identify, describe and analyze the present state or condition of a place (for example, why is Somalia a failed state?), or identify and analyze a significant/noteworthy event or set of related events that occurred recently or are ongoing in a place (for example, why have Ghana and the Ivory Coast formed a cocoa cartel? or, why are there “caravans” of migrants pouring out of Honduras?), and
identify what dimensions of globalization and/or development, as we have studied them in this class, are necessary to adequately understand the historical and geographical background for that condition or those events, and
clearly explain the connections between those dimensions of globalization and/or development and the current condition or events. In other words, the case study should focus on something that is happening now; however, digging into the history of the place will be a necessary part of explaining the present situation. Like in Tropic of Chaos, how did history set the stage for what is happening now – specifically the kinds of globalization and/or development processes we have learned about in this class?
This case study will be graded according to the following criteria:
How well it describes and analyzes what is happening in the chosen place,
How well this analysis integrates the readings and the larger context of the course,
How well it meets academic writing standards.
An excellent case study will use the concepts from the class as an integral part of the analysis, employing quotes from the readings (and sources) where appropriate. It will contextualize what is happening in the place within larger patterns of globalization and development addressed in class. It will be written to academic style: along with good writing, the sources used will be appropriate to the topic, properly cited, and of academic quality. It may use popular sources (newspapers, magazines, online sites, etc.), but it must also make meaningful use of at least 2 scholarly, non-class sources (scholarly = academic = peer-reviewed journal articles or books), and it must cite them properly.
Basic Guidelines: double-spaced, 1” margins all around, font 12-point Calibri or Times New Roman, 700-1100 words (about 3-4 pages; not counting bibliography and illustrations). Edit and proofread (and know the difference between editing and proofreading!)