Professor of International Studies James Der Derian was awarded the Berlin Prize in June by the American Academy in Berlin to conduct semester-long research on a controversial method used by the U.S. military to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Der Derian has spent several years at the Watson Institute for International Studies studying the effects of the Human Terrain System, a military effort to raise cultural awareness among troops in an attempt to gain the respect and trust of locals. Der Derian's research focuses on the role that culture has played in the interactions between the U.S. military and locals in war zones following the system's establishment.
He recently produced a documentary called "Human Terrain," but he said he believes that the medium of film is limiting and does not offer as comprehensive a view of an issue as does a combination of different media. In his semester in Berlin, which starts in January, he plans to create an e-book, Der Derian said.
"Images were always as important as words," he said.
He said he wants the e-book to not only serve as a study guide to supplement the film, but also as an independent item that will expand on the film's ideas by incorporating links to other websites and sources across different media. When creating the film, he had to leave some of his ideas "on the cutting room floor," he said, so he wants the e-book to express what the film could not.
While in Berlin, Der Derian will also research cultural clashes among other groups of people, trying to discover the roots of various problems related to war. "Why do they hate us?" is a question that has driven him in his research, he said.
But he added that there was no simple answer to the question. While he declined to comment on how he feels about the Human Terrain System, he said that in order for us to prevent animosity among others, we must first learn to understand them. This goal is more important than getting others to like us, he said.
Der Derian applied for the Berlin Prize because he felt that he was doing "more output than input" as a research professor here. Over the years, he said, he has been "draining source material" while doing his research, and he now wishes to study in "obscure corners of libraries."
Der Derian said he was drawn to apply for the prize because Berlin is among his favorite European cities because of its rich culture of arts and music. As research professors are not eligible for sabbaticals, Der Derian saw the fellowship as an opportunity to extend his work beyond the University, he said.
"We're very happy for James," said Geoffrey Kirkman '91, deputy director of the Watson Institute. Such a fellowship "extends our international network of scholars," Kirkman said.
As a research institute that hosts about 30 to 40 visiting scholars a year, the Watson Institute finds maintaining contacts across the world is essential, he said. Kirkman said he hopes that Der Derian's trip to Berlin will "recharge" him to continue innovative research and teaching when he returns to Brown.
