Author: Blair McIntosh
Blair McIntosh is an undergraduate at the University of Auckland currently completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History and Geography. As a student of these intellectual disciplines, Blair analyses the experiences of peoples’ real or imagined lives in relation to their physical environment or socio-historical context. Currently he has completed several undergraduate courses focusing on urban and social geographies, the relationship between Empires and Revolution, European political thought, Asian history and the societies of antiquity.
Through his degree, Blair has developed an interest in deconstructing popular geographic and historical imaginaries to ask how they are utilised in the construction of collective or personal identity, alongside who they best represent. He is particularly intrigued by the prospect of analysing this in the context of popular retro futuristic imaginaries like steam punk or science fiction through the framework of postcolonial theory.
His interest to investigate questions of uneven power relations and representation is strengthened by the analytical tools of problem identification, critical assessment and ethical interpretation taught to historians and geographers. This culminates in reaching conclusions that acknowledge the multiplicity, contestability and local nuance of our lived realities.
Upon finishing his Bachelor’s degree, Blair intends to complete a Masters of Arts and pursue a career as a secondary or tertiary educator. By doing so, he hopes to pass on the passion he has always felt for the Arts to others.