PhD Student Amanda Murphyao is using political cartoons as one way to examine how southerners reacted to two northern events – the creation of the state of Alaska in 1959 and the territory of Nunavut in 1999.
Specifically, her dissertation is looking at prominent cartoons, cartographic representations and cultural allegories that were featured in the media at the time to determine how the perceptions of the North as a region differ between Canada and the United States.
Murphyao focuses on depictions of key historical moments such as racing to the North Pole, collaborating on the Distant Early Warning Line and building the Al-Can Highway to show how these events set the scene for more contemporary sovereignty disputes.
“Using these two northern case studies through cartographic and cartooning practices allows me to interrogate southern, mainstream interpretations and projections of areas that are fraught with cultural, environmental, and geographical implications,” says Murphyao.
Adds Murphyao: “Satire can open up space to dialogue about contested or misrepresented historical events. Cartoons can also serve as catalysts for public opinion by expressing a viewpoint in a way that resonates with audiences. Like anything else, cartoons also have the power to offend and obscure, but the interplay of visually expressed viewpoints can help you learn more about a particular historical context.”
Through her research, Murphyao says she has already found some fascinating renditions of northern areas, particularly in historical maps and some shocking interpretations of northern peoples in comic books and cartoons.
Murphyao is in her second year of the doctoral program in the School of Canadian Studies. She said she chose to study at Carleton because: “There is only one School of Canadian Studies, and it’s at Carleton! I also really appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of the PhD program. And being in Ottawa has given me the opportunity to intern on Parliament Hill and visit the Library and Archives frequently. There’s nowhere else I’d rather work, study and play.”
She hopes to graduate next year and will then have a BA, MA and PhD all in Canadian Studies.
Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Grad Student Research, News
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