Reflection Essay
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Hello, my name is Emily Mason. I am currently working as a Broadcasting Engineer
and am also enrolled as a graduate student at Appalachian State University. I plan to graduate in August 2023 with a masters in Political Science and a concentration in Environmental Politics and Policy Analysis. I would love nothing more than to dedicate my life to working towards a more sustainable future, and I hope that the skills I have sharpened through the MAPS program will help me find the right place to do this sort of work. Below, I outline some artifacts which show the learning goals I have obtained while attending graduate school.
I acquired methodological and analytical skills while in the program. The paper I wrote using Event History Analysis as the research design shows how I can identify and apply methodological approaches to research in political science, and specifically to the area of Environmental Politics (artifact 1.1). In this research design, I propose to use EHA to determine what variables determine a state’s willingness to adopt carbon-neutral goals as policy. To achieve this, the research design relies on data obtained through state-level legislative databases to determine whether or not, and when, a state has implemented a carbon neutral goal. An example of outcome 1.2, choosing the appropriate research design for a political research question, is a worksheet I completed for Scope and Methods which details the appropriate design for the research question "What impact do different voting laws have on turnout in each US state?" (artifact 1.2). This design and research question was later implemented in the paper I have chosen as my revised assignment. The work I did in Dr. Hick’s class is an example of statistical skills I have learned through the program. The final assignment I turned in to class demonstrates these skills (artifact 1.3). Before this class, I knew nothing about statistics. Afterwards, I was able to import large databases into R studio and analyze the data to form conclusions.
I have used knowledge acquired through the MAPS program in classroom discussions, through applying theoretical concepts to current events and while analyzing my personal political opinions. Throughout the MAPS program, as I have grown through reading and analyzing sources of information, these studies guide how I discuss concepts within class. Artifact 2.1, discussion questions which I have created to lead class discussions in both P S 5150 and P S 5670, exemplify outcome 2.1 (artifact 2.1). I use theoretical concepts learned through the MAPS program to consider political phenomena, writing papers inspired by the combination of political science theory and phenomena. An artifact of this outcome is the paper I wrote on Elite Cues' Effects on Public Opinion of Electric Vehicle Use (artifact 2.2). This paper combines the theory of elite cues' effect on partisan individuals and public opinion of electric vehicles. Considering politics through this academic lens, I have also been able to distinguish between the scientific study of politics and personal political opinions. As an example, I have written papers which argue both for and against a federal carbon tax (artifact 2.3 part 1 , artifact 2.3 part 2). The arguments I make in these artifacts are rooted in academic studies of political science and research on the effectiveness of policy tools in diverse contexts. I am proud to show range in my ability to write both for and against a particular issue while putting my personal political feelings aside.
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Through the MAPS program, I have increased in my ability to discuss verbally as well as write about political science concepts with diverse populations. My paper written on the effect of polarization on climate change policy was well cited and demonstrates my ability to write properly-formatted analysis of political science phenomena (artifact 3.1). I have also grown in my ability to express compelling analysis of political science phenomena verbally through classroom discussions. An artifact which demonstrates my verbal abilities to analyze political science phenomena consists of 2 items: the presentation I created to lead a discussion on modern African ideologies and the feedback from Dr. Nancy Love of my presentation (artifact 3.2 part 1, artifact 3.2 part 2). I have also learned the importance of recognizing your audience when communicating about a political concept through writing position statement memos concerning particular policies. My favorite example of this is the policy memo I wrote in favor of a carbon emission mandate for North Carolina electric providers, which I wrote for a midterm exam in P S 5670. My audience with this artifact was Congressman Jeff Jackson (artifact 3.3).
I sharpened skills in professionalism through immersing myself into the study of political science, staying up to date on political phenomena, and through attending networking events. One example of my networking skills is the time I spent at the Careers with Impact Networking Event on App State's campus (artifact 4.1). While at this event, I spoke with and exchanged contact information with people from 3 organizations I am interested in working at. I have also participated in practical political opportunities outside of the program, including volunteering for two different political campaigns. I kept track of the hours I volunteered and the work I did through a word document (artifact 4.2). I have also worked with those who have differing views from my own. One example of this is the group project I worked on in American Seminar (artifact 4.3). Collaboration was essential to this group project and I acted as an effective mediator in order to prioritize the work and make sure that everyone was included. Effective communication comes from truly listening and being curious, so I fought for diverse voices to be heard during the completion of this project.
These artifacts exhibit the learning outcomes I have achieved throughout active and thoughtful participation in the MAPS program over the past 2 years. Please continue onward to discover my revised assignment and more.
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