ECON 2630: Introduction to the World’s Economies Prof. Jonathan Jenner Final Project
Project Description
Economic processes produce outputs through involving many people, and groups of people (some of them active agents in the process, and some of them external to it). The complexity and layers of relationships often produce ‘goods’ and ‘bads’ simultaneously. In this project, you’ll look at an economic process of your choosing, and focus on at least one ‘bad’ involved in that process, defined as something undesirable. You’ll then imagine how to overcome that bad.
You will write a 6-10 page paper (double spaced, 12 point font, standard margins), or produce a 15 minute multimedia presentation, which first evaluates the economic and social aspects of ‘bad’ involved, and then proposes a new way of organizing that process which reduces or mitigates die ‘bad’. Below are some questions that you may use as a guide while you work on this project;
1) The current economic and social aspects of “the bad”
i) What is the output being produced?
ii) What are the agents involved in producing diis output? What is their context?
iii) Who wins? Who loses? Who decides?
iv) What is the source of conflict?
v) What variables affect positions of various parlies?
2) Your idea for building “the new”
i) Propose a transformative yet achievable idea for transforming the conditions of production. This idea could take tire form of public policy, local organizations, non¬profits, entrepreneurial innovations, etc…
ii) Who would benefit? Who (if anyone) would lose?
iii) What difficulties might this proposal face?
iv) What kinds of new alliances and relationships might be f ormed.
For now, in diis assignment, I will ask that you narrow7 down tire issue to a specific context and community when choosing a topic. For instance, you shouldn’t try to provide solutions for the working class’ conditions under Capitalism. A more achievable question would be: How to improve the working conditions of warehouse workers in Amazon? You can choose w’hatever topic you’d like, but here arc some ideas to look at:
1. Child labor in coal and mica mining in Jharkhand (or a country/region of your choice)
2. Unpaid care for older people in Canada (or a country/region of your choice)
3. Healthcare access in Mexico (or a country/region of your choice)
4. Mining and access to water for indigenous communities in Ecuador (or a country/region of your choice)
5. Debt and Agriculture: Farmers’ suicides in India
6. Imprisoned labor in flic United States
7. Emigration and exploitation of Filipina domestic workers (or workers from a country/region of your choice)
Finding our ideas for building the new
https://universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/d2l/coiTiiTion/assets/pdfjs…dered-pdf&fullscreen=d2l-fileviewer-rendered-pdf-dialog&height=820#0
Someone else has likely thought of good ideas for dealing with the issues you have identified. Look at their ideas! Once you have chosen a topic, I will help you look for resources that may be useful for you.
Grading
Your final grade will depend on:
1. The correct and appropriate use of terminology and concepts learned in class;
2. Responsible use of appropriate sources, and the correct citation of statistics, ideas, and arguments of others.
3. Clarity and exposition. Don’t be afraid of using diagrams and other forms of visual aid to push your arguments forward.
4. The str ength and persuasiveness of your arguments.
A rubric is provided on this, for each section of your project.
