Preliminary Research Reflection
With the start of our time in
Zambia around the corner, Karl and I are more than excited to continue our
research in country. When we began our information-gathering process, we read
all the scholarly publications, news articles, and economic statistics we could
find about the state of and history of the copper industry. Our basic findings
about the industry’s golden years immediately after Zambian independence and
its current standing as a major sector that is run by a few foreign companies gave
us a foundation for our future research and a familiarity with the specifics of
the economic environment. Our most intriguing findings, however, had to do with
the safety concerns that persist throughout the various phases of the copper
supply chain and the legal questions that arise as a result.
Some of
these safety concerns exist because of the potential for pollution from these
mines. To extract copper from its ore, the ore is often treated with sulfuric
acid and other chemicals or chemical compounds. If these substances aren’t disposed
of correctly, they can seep into nearby water sources and poison the locals. The
Konkola Copper mine, a large Zambian mine owned by a company based in London,
recently lost a court case about this very issue, and was required to pay
Zambian villagers for their water pollution. According to a Zambian law from
1993, the penalty for discharging liquid waste into waterways is a fine and a
revocation of the offender’s relevant license, but this payment to villagers
was possible because the case was decided in London courts. These nuances
within the legal remedies possible for this type of offense are also intriguing
potential subjects of research because the specifics of the legal, as well as
the economic infrastructure of a given country often deeply impacts its
environmental context.
Other
safety concerns arise from the dangerous nature of mining as a profession,
because mudslides and dilapidated structures can close workers into mines and
result in death or injury. The process can be dangerous in later phases that
occur outside Zambia as well, but we will only explore these issues if we
realize in country that they are relevant to our work.
To gather
more information about the copper industry, Karl and I have contacted Cornell
professors who have conducted research in this area. Though we have yet to hear
back from these professors, we look forward to being in communication with them
as time goes on. We have an upcoming skype call with Tine, so after we speak
with her about the specifics of our research, we will contact more academics
who have expertise that could be useful to us. When we get in country, this
process of contacting the individuals who can provide useful information will
continue, as we feel that information from experts is critical to the heft of
our paper.
As mentioned
earlier, our research so far has given us an interest in the safety concerns
associated with the copper industry, so we hope to explore this topic further
in Zambia. These issues have an enormous impact on the lives of local villagers
and miners alike, and the policies on pollution or labor safety can mean life
or death for many. In an era when environmental safety and human rights are at
the forefront of the national dialogue in many countries across the globe, we
believe that this research can be useful in Zambia and in the global community
at large.
Personal Learning Goals
Though my learning goals for the program
haven’t changed, the pre-departure seminar has given me a better idea of the
work I’ll be doing this summer, which has helped me to consider the specifics
of these goals and how the program might help me to reach them. My first goal
was to improve my ability to work with data and complex legal or sociopolitical
ideas. In country, we will be gathering most of our information by conducting
interviews and reviewing the available literature on our topic. The qualitative
data gathered through interviews is unique in that we must analyze it
differently from how we would analyze data from an empirical experiment. In my
ILR classes so far, I’ve become familiar with the difficulty of correctly turning
firsthand accounts into useful, meaningful research findings. We must consider
biases, gather second opinions, and never take information out of context. If I
can practice and improve my ability to do all of this, I will reach my goal and
leave with useful skills for the future.
I have
already begun to reach one of my learning goals, which is to improve upon my
cultural awareness. Videos like “The Danger of a Single Story,” readings like “American
Students Abroad Can’t Be Global Citizens,” and class days like our time with
the Intergroup Dialogue Project facilitator helped me to discover not only the
specifics of another culture, but also how to consider my own privileges and
disadvantages and how they impact my interactions with those from other
cultures. This learning will help me in my cross-cultural cultural
interactions, enabling me to get the most out of my time in Zambia without
making the wrong impression.
As the
semester comes to a close and the trip to Zambia approaches, I’m excited for
what is to come. With an intriguing topic, a new awareness of how to navigate
cultural differences, and an excitement to gain new skills, I have all that I
need to make my project worthwhile.
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