Brexit: Reflection on the Referendum

Pippa Walton

Through the semester, the Brexit group worked together to cover the recent British referendum to leave the European Union, the social climate that allowed for this decision, and the economic impact of Brexit. Our initial entry was on defining Brexit, how the referendum worked, a history of the European Union, and potential consequences. The second blog post, a post I largely contributed to, was Brexit and its Economic Impact. The post covered trade, economic dependency, currency conversion rates, and employment, as well as the effect of Brexit on international relations. Brexit: Culture, Immigration, and Backlash discussed immigration in terms of economic and racial influences, the refugee situation, potential change in members of the United Kingdom, and sadly, an acknowledgment of the massive racial tensions in Britain. Overall, the group studied multiple relevant facets of the Referendum and reported on the most significant effects and consequences.

Based on our own personal interests, the group divided the work differently for each post and worked together to create the final product. For the first post, we each did some research and posted it, then every member of the group edited the essay and Emma did the APA citations. I contributed the economic portion of the first post, as my International Studies focus is International Economics. Accordingly, I researched, wrote, and edited large chunks of the second post on economics, and the rest of the group helped cite, edit, and format; Gretchen wrote the second half of the post. The final post, I helped to edit and cite, as it was something I had not done before. It also allowed Emma, Sarah, and Hannah to research the cultural side of Brexit, which is where their personal interests lay. The five of us have a group text that we used to communicate and clarify what we were doing, as well as to talk and bond, and I found it really helpful to work in a group. It consistently made our end product stronger, and I know that I worked harder to not let my teammates down. It also took some of the pressure off, because we could always ask one another for help.

I had not done formal research into the economic component of Brexit, despite having been to the UK this past summer and spoken to people about it; it was helpful to gain clarity on the topic and understand the changes and results. Research for this project was different for me because at USF, most of my research has been literary. I have not had to search for current articles and use them, which made for an interesting and fresh experience. As for working in a group, I normally prefer to work alone. It’s simpler and faster, and I don’t always feel comfortable around new people. However, I would absolutely call my group members friends now, and working together made me a better researcher, more time efficient, and, as I said before, it motivated me to always contribute my best work. It has been such a positive experience and I remember sharing our happiness when we were happy with our final products. This project was helpful for me in so many ways, and I would happily participate again.