Personal Interest Statement
My impetus for creating this website was two-fold. First, as part of my doctoral program and personal research interests I have been drawn to these themes time and again. In various courses, I have explored issues of identity, language policy, globalization and other themes within a political and historical framework. As such, and with an eye towards developing a dissertation topic, I wanted to compile a resource which I could return to frequently and update as needed in order to make clearer sense of the scholarly dialogue and exchange happening within applied linguistics.
Second, I have decided to couch this exploration within a discussion of Ukrainian regional issues, as I am very familiar with the country having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kryvoe Ozero for more than two years. In addition, the unfortunate volatile political situation within Ukraine, with it's specific emphasis on language and identity in the post-Soviet environment make it a unique and remarkable area to study at present.
Second, I have decided to couch this exploration within a discussion of Ukrainian regional issues, as I am very familiar with the country having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kryvoe Ozero for more than two years. In addition, the unfortunate volatile political situation within Ukraine, with it's specific emphasis on language and identity in the post-Soviet environment make it a unique and remarkable area to study at present.