Log 1

  • Between weeks 8 and 12, each student should provide a weekly reflection (500 words) on the data you have collected to date.
    • What data did you collect?
      • So far I have been focused on finding wide arrays of data that I can read and then organize in a way that will help me understand and focus in on what I want to present. I have found lots of different sources that explore Hurricane Katrina specifically- which is something that I am interested in and could see myself focusing on in more detail.
    • What is your initial impression of the data?
      • The data seems very interesting. I am excited to get started reading and learning about a topic that I chose myself. I have not began reading the pieces besides there brief descriptions, but overall I have been finding sources that seem to fit what I am looking for.
    • How have the data you have collected this week changed/progressed your thinking about your research project?
      • I’m thinking that once I have enough data, a clear plan will emerge in how I want to present the data and what might be missing. This week, I realized that there are a lot of sources that discuss hurricane katrina specifically in response to neolibearlism. I think this is very interesting especially after reading Incarcerating the Crisis.
    • What challenges did you encounter while collecting the data?
      • It is harder to find data than I initially thought.
    • What are your next steps?
      • This week, I plan to take the sources I read and begin working through an outline to help me figure out what I am missing, what I have that is useful, and more specifically what I want my main focus to be.

Thanks for your reflection, Gaby. It looks like you do not have a clear focus for your project yet, which is fine. But if you need help with this, you should let me know.

One suggestion: if you want to analyze the relationship between neoliberalism and disaster management, then in addition to Hurricane Katrina, you could also choose another disaster to which the state gave a different response (maybe less-military power oriented). You could then compare these two disaster in order to explore the relationship between class, race, and disaster management. This is a just a suggestion.

By the end of this week, you should indeed have a clear focus and outline.  Let me know if you have any questions.

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