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 other distributed for the class, as well as
the class discussions of the thesis questions. 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. 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 gorwth 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 inyour 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
stavation 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 amont 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 size 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 occured. 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.
