The following are some general guidelines for each of the papers due for the
course. Most of the information, with the possible exception of the history paper, should
be available on the Internet, but don’t neglect library resources. Above all your
papers should reflect your reading of the text and assigned readings (particularly if your
country is discussed) Don't be reluctant to quote from the text or the readings. All
your sources must be cited, and, if you are not aware of them, acquaint yourselves with
the college's plagiarism policy. If you do use direct quotations from sources, note them
as such and cite the author and source. Each paper must be accompanied by a corrected
draft.
History and Capital Development (5 to 7 pages)
The key in this paper is to focus on the changes, particularly economic changes,
that have occurred in your country in the past two to four hundred years. In effect, you
will need to supply a history of the organization and distribution of capital and the
creation of the nation-state. I suggest that you work from the present backwards; that
may help focus your paper on the events and agents that contributed to the present state
of your country.
You are not, of course, going to get into a lot of detail, but you should be
able to identify the major agents of change. You might want to begin by asking how the
present-day borders of your country were defined, and ask when it became recognized as a
state entity? Your country may not have existed as such 20, 30, or 100 years ago. But
there was something there; what was it and when did it emerge as a formally recognized
state?
Focus also on the present-day economy and how it developed and be sure to
identify the relations of your country with so-called core countries. If it was
colonized, when and by who? If it fought for its independence, who did it fight against?
Focus also on social, political, and economic divisions in your country. What
kinds of social divisions exist (ethnic, class, racial, etc.), and what are their origins?
Population
This paper should focus on the population history of your country; if possible,
try to find population figures for various points in history (e.g. 1900, 1950, etc.) If
such data is not available, do the best you can.
Your paper should also include past and present rates of population growth, and
efforts of the nation-state to control or influence population growth.
Finally, you should assess the extent to which population growth has thought to
be responsible for rates of economic growth, poverty, hunger, and environmental damage.
Poverty and Hunger
You’ll want to focus on three things: the extent of poverty and hunger in
your country, the extent to which it can be attributed to your country’s position in
the global economy, and domestic and/or international efforts and improving the economic
and nutritional status of the population.
1) Extent of Poverty and Hunger
There are some standard measures of poverty that you should include(and that are
readily available), such as per capita income, gross domestic product, etc. How does your
country rank in relations to others? Hunger is more difficult to document, but, since
starvation mostly affects infants, check the infant mortality rate.
2) Position in the Global Economy
Check your countries trade status (e.g. trade deficit or surplus), key imports
and exports, national debt, etc.
3) Efforts Toward Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger
What sort of programs does your country have to alleviate hunger and/or poverty?
Are there international efforts? What role, if any, has the World Bank played in the
economy of your country?
The Environment
First check to see what you can find via indices such as First Search about
environmental conditions in your country. Then see what you can find about agricultural
and industrial production. List the major crops that are grown and the major industries,
if any. See if you can also find the major sources of energy used (e.g. oil, hydropower,
nuclear, etc.), and the amount of use.
Second try to determine if your country could be classified as having a consumer
society. Is more consumed than is necessary by the people in your country and how is the
consumption distributed (remember disparities of income)? What is the status of the
environment in your country? Have forests been cut to be used for planting or grazing of
cattle? Have soils been depleted to grow export crops? Look for such things occurring in
your country. If so, who uses the end product? Is it being exported for use by others? How
does this affect the wealth of your country?
Third, try to determine the extent to which the environmental problems of your
country can be attributed to the working of the global capitalist economy. If you are a
less developed country, explore the issues of exporting resources, etc. which are causing
environmental degradation.
Health and Disease
Describe the basic state of health in your country using such measures as
mortality rates, life expectancy, etc. Then describe the basic health problems facing the
people in your country. Are there problems with specific diseases? What sort of rates are
there for malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS? What are some of the cultural factors that
might predispose people in your countries to specific diseases? How is the rate of disease
and access to health care influenced by class and/or gender? How has the workings of the
global capitalist economy influenced the countries ability to supply health care? And
finally, what is the state of health care in your country? How many doctors or health care
workers (e.g. nurses) are there?
Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Conflict
Identify indigenous groups or religious or ethnic minorities within your
country. Approximately what is their percentage within the general population?
Historically, how have they been treated by the majority or dominant population? What is
their present economic and social condition relative to the rest of the population?
Peasant Protest
What is the state of agricultural production in your country? Who produces the
food? What are the average sizes of agricultural holdings? What effect did the "green
revolution" have on your country? How have small-scale farmers (peasants) fared in
agricultural development? What is the history of peasant protest? Try to get figures on
the changes in population between rural and urban populations. To what extent do changes
in these populations reflect changes in the state of peasant agriculture?
Revolution and Social Protest
Outline the history of antisystemic rebellion and/or revolution in your country,
that is violent acts or movements (including riots) that have occurred. To what extent
were these linked to the expansion of the capitalist world system? Were the motivations
for the movements economic, or could they be linked to economic conditions? Are there
present-day movements that involve attempts of people or groups (labor groups,
women’s groups, environmental groups) to gain relief from what they view as
oppression?
If there have been no revolutions or rebellions, discuss why there have been
none.
Be sure to draw from our class discussions on the nature and history of
antisystemic movements.
Religious Protest
What is the religious history and makeup of your country? What success do
western missionizing groups enjoy? Have there been attempts to impose a state religion?
What role have religious groups played in addressing the social and economic problems of
your country? Finally, have religious groups been involved in any way in violent protest
in your country? Be sure to refer to our class discussions of Islamic Fundamentalism
and/or Liberation Theology, if relevant.
