regional autonomy, but additionally the convening of a new constituent assembly in Ecuador and wider shift towards leftist politics in Latin America.
--Academically, the SURF grant will give me the opportunity to engage with professors and experienced researchers seriously on topics that have become very important to me. I am thrilled to take this opportunity to travel back to Bolivia and further engage with the exciting and transformative political climate gripping this Andean country. I am motivated to see the potential strengths and pitfalls of the new articulation of "counter-hegemonic" politics in Bolivia and in same small way contribute to academic understanding and debate of these new social and geographic formations in critical geography.
“Well-Intentioned in the Worst Way: Retracing the Life of James Plemon Coleman”
Mentor: Victoria Robinson, Ethnic Studies & American Cultures
James Plemon Coleman was the Mississippi Governor who, in 1957, assured his fellow citizens that “a baby born in Mississippi today will never live long enough to see an integrated school.” He vowed to resist the federal mandate handed down by Brown in 1954, and became the first head of the controversial State Sovereignty Commission. But due to his later ties with the Kennedy-Johnson Administration and an eventual reputation of being a “racial moderate,” many think ‘segregationist’ is a title he did not earn. In order to better understand the development of Coleman’s political identity, the development of his racial identity, and where the two might intersect, I will travel to Mississippi and spend two weeks in the State Archives researching his life. I hope to emerge with a more comprehensive picture of who he was as a person, and the ways in which his personal views on “the race problem” informed his somewhat ambiguous political record.
--I’m excited about this project for two reasons: I’ve never done archival research, and I’ve never been to the South. Both are scary in their own ways, yet both will allow me to grow. Being afforded 8 weeks as an undergraduate to pursue a single intellectual thread—to watch it twist, turn, perhaps unravel—is a blessing that I am exceptionally grateful for. As I get closer to the end of my undergraduate career, I realize more and more that I’m not done being a student yet. In addition to providing the foundation for my Senior Thesis in the fall, this will hopefully give me a taste of what a graduate program in History might be like.
“Post-Holocaust Comedy: The Function and Use of Humor in Peter Greenaway's The Falls and Gold”
Mentor: Suzanne Popkin, Comparative Literature
While the application of humor to the Holocaust may seem difficult and even offensive, humor during the Holocaust was employed as a means of critique and rebellion, aiding in developing solidarity amongst prisoners and as a mechanism for coping with trauma. Though such rationales exist for the use of comedy during the Holocaust, there is no such theorization for post-Holocaust comedy written in response to the event. In looking at the British filmmaker Peter Greenaway’s post-witness portrayals of the Holocaust, specifically, his 1980 film The Falls and his latest novel from 2002, Gold, I will ascertain how by presenting the Holocaust through comedic fiction focusing on absurdity, Greenaway develops a new and necessary function for humor in contemporary portrayals of the Holocaust.
--My interest in the Holocaust concentrates on way the event alters the most foundational concepts in society such as family, art, and religion. I had a very difficult time developing a research question pertaining to the Holocaust as there have already been endless questions asked with only a handful that can be researched or even answered. However, it was by complete chance and luck that I found the two works by Greenaway, who happens to be my favorite filmmaker and artist, and was able to incorporate his works into my project perfectly as they deal with the alteration of the concept humor in relation to the Holocaust.
“Identification of genes that are inappropriately regulated in hereditary iron overload”
Mentor: Chris Vulpe, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
Iron is an indispensable micronutrient for living organisms. Studies have shown that the Hfe gene plays a significant role in iron regulation in mammalian cells. However, it is unclear how gene expression is affected by the defective Hfe gene to elicit higher iron accumulation than normal iron levels, and if strain differential iron overload in Hfe knock-out (KO) mice is associated with strain specific interactions of the genes. This summer, I will be addressing these questions by using microarray: differentially expressed genes in Hfe KO mice will be determined in both AKR and C57BL/6 background rather than strain specific gene differences or secondary to high iron content. Genes that are specifically affected by Hfe gene disruption will also be determined.
--This fellowship is a very exciting opportunity for me because this is the first time I have a chance to use learned laboratory techniques to mold my own research project. It is also frightening because I feel I have much more to learn before I can step into such a project, especially one that has a tight schedule. However, I am looking forward to carry out this project full-time over the summer where I do not have to worry about midterms, finals, or other schoolwork. I am also greatly relieved and thankful because of the support and funding; I do not have to worry about financial living matters while carrying out the project.
“Asclepius at Epidaurus: Healing the Ills of Ancient Greece”
Mentor: Kim Shelton, Classics
Asclepius, Apollo's son, was an important healing deity in ancient Greece. Asclepian healing sanctuaries existed at Epidaurus, Kos, Pergamum, the Athenian Acropolis, and Corinth. The main vehicle for healing at these sanctuaries was dreaming, where one could converse and be healed directly by the god Asclepius himself. This summer I plan to explore the various methods of worship at different Greek sanctuaries, specifically focusing upon sanctuaries that employed different healing methods. Then, I will focus in on the sanctuaries that utilize dreaming as the primary healing method. The site that I am choosing to focus on is the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, due to its abundance of archaeological resources.
--The SURF Scholarship is enabling me to do the focused, in depth research on my senior thesis that I would otherwise be unable to do. My thesis topic is: Asclepius at Epidaurus: Healing Sanctuaries and Dreaming One's Way to Health in Ancient Greece. As a Classics major, this will a culmination of all of my interests in the Classics into one area. More broadly, this will be a culmination of my life's interests so far. As a certified acupressurist and massage therapist, I have always been interested in health and healing. With the help of the SURF Scholarship, I will finally have the opportunity to complete my personal and scholastic research goals.
“Artistic Bias and Class Restrictions: A History of Unknown Nineteenth-century Painter Marcelle Jullien”
Mentor: Todd Olson, History of Art
My goal is to investigate how a pastor’s wife, my great-great-grandmother (1867-1947), found the financial and technical means to paint and the significance of her work in the greater scheme of late 19th century artistic tradition. I will begin by gathering biographical information from archives, religious institutions and surviving relatives to create a psychological and chronological framework. Then I will examine her work contextually, contemplating the conditional education of middle-class nineteenth-century women, other female artists of her generation, and the tradition of still-life painting. Marcelle Jullien managed to carve a space for her creative expression despite the societal pressures and restrictions of a patriarchal world. Since Art is a reflection of the environment within which it was created, this study is about gender and class as much as it is about Art History.
--I believe this research project to be pertinent because, although Marcelle Jullien appears to fit within the tradition of 19th century female flower painters, there are several points of contention to dispute that assumption. Thanks to the SURF Program, I’m awarded the very exciting chance to attempt to contribute to a scholarly body and disturb accepted notions about an art genre. However, that endeavor is a bit daunting, since I am not sure to find what I am looking for during my summer research. Although I place a great deal of faith in interviews and archival research, there is always a chance that the historical data does not exist. I’ll cross my fingers it does.
“On the Conceptualization of Space in the Work of 20th Century Latin American Author Julio Cortazar”
Mentor: Natalia Brizuela, Spanish and Portuguese
The overall aim of the project is to provide a detailed analysis of the concept of space/place in the work of Argentinean writer Julio Cortázar, an overarching theme that echoes throughout his work and has been overlooked by both literary critics and scholars in the past. In preparation for my senior thesis for the Spanish department, I will analyze the concept of space/place via a close reading of Cortázar’s experimental novel Rayuela, along with a selection of his short fiction. I will focus on Cortázar’s depiction of topographical, societal, and perceptual landscapes, such as cities, streets, stairways, language, interactions, etc. and the meta-fictional spaces he co-creates with the readers, which allows his audience to become active participants in a process that is unique to his literature, in order to show how the author achieves to engage the reader in a pluralistic conception of reality through a unique and innovative proposal.
--I am so grateful to SURF for the opportunity given me. As a Junior transfer student and double major I feel priviledged to have been at UC for 2 years. However completing 2 degrees in that time also meant that my summer months were booked far in advance with classes, leaving very little time for personal research/reading, which maily seemed relegated to my time spent commuting. Ironically it was precisely during a commute of sorts, on a bus across the Chinese countryside, while reading Cortázar, that issues of Space, Place and non-Place, and the individual’s relationship to his environment began to solidify in what became the idea for this project. To be able to dedicate an entire summer researching a topic that has touched me so closely is more than I’d hoped for.
"The function of prm-1 in Neruospora crassa membrane fusion"
Mentor: Louise Glass, Plant and Microbial Biology
Cell-cell fusion is a highly regulated event that is fundamental to the development of most eukaryotic organisms. However, despite its fundamental roll, the mechanisms of cell-cell fusion in most systems are not very well understood. Using the orange bread mold Neurospora crassa, I plan to study one of its integral membrane proteins known as prm-1. Prm-1 is implicated in the function of the cell-cell fusion pathway for N. crassa. Clues as to the exact function of the prm-1 protein will be gained by significant phenotypic analysis of growth and sexual development, localization by fluorescence tagging, and suppressor mutant screening
--For as long as I can remember I have always been intrigued with many areas of scientific study. Slowly I have worked through the ranks from curious high school student to undergraduate researcher. As I have progressed through these limited stages I have continually asked myself the question, “What is it that I need to do to progress and grow into a great scientist?” Finding work in my current lab was one answer to this question, and the year I have spent working there has shown me more than any book can, the real excitements and frustrations of bench work. However this is only the first step into a larger world. I see the SURF program as a new opportunity to become a better scientist. I have now been asked by someone to produce results. To me this is a step away from the safety of a strict learning experience and a way to test the waters of the real world. Although I hold some fears of failure, which is always a possible outcome, the experience I will gain from even my own failures is an essential part of the puzzle to becoming a great scientist.
Eduardo Habitan Europa, Cognitive Science
“The Effect of Scarcity on Children's Decisions”
Mentor: Lori Markson, Psychology
My project investigates the nature of basic human economic principles with
special focus on the scarcity bias - the tendency to select objects in greater scarcity. A recent study observed children were more likely to choose an object from the less abundant of two sets (Markson, personal communication). Before explaining this behavior, I am seeking factors that could confound this bias. I plan to test children and adults and see if visual information is required for exhibiting this behavior. Subjects will have the option of choosing an object after providing only verbal information about the quantity of the two sets. This will test whether perceptual saliency is an important factor and also examine the dominance of the bias in either group.
The opportunity to work on this independent research project is both appealing and daunting at the same time. The appeal arises from the fact that I will get a chance to become engrossed in a subject I find very intriguing and perhaps contribute to the investigation of this newly-addressed developmental topic. Currently, there is no literature on the scarcity bias and the work I do with this mentor could be the first! I am most worried about not obtaining any interesting results from my work over the summer. Nonetheless, I anticipate this summer and expect to use my SURF experience to help guide my future undergraduate and postgraduate career.
“The Effect of Scarcity on Children's Decisions”
Mentor: Lori Markson, Psychology
My project investigates the nature of basic human economic principles with
special focus on the scarcity bias - the tendency to select objects in greater scarcity. A recent study observed children were more likely to choose an object from the less abundant of two sets (Markson, personal communication). Before explaining this behavior, I am seeking factors that could confound this bias. I plan to test children and adults and see if visual information is required for exhibiting this behavior. Subjects will have the option of choosing an object after providing only verbal information about the quantity of the two sets. This will test whether perceptual saliency is an important factor and also examine the dominance of the bias in either group.
The opportunity to work on this independent research project is both appealing and daunting at the same time. The appeal arises from the fact that I will get a chance to become engrossed in a subject I find very intriguing and perhaps contribute to the investigation of this newly-addressed developmental topic. Currently, there is no literature on the scarcity bias and the work I do with this mentor could be the first! I am most worried about not obtaining any interesting results from my work over the summer. Nonetheless, I anticipate this summer and expect to use my SURF experience to help guide my future undergraduate and postgraduate career.
“Investiation of the Genetic Mechanism by which Curcumin Achieves the Hypoacetylation of Histone”
Mentor: Paola Timiras, Molecular and Cell Biology
Curcumin (CUR), the active chemical of the Asian spice tumeric, has a strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory effect in preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s (AD), as well as an anti-proliferative effect on cancerous cells. Based on broad ranges of scientific literature on this topic, CUR has correlated with dramatic reduction in acetylation of histone. However, the precise mechanism by which curcumin achieves hypoacetylation and therefore represses the transcription of cancerous cells, is poorly understood. In this experiment, I will culture C6 rat glioma cells and through using immunostaining and protein assay, I will quantitatively monitor the proliferation and differentiation of neuroglial cells with different doses of CUR. Hopefully, this research will provide further explanations of CUR’s preventive-therapeutic role in wide ranges of neurodegenerative diseases.
--Doing research is one of the intellectually rewarding activities that stimulates my personal and thought development by raising countless questions in my mind, and motivating me to find answers to those questions. Having the financial support that allows me to concentrate on research without interruption is a key to success. The SURF program achieves just that. SURF will enable me to cultivate a productive research experiment during the summer by guaranteeing that the major portion of my time is protected for laboratory investigation without being worried about the financial burden. With this award, I will be able to acquire the additional knowledge, skills, and experience needed to lighten my career path and catalyze my social and intellectual growth.
“Understanding Senegal's Successful Response to the AIDS Epidemic: A Detailed Look at the History of a Proactive Goverment”
Mentor: Ann Swidler, Sociology
Within the AIDS public health crisis currently affecting the African continent, Senegal stands apart from its African counterparts throught its succcess in controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This relative success is attributed to the early and timely government response, as well as to the joint efforts of multiple actors of the Senegales society including community religious leaders. But what were the already existent political bases and networks that facilitated the implementation of a national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic? This summer, I will work from Dakar with local and international actors such as public health officials, community leaders, and NGO partners and I will consult local government archives in order to investigate the social, political, and cultural mechanisms present in the country during the mid 1980s when the first AIDS cases were reported.
--Since I have known that I wanted to focus on French-speaking Africa as a geographic region to study during my college years, I have been trying to find a way to reach regions of which I have only read about so far. I am deligthed that UCB has incredible research opportunities for its studetns, and I am extremely excited to have received the SURF award to fund my intentions of meeting cultures that I have been studying for over three years. I am confident of the knowledge and intellectual stimulation I have accumulated in my Berkeley classes, and I look forward to taking my thirst for learning to the new level of outside-the-classroom exploration and local context application.
“Legal Aspects of Korea-American Human Sex Trafficking”
Mentor: David Cohen, Rhetoric
According to the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” Complying with the U.N. mission, both South Korea and United States governments have made many efforts to combat this modern-day slavery both legally and socially through legislative acts and expanded NGO services. However, the rate of sex trafficking, from the time the acts were written to the present, has actually increased significantly. This summer, I will be evaluating the legal wordings and the compliance to these acts by both countries. I will be talking to government officials and NGOs about their involvement, the pro’s and con’s of the acts, the future of this issue, and then ultimately, suggest ways in which this issue can be combated more effectively and efficiently.
--Through this amazing opportunity, not only will I be widening my perspective on this issue, but I will also be paving a way to pursue a future career in fighting against human sex trafficking. I truly believe that this summer fellowship will play an essential role in solidifying all the raw ideas that I have in my head into a coherent and constructive body of knowledge. By the end of this fellowship and my thesis paper, I hope I made a significant contribution to helping the tens of thousands of women being oppressed today, by adding to the research base for others who share the same passion that I have.
“History of Female Subjectivity in Kashmir: From 1947 - Present”
Mentor: Eugene Irschick, History
My particular interest for this summer is to explore whether the ongoing violence in Kashmir have inspired women to lead movements or organize petitions against the government in the last decade. I wish to study specific examples of resistance that have been attempted in the past, and to analyze the types of initiatives organized particularly by females, who seldom receive any acknowledgement for their efforts. Women in Kashmir are generally written into history as submissive and marginalized figures, who due to their social suffering, cannot bring themselves to oppose either patriarchal attitudes or domestic abuse. I intend to analyze to what extent women internalize instances of rape, fear, displacement, and the loss of their husbands or children. I hope that this analysis will provide me with a strong background to understand when, if, and how women release their anger, and whether this is ever done through the medium of resistance, discourse, or civil participation.
--I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to engage in research in Kashmir for my History 101 thesis. However, working in such a precarious environment can be daunting and overwhelming. I hope that the background research I have conducted for this project will allow me to successfully conduct interviews with the local population. My main obstacle in these interviews will be to ensure my subjects that I mean well and have their interests at heart. Several foreign academics visit Kashmir to simply corroborate previously held theories. I hope to keep an open mind and allow my experience to mold my analysis as well as my personal views towards the Kashmir conflict.
Tiresias by the artist
Johann Heinrich Füssli
“Manifestations of the Blind Prophet: The Appearance of Tiresias in the Masterworks of Moderism”
Mentor: Charles Blanton, English
T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound, the three pillars of Modernism are bound in their use of allusions, an attempt to tie their works to those of the past. One particular element that finds itself repeatedly invoked in the works of these Modernists is the figure of the Theban soothsayer Tiresias. I hope to identify the importance Tiresias plays as character and formative reference in each of the texts. My research will focus on a close reading of these three texts, the classical texts they draw on, and literary criticism concerning these works. The goal will be to determine why the blind soothsayer, the messenger from beyond the veil, makes such prominent appearances in each of these three works.
--I have studied Pound, The Wasteland and Ulysses in classes in the English Department at Berkeley, and these authors and their works have stoked my academic curiosity. However the overwhelming corpus that has been produced in an attempt to elucidate these works extends far beyond what can be attended to in the confines of the classroom. Independent research will allow me to engage the texts with the time and scrutiny that I desire, while also giving me the chance to figure out if research is something I wish to pursue in my life. Through independent research, I can put my own skills to the test while simultaneously laying the groundwork for my senior thesis.
“Conspicuous Cuisine: Iron Chef and the 90s in Japan”
Mentor: Andrew Barshay, History
1989 saw the collapse of the Japanese real estate market as well as the death of the Showa Emperor. As the 90s began, it was clear that the forces that had shaped the country for much of the postwar era were changing dramatically. I am going to Tokyo this summer to look into these changes by somewhat abstruse means. I plan to interview the cast and crew of Iron Chef, the quirky, now internationally known television show that combined cooking and sports-style competition, and aired between 1993 and 2000. I am interested in how Iron Chef exemplifies some of the major trends of the 90s in Japan and, possibly, how the show can modify our understanding of the decade.
--The Monday after I found out about the SURF grant, I came home late and pulled up an episode of Iron Chef on my computer; it was the French special, if my memory serves me correct. Anyway, I was enjoying the episode until about halfway through when, out of the blue, I was rocked by a wave of terror. It hit me: I would be talking to these people in a matter of weeks, interviewing the chefs, the announcers, the producers. My first reaction was terror but it has transformed into something else now. It is the feeling that you are not going to be an observer anymore, the feeling that from here on out, you are in it.
“Unspoken Trauma: Narrating the Representation of Sexual Abuse in Harriet Jacobs' Slave Narrative”
Mentor: Bryan Wagner, English
As a slave narrative, Harriet Jacobs' autobiography bears the burden of truth telling demanded by this genre. However, this categorization has largely prohibited critics from fully addressing Jacobs' utilization of fantasy, which becomes apparent in her seemingly unbelievable and fantastic portrayal of her protagonist's ability to constantly thwart her master's sexual advances. Continuing my exploration of fantasy in Jacobs' text, I will spend this summer reading extensively in psychoanalytic theory in order to further articulate an argument that accounts for the work's fictional aspects as a manifestation of psychological trauma. I will also research primary and secondary documents related to slavery, especially slave narratives, so as to better understand the genre and the tremendous implications of Jacobs' break from it.
-- To me, it's remarkable and fascinating that Jacobs, an ex-slave woman, could incorporate fiction into a narrative that was supposed to be explicitly truthful, thereby allowing herself to cope with her trauma and assert her authorial control when African American authorship was not yet fully realized. However, the fact that my project challenges certain aspects of our present understanding of Jacobs' text is intimidating. I have to do a tremendous amount of work to not only establish that there is fantasy in the narrative, but also that Jacobs is compelled to utilize fiction because of psychological trauma. But that's why I am so excited to have the opportunity to spend the summer performing research in preparation for writing my thesis.
“Modernization Theory in the Post-Cold War Era”
Mentor: David Hollinger, History
In the 1950s, modernization theory became the driving factor for American foreign policy as a reaction to the beginning of the Cold War. In the decades to follow, modernization theory slowly subsided in popularity, until a recent revival in the 1990s by several prominent American neo-conservatives in response to the presumed victory of the Cold War. This project plans to explore the reasons for the revival of modernization theory and its adoption by the neo-conservatives in the US. In preparing my answer in a 30-50 page paper, I will focus on the primary documents - in support of modernization theory from the 1950s and the 1990s - and place them in the context of the political atmosphere in the US during both periods.
--This project provides me with a wonderful opportunity to pursue independent research outside of a course environment without having to worry about financial support or juggling a job or internship at the same time. My post-graduation plans involve pursuing graduate studies, and while the undergraduate curriculum at Berkeley offers research opportunities (such as through a senior thesis), I feel that I would still be limited and dependent. SURF, on the other hand, allows me to explore the graduate experience with more depth. Searching for a faculty mentor, exchanging ideas, and finally forming a solid research proposal require an enormous amount of critical thought and consideration that help form an sense of independence which more closely typifies the graduate school experience.
“Investigation of a conjugative plasmid in Staphylococcus aureus”
Mentor: George Sensabaugh, School of Public Health
An alarming number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections have begun to surface in communities due to a particular strain USA300. USA300 carries a single conjugative plasmid, pUSA03, which confers multiple antibiotic resistance. This is of great concern because the plasmid has been suggested to be able to acquire additional resistance genes in response to changing antibiotic uses. To study the evolution of pUSA03, I hope to characterize the pUSA03 plasmid found in USA300 isolates infecting patients by whole plasmid PCR scanning that could detect any structural changes in the plasmid DNA sequence. Any variations found from the prototypical pUSA03 plasmid may be indicative of plasmid evolution, and I plan to sequence those plasmids to determine the nature of the changes.
--This summer will serve as a learning experience for me as I understand how scientific research is conducted including the successes and failures that inevitably occur with experiments. I realize that I am responsible for any failures and may even have to come up with another plan if there is no progress. This idea that there may be no progress scares me. However, I am
still excited to be able to pursue my own interests concerning infectious diseases. This summer provides me with a great opportunity to be able to step into the shoes of a professional researcher or scientist and will give me a clearer idea as to what I would like to do in the future.
“Understanding the 'Korean Wave': The Role of Korean Soap Operas in Asian-American Identity, Pleasure and Cultural Proximity”
Mentor: Charis Thompson, Gender and Women's Studies and Rhetoric
This summer I will be investigating why Asian Americans engage in (inter)cultural viewing of Korean soap operas. I am interested in tying this question in with the ‘Korean wave,’ that is, the general enthusiasm for Korean pop culture, but also to larger questions of pan-Asian identity, language and cultural proximity. To answer these questions, and hopefully more that I have not yet thought of, I will be viewing the most popular Korean soap operas and interviewing other viewers. I will also be engaging in Internet ethnography—‘netnography’ to further explore viewers’ opinions and feelings. I will track and monitor chat rooms and fan-sites that are devoted to discussing Korean soap operas. Guiding my research is the notion of the self as the “subject-in-progress,” one that is shifting, making and re-understanding.
--I am happy and utterly content to be able to spend a summer researching. My project is a personal one and a tangential one, mired in the tiny screen of the television but also apparent as pleasure in the lives of many of my friends. I hope to integrate what is deemed “mere” entertainment with the “abstract” theoretical. I must admit, I am seduced by theory. When I try to explain my project to my friends and my parents, oh my parents, they usually look very confused but politely congratulatory. “Soap operas? Identity? Transcultural flow? Good luck…” But I am happy and content because it is sunny and warm and it is my time to contemplate and delve completely into beautiful research confusion.
“Community Empowerment in Dictatorship and Democracy: An Examination of Shantytwon Women in Santiago de Chile”
Mentor: Mark Healey, History
My history thesis project will analyze the Santiago de Chile of 1964 to 2006 from the perspective of shantytown women, with an emphasis on the community institutions that offer them employment, personal development opportunities and/or activism networks. I will examine what poor women do within these institutions, why these opportunities are significant in their lives and what this civic participation represents in the greater context of women’s rights in Chile. Additionally, I will examine the consequences of dictatorship and democracy on shantytown women, to determine whether poor women have greater or fewer rights under dictatorship than under democracy, in order to better understand the position of women in modern Chilean society.
--I am excited to return to Chile and to continue my studies in a neighborhood I worked in previously. However, I have never researched for a paper this long or this extensive, and my work in Chile must therefore be focused and meticulous. This summer is my opportunity to access the information not available in Berkeley, and the thought that I only have this one chance is intimidating. I am apprehensive about beginning my interviews and about analyzing the stories that women tell me, and to make sense of the connection between personal lives and national politics and trends. But I am up to the challenge and am looking forward to getting started.
“The Joycean Re-imagining and Revolution of Heaven and Hell in Finnegans Wake”
Mentor: John Bishop, English
Joyce's Wake is many things (understatement of the year): as a wake, it is an initiation and a journey into the world of eternal sleep and all the fabulous events therein, and as such, the Wake is a meditation upon Joyce's vision of the afterlife. Joyce, however, was not the first to explore in art the idea of an afterlife; his admiration for Dante is well known, for example, and the latter's own intricately-structured apocalyptic vision is appropriated and reinterpreted by Joyce in many of his works. I would like to tease out these sorts of appropriations as much as possible in order to see how Joyce subverts and transforms the "traditional" Christian vision in the Wake, examining both classical and medieval allusions, as well as wider literary tropes and structures.
--I have been interested in Joyce since high school, but only recently have I had the chance to study him in Berkeley. The Wake is not an easy book to read, let alone one to comprehend during the regular school year, with other classes and assignments tagging along quite heavily; SURF gives me the opportunity to devote a whole summer to Joyce without outside interference. Also, I have a chance now to orient myself within the larger, more frightening world of Joyce scholarship by exploring the multitude of resources in the library. (Joyce scholarship can get almost absurdly heated sometimes.) I hope to emerge from this summer with a stronger grasp of Joyce and to be able to funnel that into further studies over the next few years.
“Sustaining Academic Innovation: The Introduction & Institutionalization of American Cultures at UC Berkeley”
Mentor: Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, Education
The American Cultures requirement was ushered into UC Berkeley's general curriculum during the late 1980's, as universities across the nation followed suite. This project will study the development of multicultural requirements in the college curriculum, and specifically explore the origins of American Cultures on the Berkeley campus. In an attempt to portray American Cultures as an evolving curricular commitment, this project will focus on the historical narrative of the institutionalization and shifting of the AC requirement through changes in campus policy, administrative structuring of the program, and student, faculty, campus perceptions. Eighteen years after its enactment, has the AC requirement retained its purpose as a means to transform mainstream/traditional curriculum? Can a revealing of the historical narrative of the institutionalization of AC explain its shift toward irrelevancy?
“Transgression, Media-Objects, Counter-Publics”
Mentor: Lawrence Cohen, Anthropolgy
This study proposes an investigation of the production and distribution of media products, in the form of images and pornographic texts that depict and eroticize sexual practices deemed high-risk by public health officials. In the United States, the mid 1990s’ saw the emergence of social practices within at-risk populations that both celebrate and promote condomless sexual encounters. Since 1997 through to the present, several homegrown media productions companies have emerge that explicitly produce media that depict and promote unprotected sexual encounters. This project will evaluate the relationship and dynamics between the circulation of this media and the emergence and continuation of the social practice. This project has the potential of informing both the fields of anthropology and public health.
--Mark Roy McGrath grew up in working class copper mining towns throughout eastern Nevada and New Mexico. He served four years with distinction in the United States Army and is now an active participant in Veterans for Peace. As a transfer student he started his college academics at San Diego City College where he was awarded the Chancellors Scholarship and was commencement speaker for graduation. Since his arrival at U.C. Berkeley, Mark has consistently remained on the Deans List with the college of Letters and Science. His primary focus within anthropology has been the social ramifications and resulting life worlds brought about by AIDS. Upon graduation, Mark intendeds to continue in a medical anthropology graduate program.
“The Effects of Aging on the Controlled Aspects of Novelty Processing: An ERP Study of Emotionally Salient Events”
Mentor: Robert Knight, Psychology
The ability to detect, evaluate and immediately respond to unexpected changes in one's environment is an important, adaptive characteristic of mammalian behavior. This process begins with an initial orienting response and continues with subsequent evaluative processes aimed at determining the significance of deviant events. These stages of novelty processing can be measured by averaging electroencephalogram (EEG) signals that are time-locked to event-related potentials (ERPs). My study will investigate the effects of aging on one of these ERPs (termed the Late Frontal Negativity, or LFN), thought to correspond with the mental evaluation of the significance of novel stimuli. I hypothesize that the LFN amplitude will be reduced in older relative to younger subjects and that this reduction will be attributable, at least in part, to the frontally-dependent cognitive dysfunctions associated with aging. The findings of this study will complement current research investigating regions of the brain that are critical to the LFN, and will contribute to a broader understanding of aging and its effects on cognitive and attentional processes.
--Ever since I came to Cal, I've had a lot of trouble narrowing down my various interests and passions. Even after deciding to major in Psychology, there were still many sub-fields from which I had to choose a focus, including social psychology, developmental psychology, and biological psychology. The SURF fellowship has given me the opportunity to extensively delve into one such sub-field --cognitive neuropsychology-- by providing me with both the finances and time required to investigate the fascinating and perplexing issues at the forefront of this area. It will also enable me to produce a much better senior thesis, which will no doubt assist me in pursuing post-graduate opportunities. I am incredibly grateful for the award, and will use it to the fullest when gathering ERP data for my study this summer.
“East German Antifascism: The Everyday Reality of Historical Abstraction”
Mentor: Margaret Anderson, History
With the crystallization of Cold War tensions by 1948/49, a specifically communist anti-fascism was invoked to distinguish East from West. In identifying West Germany as a fascist state, East Germany's anti-fascist roots became her very raison d'etre. The roots, though, were shallow indeed; as the Cold War intensified, so did the degree of historical abstraction. By the 20th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic's founding in 1969, the ideology of anti-fascism-based on a manipulation of history-had penetrated every aspect of both private and public life, from popular music to schools to memorials. In creating my own ideal-an East German born in 1949 with the Republic-I will examine how this abstract anti-fascism came to penetrate the everyday fabric of society as East Germany's own socialist existence became increasingly threatened. Anti-fascism, like socialism, was an ideal that fell victim to politics.
--While studying abroad in Germany last year, I became fascinated by the primacy of historical discourse in German society. The Nazi past has not disappeared in Germany; on the contrary, it is constantly discussed and debated, on both a political and an individual level. Yet, it soon became clear that the discussion was different in East and West, and I wanted to know why. The SURF scholarship will allow me to return to Germany to spend hours upon hours with schoolbooks in the International Institute for Schoolbook Research in Braunschweig, and I can't express how excited I am. To do original research is an amazing opportunity, and I'm very grateful to SURF for the possibility.
“Feature detection in rats”
Mentor: Yang Dan, Molecular & Cell Biology
A detailed mechanism of this so-called "feature detection" has been recently studied in humans; however, this mechanism has not been investigated in any animal model yet (Neri and Heeger 2002). Due to the general belief that rodents have very poor vision, scientists have paid little attention to them on the topic of visual perception. However, studies in the last 10 years have actually shown that the rodent visual systems present properties similar to those of other mammals such as cats and monkeys. Therefore, I believe rodents could be used as model systems to study the neural correlates of visual perception, and more importantly, that the results I obtain will help bridge the gap between animal models of perception and our understanding of human vision. My project will focus on investigating these spatiotemporal mechanisms for feature detection through behavioral experiments in rodents.
--Dan lab's main theme --studying neural mechanisms of visual processing and learning-- definitely motivated me and prolonged my interest in neurobiology until today. SURF program will allow me to do comprehensive research this summer, and I will be able to investigate career options as well. I hope to get involved more deeply with this project this summer, advancing our level of knowledge up to the next realm.
"Exposing the Emperor's Legitimacy: Augustus, Severus, and the Third Century Crisis"
Mentor: Carlos Norena, History
The Emperor Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, transformed a republican government with almost 500 years of history into an imperial monarchy that would last for another five centuries. It is important to understand the sources of Augustus’ political legitimacy so that I can understand how changes to those sources of imperial legitimacy, like the changes made by the Emperor Severus, led to the Third Century Crisis. By allowing me to focus on Augustus, this fellowship is an integral part of an ongoing project culminating in my senior thesis. Ultimately, I am examining the role the emperor’s legitimacy played in the political breakdown and violence of the Third Century, which may give us insight into effective sources of political legitimacy.
--To be able to spend two months reading documents from the First Centuries BC and AD about the Emperor Augustus is a real treat. I am fascinated by Augustus’ unprecedented and unparalleled political success. That one man managed to transfer so much political power to himself is amazing; that he was then able to keep that power until he died a peaceful, natural death almost 45 years later is, in Western Civilization, historically unique. I am privileged to be able to compare this man’s sources of power to those of a later emperor and, in doing so, to contribute, albeit in a small way, to the historical scholarship on the causes of the Third Century Crisis.
"Option Value in China’s Great Migration"
Mentor: David card, Economics
This research project will use a large series of migrant worker interviews to measure the option vale of the urban environment in Beijing, China. The difference in urban and rural earnings, taking into account respective changes in standards of living, are an important component of a migrant worker's decision to move from countryside to city. Understanding the value migrant laborers place on their new urban lives will help paint a clearer picture of what has become the greatest migration in the history of the world.
--While my previous study abroad experience greatly excited my interest in the Chinese culture and international economics, I am most excited by this project because it presents an opportunity to learn from a unique and unprecedented event in economic history. Learning firsthand about workers' income, housing, healthcare, etc, seeing the places in which they live, and interacting with a class of people whose existence remains largely shrouded or unknown to those who are affected by them, is a fascinating way to spend my summer and I am greatly anticipating the experience.
"Regulation of macrophage phagosomal protein expression by Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall lipids"
Mentor: Carolyn Bertozzi, Chemistry
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), along with other infectious diseases, has become a resurgent global concern, in part due to selection for drug-resistant strains in infected populations. M.tb is able to survive within macrophages (innate immune cells that should engulf and degrade foreign material) in compartments known as phagosomes by some unknown mechanism. This summer, I want to use quantitative mass spectrometry to study how specific cell wall glycolipids of M.tb manipulate phagosomal membrane protein expression in macrophage cells. By comparing protein regulation by two structurally similar but functionally very different glycolipids found in virulent and non-virulent mycobacterial species (ManLAM and PILAM, respectively), I hope to gain insight into mechanisms that make M.tb one of the most successful bacterial pathogens.
--Even as I was applying for the SURF fellowship, I felt like I was already becoming more of a real scientist by making my project timeline and searching the literature for relevant publications. I am very excited for the challenges and rewards of doing full-time summer research in a lab I have grown to love. SURF gives me the opportunity to fully involve myself in a project in a way that I can't do during the school year-I can finally be my own boss and work unrestrained by other commitments-kind of like a real grad student! On top of that, I get to expose myself to a wide range of projects in all sorts of disciplines through interaction with the other SURF fellows. This will definitely be a great summer with lots of learning experiences. I'm looking forward to it!
"Investigating CRPYTOCHROME 2 (CRY2) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) as molecular partners in the circadian system in Arabidopsis thaliana"
Mentor: Frank Harmon, Plant & Microbial Biology
I am studying the possible physical or functional interaction between ELF3 and CRY2, two genes in Arabidopsis thaliana that are involved in regulating the plant’s biological clock. I will study ELF3 and CRY2 using Arabidopsis plants that have mutations in these genes, resulting in dysfunctional proteins. Many of the phenotypes of the single mutants are opposite, which helps to facilitate analysis of the gene interaction. I will look at flowering time, monochromatic and white light signaling (using hypocotyl elongation as an assay), and regulation of 24-hour rhythms using Luciferase as a reporter gene. I will also analyze the protein products on a molecular level, using yeast two-hybrid and co-immuno-precipitation experiments. The interaction of these two genes could help reveal the biological pathways involved in light signaling and floral induction.
--I am thankful to be a SURF fellow this summer because the program will allow me to concentrate on my research and work towards the completion of my honors thesis without worrying about getting another job. My mentor is very excited about my project and fellowship, which inspires me to work hard and learn as much as I can. This opportunity will allow me to work in the lab a lot more and learn new techniques, which will help me to assess my future endeavors.
"Geographic Connection and Ideological Division: Inka Roads in Northern Ecuador"
Mentor: Christine Hastorf, Anthropology
The Inka Empire is known for its extensive road system – a monumental network of engineered routes across South America. My research will be focused on one section of Inka road located in Northern Ecuador in the region of the Pambamarca Archaeological Project. This area is known for fierce indigenous resistance to Inka imperial expansion resulting in the construction of several large fortress complexes. Focused on the nature of imperial expansion and local resistance, I will survey the Inka road and its features with the goal of creating a regional GIS map, recording archaeological structures along the route, and documenting construction methods. Ultimately, I will test the hypothesis that this Inka route was constructed in order to co-opt local trade routes and fracture local resistance.
--Archaeology is my passion. I love digging in the dirt, carefully screening for artifacts, obsessively keeping the edges of my unit straight with skillful trowel work, and the eventual processing and analysis of data in the lab. I also love to travel. I love to be transitory and moving across landscapes – appreciating the beauty of my surrounding, the thrill of the unknown, and the impermanence of my place there. This project will allow me to combine those loves as I spend my time hiking across the beautiful Ecuadorian landscape while systematically mapping and documenting the archaeological features. I’m essentially studying the archaeology of travel, and I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. It will be dangerous, frustrating, and frightening as I cope with new people, environments, working alone and the need to gather relevant data for my research goals. However, the intellectual and personal freedom and confidence I will gain from this opportunity will be invaluable.
"The Consecrated Kitchen: Culinary Expressions of Spirituality"
Mentor: Karin Sanders, Scandinavian
This projects aims to understand how Babette’s Feast and Like Water for Chocolate demonstrate the sanctity of food in relation to religious practice. My plan is to answers several questions in the course of my research: how do food and faith correlate, and how are these correlations articulated differently in these two texts? How do gender expectations shape the lives of these heroines? In telling the stories of two women, Babette Harsant and Tita de la Garza, these texts asseverate a link between the spirituality that is inherent in each heroine and the gender issues that arise when their faith can only manifest itself where they spend the vast majority of their lives: in the kitchen.
--I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to research my topic with the assistance of the SURF program. Unfettered by other obligations, I am looking forward to diving headfirst into my project without any distraction. Cooking is my favorite creative outlet, and I am very grateful to SURF for the opportunity to combine my three greatest passions, academia, literature, and the culinary arts.
"The Effect of Viewing Sexual Films on Memory"
Mentor: Arthur Shimamura, Psychology
My research project for SURF is on human memory performance when viewing different emotional stimuli. The types of emotion I want to experiment on includes: happy, negative, neutral, arousing (adrenalin rushing), and sexual. The positive correlation between arousal and positive stimuli, and memory performance has been proposed. The negative correlation between negative stimuli and memory performance has also been proposed. However, the connection between sexual stimuli and memory performance still remains unknown. This project aims to ascertain whether there is a positive or a negative correlation between sexual stimuli and memory performance, and whether there is a difference across ethnicity and gender. In addition, this project will also discover whether sexual is the same as arousal
--This is a very exciting time for me. I have been assisting with research in the Shimamura Lab. I would have never thought I would have the chance to conduct my own project. I will definitely take advantage of this opportunity and make the best of it. I am a little afraid of offending conservative participants, as sex is a taboo subject across many cultures. Therefore, I would have to been careful in my recruitment. But, because sex is a taboo subject and not many people would be willing to experiment on it, this motivates me to work even harder on it.
"Making Sense of Common Sense: Metaphor, Science, and Rationality in theThought of Hannah Arendt"
Mentor: Kent Puckett, English
Within political theory there is a debate over the compatibility of science with politics. Hannah Arendt and Michel Foucault, amongst others, question the legitimacy of the social sciences in different ways, while, in contrast, those who support the role of science in politics argue that rational debate can be maximized through an of our capacity to hold language claims accountable to verifiable truth conditions. The purpose of my research is to ask if these views are incompatible by drawing on the work of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson and analyzing the conceptual metaphors common to both the pro- and anti- science views held within the field of political theory.
"Agnes Varda: A Woman's Take on the French New Wave"
Mentor: Kristen Whissel, Film Studies
This summer I will be investigating the French New Wave, a cinematic movement that took place between 1958 and 1964. My primary focus will be on the films Agnes Varda made during this time period. I hope to gain new insight into the artistic questions and concerns central to French New Wave vis-à-vis an analysis of Varda’s gender-specific take the on aesthetics and themes of the movement. To do this I will be focusing on close readings of Varda’s films, the films of other French New Wave directors, and criticism written specifically on Varda and the French New Wave in general.
--Discovering the SURF Program was one of the most serendipitous moments in my experience as an undergraduate. Not only is it a chance for research for undergraduates, but specifically for undergraduates in the College of Letters and Sciences. Being a film major on a campus that dedicates a large portion of its resources and attention to the more scientifically inclined, I took the news of this opportunity as quite a pleasant and exciting surprise. I look forward with anticipation and anxiety to this summer’s labors, and am eager to get the most out of this rare opportunity for humanities undergraduate research.
"Specific Histone Acetylation at the SOC1 locus in Arabidopsis thaliana"
Mentor: David Ow, Plant & Microbial Biology
I will investigate the effects of specific histone acetylation on the locus of SOC1, a floral integrator gene. It is known that the acetylation status of chromatin modulates gene expression. I want to determine whether or not it is possible to modulate gene expression by specifically altering the histone acetylation status at the SOC1 locus using a fusion protein containing the DNA binding domain of OXS2, a transcription factor that specifically binds the SOC1 locus, and a histone acetyl transferase (HAT) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Following construction of a binary vector and introduction into plants, I will assess expression on a molecular and phenotypic basis, as upregulation of SOC1 will induce early flowering. If successful, this will enable locus-specific manipulation of transcription.
--This fellowship allows me to continue my research full-time over summer. In doing so, it allows me to gain valuable experience in the lab and prepare me for graduate school, as this will be a likely setting for my studies. During the academic year I do research part-time, but it is an entirely different experience to work full-time in a lab. In addition, it is exciting to see my research progress, which I expect it to substantially during the summer. I am very excited to see what the end-result of my research will be and furthermore, to see what final product I am able to create.
"The Progression, prevalence, and transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in Batrachoseps attenuatus salamanders"
Mentor: Cheryl Briggs, Integrative Biology
Chytridiomycosis has been implicated in the decline of many amphibian species. Most recent studies in this area have focused on the effects of the causative agent, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, on anurans. I have found evidence of this amphibian disease in a local salamander species, Batrachoseps attenuatus. This summer I intend to document the progression of this infection in a species that was previously assumed to be unaffected. This summer’s work is in preparation for subsequent research exploring the means of transmission of B. dendrobatidis, a fungus with an aquatic infectious stage, within terrestrial salamander populations.
--To me, receiving a SURF grant for my own research project feels like my first step towards being a “real scientist”. The excitement of my musings and preliminary fiddlings suddenly becoming an actual research project is mixed with the pressure of now having a real research project. I look forward to my field work and salamander adventures but worry over an ever lengthening list of “what ifs”; what if I can’t find my salamanders, what if my preliminary findings were just lab error and I really have no project, what if this just doesn’t work? I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed that my worries will not come to fruition.
"Practice Makes Perfect: The Pedagogy of Apprenticeship in Japanese Martial Arts Communities"
Mentor: Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, Education
After the Meiji Restoration opened Japan to the West in 1868, many of the traditional Japanese martial disciplines (budo) were reinvented, incorporating modern Western concepts of mass education and competitive sport. However, some disciplines resisted these reforms in an attempt to preserve their traditional method of individualized apprenticeship. Through participant observation at a large gymnasium in Tokyo, I will explore school structure, pedagogy, and power relationships between expert and novice within several budo communities. I will look for correlation between these elements and the degree to which each style has adopted aspects of Western pedagogy. I hope to create a map of the learning process within these learning communities as so to render them accessable as pedagogical models to educators outside of Japan.
--As an educator, I am fascinated by learning communities that exist outside of the “factory” model of education, in which the transmission of knowledge from expert to novice participant is intimate and unmediated by bureaucracy. The school I’ll be visiting in Japan has maintained an unbroken lineage of teachers for over 450 years, and should be a fascinating place to observe apprenticeship-based learning that incorporates traditional and modern instructional techniques. In addition to the thrill of this journey, I look forward to the SURF program as an opportunity to engage in the give and take that occurs when translating your work to people from disparate disciplines.
"Reconstructing Prehistoric Human-Plant Interactions: Paleoethnobotanical Study of a Middle Jomon Pit-dwelling at Sannai Maruyama"
Mentor: Junko Habu, Anthropology
The Sannai Maruyama site, located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, is currently considered to be the largest Jomon Period settlement in Japan. While ongoing excavations have significantly contributed to our understanding of Jomon hunter-gatherer lifeways, there is still much to learn about Sannai Maruyama’s functionality. My research will focus on analyzing the charred seed remains gathered from soil samples collected during an excavation of a Middle Jomon pit-dwelling this summer. This will allow for a preliminary assessment of the pit-dwelling’s functions, depositional sequences, and activity areas. More importantly, a comparison of this evidence to data from the Early Jomon period will hopefully lead me to broader conclusions regarding the long-term subsistence-settlement changes which might have characterized Sannai Maruyama’s site occupation.
--This opportunity to conduct original research truly marks a turning point in my undergraduate career. Up until now I was always involved with “learning” knowledge and being able to summarize or recite it; through SURF I am now in the position of “defining” it. This is the first time that I have had such control over the knowledge I would like to explore and the knowledge I would like to contribute: the prospects of which are both exciting and frightening at the same time. I am truly thankful for this opportunity, and am eager to see what I will uncover in my archaeological research this summer!
"The Economic Impact of Immigrants: Housing Prices and Distributional Effects"
Mentor: David Card, Economics
This project will deal with the economic implications of the most recent waves of immigration to the U.S. (1970-2000). Specifically, this study will focus on the impact on housing prices immigrants have by looking at the evolution of real estate prices in the 40 cities with the highest immigration rates in the country. During this summer, I will work on gathering and processing data from the U.S. Census. I will also work on developing an appropriate model to use as the basis of my empirical approach, as well as for the regressions I plan to carry. A considerable amount of time will be spent developing appropriate controls to make sure my regression estimations are not biased. Regression estimations will be undertaken by the end of the summer if time permits.
--As an immigrant myself, I have always been interested in immigrant related issues. Although I have done previous research on the subject, I was not able to do the projects I truly wanted because I had not taken the proper upper division classes required to do rigorous economic research. Now that I do, I am really excited about this research opportunity. Being allowed to spend a summer solely working on my project will allow me to have a project that will be more deep and larger in scope than previous ones. And this will give me, I believe, the chance to truly experience what economic research is all about (which is important to me since I am planning to apply to graduate schools next year).
"Are You Black Enough?: Constructing Black Identity through Film from Melvin Van Peebles to Albert and Allen Hughes"
Mentor: Linda Williams, Film Studies and Rhetoric
The representation of any minority group in film or television often results in a heated debate regarding either the film or television show's reinforcement of negative stereotypes or its "white washing" of the group's identity. With my research project, I intend to explore this polarizing argument within the construction of black identity by black filmmakers starting with Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), a film intended to dispute the "Uncle Tom-ing" of Sidney Poitier's noble black characters, and ending with the films of contemporary black filmmakers such as Albert and Allen Hughes. Through an analysis of these films I want to explore the complications of what it means to be black in a post-Civil Rights Movement America. I also hope to examine the cultural phenomena of whites who claim an identification with black culture, such as Quentin Tarantino and Craig Brewer.
--I'm really excited about my SURF project because I have been interested in the media's representation of the construction of minority identity since I saw the episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Carlton lives in Compton because Will tells him that he isn't black enough. I want to use the opportunity that SURF has provided me to explore a topic personal to me that I can't study as in-depth in a classroom setting. I also hope to go to graduate school in Media Studies, and SURF has provided me with the opportunity to work towards that goal by letting me devote eight weeks to intense research.
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5/31/07 |
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