My StoryMap on migration can be found here!
I decided to synthesize the knowledge I’ve obtained within the past week through the use of the Story Maps digital tool. Through this activity, I’ve largely learned that indecision is, by far, my most glaring flaw! As an amateur with technology, the magnitude of content and overwhelming degree of customization initially left me with sore eyes and low moral. However, I was determined to utilize this tool to the best of my abilities. The geographic layout of regions on a page conveys more than just spatial relations. The simple sight of a map can conjure something visceral and Story Maps allowed me to emphasize the geo-political nature of migration in a way that would otherwise fall flat.
Through this activity, I became acutely aware of how difficult it is to summarize the phenomenon of migration. In a way, the nuances and complexities of this digital tool were reflections of the immense scope and intricacies of the issue itself. Conveying the history and human impact of oppressive conditions through such a technological vessel felt somewhat surreal and I often found myself questioning where to place the emphasis and bulk of my focus: on the technology or the information? After meticulously scrolling through map layers and sorting through endless page layouts, a realization finally hit me. I’d been missing the entire point. Technology and the social sciences do not have to be mutually exclusive fields, and this exercise allowed me to truly synthesize the two realms for myself.