Study Task 5 - writing an Introduction

This essay will aim to give an answer as to how animation could be used as a tool to navigate the complexities of the on going conflict in the middle east, it will also give reasons as to why this may be an important issue for not just contemporary animators but also contemporary creatives in general. The reader will be guided to an informed conclusion to the overarching research question through the sum of research accumulated by trying to answer a series of sub-questions in relation to the subject matter. Using the research gathered and each idea formulated in an attempt to answer these sub questions triangulations will be made between pieces of evidence that support the claims that will be made in this essay. There are four main sub questions that I will attempt to answer in order to arrive at a conclusion to the overarching research question, and they are as follows:

Historical context, what is the historical context? How is it relevant? Knowing the historical context surrounding countries such as; Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, will give the reader a simplified yet in depth look at the key figures and groups in these countries and the historic relationship western governments have had with them. This historical context will also lead into comparisons being drawn between the current narrative of the western media towards middle eastern intervention, and those that were once presented to the public at times of western intervention in middle eastern conflicts – these comparisons will be key to understanding the relevance of the historical context.
The affect conflict has on culture, what makes this relevant? Why is this important to an animator/visual communicator? By keeping this question in mind whilst reading this essay, whether or not you regard yourself as an animator or creative practitioner – you build up an understanding of how much of an affect the extremities of conflict can have – not only on the people of a conflict stricken area, but also on the peoples of surrounding areas – a good example to point out would be that of Germany accepting a large amount of refugees from across the region and the problems that came as a result of trying to integrate people into society from a range of ethnic groups and cultures.
Western media coverage, How does the western mainstream media present conflict in the middle east to its audience? What affect does this have on western society? By analysing news stories and the mainstream political narrative at a given time in history and contrasting them with actual evidence based reporting and journalism – you are able to build up a clearer picture what is actually happening in area where conflict is present. This question is important as it’s answer holds much relevance to the answer of the research question, given that this essay is aimed at western animators/creative practitioners.
Contemporary Context, what is the contemporary context of conflict in the middle east? This question will be one that will be periodically revisited throughout this essay to assess the relevance of the research gathered in its relation to current affairs and contemporary animations that reference conflicts in middle eastern countries.