Part one
Arguably, controversy is essential in the development of one’s knowledge as it establishes elements of doubt that need to be researched on. In fact, lack thereof would make the learning process lesser engaging and challenging. In my major, global affairs, I have always found multiple controversy issues regarding the balance of power and the overall world stability. Precisely, is it essential to enhance military capabilities to uphold national security? In most cases, people tend to disregard this provision as it seemingly poses a threat to the development of peace through the possibility of waging war. However, on further research, I came to appreciate that the balance of power is actually more efficient since military wings are strengthened, and this measure averts the possibility of one nation being stronger than another. With this in mind, it is worth appreciating the fact that my knowledge on this topic would not have been as extensive as it is now if I did not encounter controversial issues within my discipline.
According to Millis (180), the existence of controversy prompts an individual to establish the credibility of their claim through research materials. As such, students feel more obliged to engage in productive activities within the academic context when challenging aspects are involved. Indulgence in valuable research has a positive impact on the student’s cognitive and research abilities. Precisely, it makes them have better argument abilities that are arrived at by establishing appropriate rationales to their initial arguments. Conversely, controversy has some adverse impacts on the self-esteem of an individual. In most cases, students end up failing to establish the credibility of their claim. This makes them feel weaker than other people who might have made the right decision. Nonetheless, Millis (59) reports that students learn better through disappointment than success. Consequently, the challenges posed by the controversy existent in learning disciplines enhance students learning abilities.
Works cited
Millis, Barbara J. Cooperative Learning In Higher Education. Sterling, Va.: Stylus, 2010. Print.
Part two
The global affairs discipline is quite intuitive and fun to handle. In my learning endeavors, I have encountered multiple interesting topics that have formed a steady foundation towards my academic development in this major. Some of the most engaging topics in this field include the globalization of the harmonious society, international politics, cultural integration, and economic policing. Research on these issues led me into developing multiple research questions that aided in the overall learning process. For instance, what is the current global position on international politics? Does cultural integration foster the development of peace or it undermines it? Finally, what is the impact of economic policing on the current global situation? These queries made the overall learning and research process more engaging and productive. Of the fields mentioned above, I found cultural integration and international politics most interesting. This mentality was mainly accredited to the fact that the research conducted in these areas was extensive and fun to learn about. As such, the overall process was very productive.
Alberto Bisin and Katinka Bijlsma are some of the most accomplished scholars in this field. Precisely, they have conducted several types of research on cultural integration principles and international politics. The methodologies utilized by these researchers has influenced me positively in my overall learning endeavors. Precisely, I have appreciated the essence of using proper research approaches in evaluating a study. Initially, I was an impulsive researcher, and I consistently used any source I found in the library or the Internet in doing my research. As such, it was hard to ascertain the reliability of the findings I proposed in my final proposal. However, after keen analysis of the methods utilized by these authors in presenting their findings, I received an inspiration in conducting relevant research and using the most credible approaches to establish the reliability of the information I provided. Instead of proposing a rational approach to a certain problem, I internalized the importance of outlining the findings you generated from an individual research to back up your proposition. Consequently, the inspiration I got from these authors has heightened my research skills and overall mentality towards providing credible findings.
Since global affairs involve dynamic statistics, the reliance on recent data is essential in the presentation of research evidence. In this field, the reliability of data can be ascertained by the level of realism used in the presentation of some forms of information. For instance, if a researcher uses a direct approach to present the research findings without proposing a credible hypothesis for the overall study, the evidence adduced can be questionable. As such, the evidence submitted in this field should be conveyed in a procedural and convincing manner. For instance, the author needs to inform the audience of the importance of his study and the approach he took in the establishment of the research parameters. Precisely, if he conducted interviews or used questionnaires to facilitate the success of the project, it needs to be indicated in the study’s documentation. Response from the target population is always a crucial piece of evidence in this field. Specifically, researchers should utilize the target population in establishing the reliability of his conclusions. Satisfaction of the provisions mentioned above ascertains the credibility of the evidence presented in the global affairs discipline.
Technical jargons are common in all academic disciplines (Krishnan 9). The global affairs discipline encompasses many specialized terminologies. Student’s need to establish a firm understanding base to acknowledge the information conveyed through the utilization of these terms. For instance, anarchy is used to describe situations that involve chaos due to the lack of a proper management structure. This situation is a threat to global relations and is common in international politics. Additionally, fungibility refers to the ability to convert power from one form to another. This jargon is mostly used in overall administration and implementation of policies (Sobel 193). Boundaries of delimitation, definition, demarcation and drawing are terms used to refer to the allocation of resources in land management. These terminologies are essential in explaining the appearance of a particular location with respect to administrative attributes. LDC is an acronym used in the representation of lesser developed countries. This jargon is imperative in analysis processes as it makes it lesser challenging for the researcher to categorize and sort nations with respect to their economic status.
Conducting primary research in my discipline is very possible. As such, I can indulge in this activity through field analysis. Specifically, interaction with people from different cultures is a good measure of establishing the aspect of cultural diversity and integration in this area. This initiative can be enhanced through the utilization of interviews and online surveys. Due to the fact that the development of technology has contributed a lot to globalization, the online platform can be a creative tool for conducting survey analysis. This approach is essential as it utilizes a reasonable approach to determine the people’s response to global affairs. Therefore, it is appropriate to conduct primary research in this discipline.
Works cited
Sobel, Andrew Carl. International Political Economy in Context. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: CQ Press, 2013. Print.
Krishnan, Armin. "What are Academic Disciplines? Some observations on the Disciplinarity vs. Interdisciplinarity debate." ESRC National Centre for Research Methods 3.9 (2009): 4-46. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
