The Positive and Negative Effects of Globalization: An Exploratory Essay

Objective for the Assignment

The objective for this assignment is the beginning phase of a capstone project in which you will discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization for a specific place in the world and propose a solution to one issue of particular concern to you. In your Proposal Essay, due at the end of the semester, you will argue for action and provide evidence as to why action should be taken and what should be done as a solution to the issue/problem. In order to accomplish this, you must first begin by exploring.

You choice of topic for the Exploratory Essay—and ultimately the Proposal Essay—should reflect your interdisciplinary fields of study. Most importantly, pick a topic that interests you! You are the one who needs an interest in the subject, as it will be you to research it, live with it, and ultimately write about it! The following are some examples of recent Proposal Essays completed towards the degree in IDS here at SCSU:

1.Female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone

2.Thailand’s Third Gender

3.The Moral Dilemma of Uncontacted People in the 21st Century

4.Role of Social Media in Morocco’s February 20th Protests

5.The Water Crisis in Bangladesh

6.The Role of Social Media in Bringing Peace to Afghanistan 

7.The Western Global Standard in the Marketing of China’s Beauty Industry 

8.The Cayman Islands as Global Tax Haven 

9.Modern Genocide in Myanmar

10.A Homerun for Education: Talent Scouting and Social Responsibility in the Dominican Republic

11.Child Labor, Cobalt Mining and the Cell Phone Industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

12.The Integration of Global Complementary Therapies in Hospital Care

13.The Role of Education and Self-Screening in Combatting Cervical Cancer in Nicaragua

14.Globalization of Special Education Awareness and Pedagogy: A Cross Cultural Analysis of the U.S. and Italy

15.Pregnancy and Young Women’s Access to Education in Tanzania

16.Social Media in the Age of Trump’s Travel Ban

In the Exploratory part of this assignment, you will do just that: Explore. You will explore—deeply—a topic related to your field(s) of study that answers the above question. Rather than narrowing in on a point of view or a specific argument in this essay, your objective is: 

to begin to research and analyze

1.to posit a thesis, and

2.to challenge a common way (or ways) of looking at the problem.

Begin with a question: from there, you’ll do research to come up with a (provisional, or temporary) answer. Then you will critique that answer—by re-reading and finding the flaws in the answer. In that way, you can come up with another, more complex, question based on your research and your rejection of your previous answer. Then, attempt to answer that question, debunk that answer, and so on. At this stage, the purpose is not to find answers, but to ask good questions, and as a result to explore a topic more deeply.

This assignment differs perhaps from other essays that you have written in the past, as a polished thesis statement is not its structuring principle. Rather, this essay will document the evolution of your thinking on a subject. The exploratory essay should be a first-person narrative of your thinking and research process as you explore and reflect upon your research question (that is, you can “talk” to you reader using “I statements”). It might end with a tentative solution to the problem or answer to the question that you will argue in your Proposal Essay; or, it might conclude with plans for further investigation.

For this essay you will need to begin to look for secondary sources. At this stage, you should include no fewer than four sources, including newspaper, journal, and scholarly articles, as well as credible websites. You will continue this research with the Annotated Bibliography, which will include at least four more secondary sources (for a total of at least eight).