Guidelines for The Big Truck That Went By Paper
Please post a 5-page ( no double-spaced, 1300-1500 words) paper to Canvas by 12/19.
For this paper, I want you to think specifically about poverty, development, and disaster vulnerability in Haiti. Specifically, I want you to answer the following questions:
An estimated 200,000 people were killed as a direct result of the earthquake in 2010. Why was Haiti’s population so vulnerable to the impacts of natural disasters (like earthquakes and hurricanes)?
Many outside actors (like the US government, the UN, and private individuals and organizations) have been trying for years to “fix” Haiti, and these efforts gained new support after the earthquake. What kinds of plans do these actors have in mind, and what kind of future do they envision for Haiti? Given the history of Haiti and its interactions with outsiders, do you think these plans will bring good results for Haitians?
Your response should incorporate specific evidence and examples from the book AND from other class material (readings, lectures, videos, etc.). You must also incorporate at least 6 of the following concepts and apply them to the questions above:
- rural-to-urban migration
- urbanization and slums
- dependency
- modernization
- agriculture and rural areas
- inequality
- poverty
- colonialism
- debt and loans
- trade and comparative advantage
- government and corruption
- health, illness, sanitation
- foreign aid and charity
- geography and environmental determinism
Remember, this is a chance to demonstrate that you both completed the reading and that you are able to apply some of the “big-picture” themes that we have discussed over the course of the class.
