Matthew Boyd

I am interested in the study of historical memory and identity. Specifically, I have a demonstrated interest in Japanese nationalism, and the ways in which the Japanese identity has been shaped through the conflict of the Second World War. I am interested in examining the ways in which Japan's past is presented in history textbooks and I will outline the ways in which the Japanese population, government, and Imperial Family see themselves in relation to Japan's wartime past.

RESEARCH BIO:
I am a graduate student at UBC's Department of Political Science specializing in Japanese politics and culture studies. My research focuses on the role that nationalism informs policymaking, drawing links between Japanese conceptualizations of nationhood with contemporary trends in national and local politics.

I hold a certificate in the study of globalization and its consequences on political systems, and have been recognized by The Guy Stuart Phillips Memorial Award for excellence in East Asian research.

I have written numerous research papers dealing with such topics as nationalist discourses, constitutional revision, and the role of non-government lobbying organizations on the advancement of nationalist policy agendas. My work has been published in the University of Alberta's Undergraduate Political Science Review, and has been presented at the Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast Annual Conference.