Toward an Understanding of Borderland Processes
Toward an Understanding of Borderland Processes
复制标题
理解边境进程
作者：
B. Parker
尽管前沿研究对于各种学术领域和分支学科都具有根本重要性，但很少有研究人员提出允许对前沿动态进行跨学科、跨区域比较的术语、模型或概念框架。在本文中，我采取了三个步骤来纠正这种情况。首先，我提出了一个广泛适用于跨学科、时间和区域划分的简化词典。该词典旨在成为定义边界情况的起点。其次，建立一个模型，称为“边界动力学连续体”。该模型旨在帮助研究人员描述各种类型的边界情况。第三，提出一个称为“边界矩阵”的模型，用于可视化不同类别边界之间的动态相互作用。该模型旨在帮助研究人员隔离边境地区发生的过程。我的立场是，只有通过对不同时间和地点的边界情况进行系统比较，我们才有希望了解边界地区发生的过程。通过定义和描述边界情况，然后隔离那里发生的过程，我相信我们将更接近于理解共同和独特的主题，这些主题使前沿研究成为中心的跨区域和跨学科研究主题。
Although the study of frontiers is of fundamental importance to a variety of academic fields and subdisciplines, few researchers have proposed terminology, models or conceptual frameworks that allow a cross-disciplinary supra-regional comparison of frontier dynamics. In this paper I take three steps toward rectifying this situation. First, I propose a simplified lexicon that is widely applicable across disciplinary, temporal and regional divides. This lexicon is meant to be a starting point in defining boundary situations. Second, lay out a model, called the “continuum of boundary dynamics.” This model is meant to aid researchers in characterizing various types of boundary situations. And third, propose a model, called the “borderland matrix” with which to visualize the dynamic interaction between different categories of boundaries. This model is meant to aid researchers in isolating processes that occur in borderlands. It is my position that only through systematic comparisons of boundary situations at various times and locations can we hope to understand the processes that take place in borderlands. By defining and characterizing boundary situations and then isolating the processes taking place there, I believe that we will come much closer to understanding the common and unique themes that make frontier studies a central interregional and interdisciplinary subject of study.