Working Hypothesis
1. The initial inquiry I began with in this research project is how life has changed since the fall of Saddam and the rise of U.S. related and civil conflicts in Iraq. My inquiry has stayed the same so far because I am still in the process of investigating different views of life in Iraq. So far I’m finding that citizens of Iraq have a grim outlook on their situation both in the present for the future of their country. I’m sure that there are people there that feel just the opposite just from the mere fact that I believe there is always more than one view to every situation and those that hold power or in less hostile areas most likely feel as though things are going well. The problem is finding them and making sure they are not being used for propaganda.
2. I did not realize how much like us some Iraqis are. I feel ashamed for even having to say that because I’ve gotten this “Orientalistic” view stuck in my head prior to researching this topic. I prepared myself for the sullen attitudes that would come from war and all the ongoing civil conflicts within Iraq, but I was caught off guard by the extent of which I could relate some of the bloggers in the style that they wrote and not to mention their exhibition of strength under harsh conditions. This realization has caused me to become more immersed into my research. Also, gaining this knowledge has helped me connect with the views of the Iraqi citizens because the writings from my sources make me feel like I’m seeing a reflection of myself. If it can do the same for others then it helps to make the writer’s views increasingly valid to his or her readers.
3. I just want to know more about events that have an impact on the Iraqi citizens and how it affects their lives. Also, I want to find out what people think about how the US is handling situations there from the average Iraqi point of view (not politician’s views, they seem to be regarded as America’s Puppets), if they have gained any “freedoms” that Democracy has to offer and do they want it. I will be using blogs for my sources and other accredited material for backup.
4. I don’t really see the gap to insert an original idea just yet but perhaps I can force one through with a little ingenuity if it becomes necessary. I can for instance build an argument around the disparity our media tries to feed us and the reality that is affecting Iraqis. I never completely trusted the media to deliver the raw news that would undoubtedly make America look bad or rather worse as Iraq further deteriorates. So I knew that there would be incongruities between anything that comes from our media and the views that come straight from the Iraqis. An example of this is from one of my secondary sources that seem to be claiming that Iraq is getting better and showing that the performing arts are once again taking place in a theatre there.
5. If I had to make an argument about my inquiry right now it would have to be that Iraqi citizens are living in state of despair as their country is being torn apart which is contrary to what officials want us to believe. I want to get down to why there is this need to make fiction from fact as the media has been doing for so long. We need to know the psyche of Iraqi citizens so that we can get a better idea of how to truly improve Iraq and not simply impose our own solutions onto them. I feel that too many people blindly accept this war for what it is and never consider anything from a different point of view which ironically when put into the same situations can be quite similar.
2. I did not realize how much like us some Iraqis are. I feel ashamed for even having to say that because I’ve gotten this “Orientalistic” view stuck in my head prior to researching this topic. I prepared myself for the sullen attitudes that would come from war and all the ongoing civil conflicts within Iraq, but I was caught off guard by the extent of which I could relate some of the bloggers in the style that they wrote and not to mention their exhibition of strength under harsh conditions. This realization has caused me to become more immersed into my research. Also, gaining this knowledge has helped me connect with the views of the Iraqi citizens because the writings from my sources make me feel like I’m seeing a reflection of myself. If it can do the same for others then it helps to make the writer’s views increasingly valid to his or her readers.
3. I just want to know more about events that have an impact on the Iraqi citizens and how it affects their lives. Also, I want to find out what people think about how the US is handling situations there from the average Iraqi point of view (not politician’s views, they seem to be regarded as America’s Puppets), if they have gained any “freedoms” that Democracy has to offer and do they want it. I will be using blogs for my sources and other accredited material for backup.
4. I don’t really see the gap to insert an original idea just yet but perhaps I can force one through with a little ingenuity if it becomes necessary. I can for instance build an argument around the disparity our media tries to feed us and the reality that is affecting Iraqis. I never completely trusted the media to deliver the raw news that would undoubtedly make America look bad or rather worse as Iraq further deteriorates. So I knew that there would be incongruities between anything that comes from our media and the views that come straight from the Iraqis. An example of this is from one of my secondary sources that seem to be claiming that Iraq is getting better and showing that the performing arts are once again taking place in a theatre there.
5. If I had to make an argument about my inquiry right now it would have to be that Iraqi citizens are living in state of despair as their country is being torn apart which is contrary to what officials want us to believe. I want to get down to why there is this need to make fiction from fact as the media has been doing for so long. We need to know the psyche of Iraqi citizens so that we can get a better idea of how to truly improve Iraq and not simply impose our own solutions onto them. I feel that too many people blindly accept this war for what it is and never consider anything from a different point of view which ironically when put into the same situations can be quite similar.
Try to discover whether their lives have changed for the better or for the worst. You will probably find varying results depending on what the people had to go through.
This HBO Documentary may help with your research.
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/iraqinfragments/index.html
(IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, exploring the lives of ordinary Iraqis whose thoughts, beliefs, aspirations and concerns are both intensely personal and reflect larger issues in the country today._)
I was hoping to find a Documentary I once saw that was mainly filmed by an Iraqi civilian who started filming before the first bomb and then during the "true" and so on through the post war. The documentary was fascinating and gave an idea of what the Iraqi's felt towards the war. If I recall correctly, the man was very happy to see America liberating the country initially because he hated how oppressive Saddam was. He said that he would not have been allowed to tape anything prior to Americas insurrection. I will continue to look for the documentary but in the meantime hopefully that other one I gave you can be helpful.
"They are living, in no doubt, in a very bad situation at this moment; however, it is also important to realize that they were not living in a candy land paradise when Saddam was in charge."