Please pick two clusters of interest to you and then select one of the themes within the syllabus to use in the writing of your own paper. From your syllabus, pick at least two readings that address your topic. You may choose to use either required or supplemental readings. You may also include other writings to enrich your paper. If you need more readings please let me know.
Use the readings to comment on the topic you have chosen. You may compare and contrast readings; and discuss how they work together to enhance our understanding of geography and history/slavery / State formation colonialism / under-development Nationalism / Political Violence. Identify ways that these readings contradict one another and speculate on why this is so; discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of the articles/readings; identify issues for further research; discuss the policy or curricular implications; or otherwise critically analyze the issue at hand.
The goal of this paper is to engage deeply and thoughtfully with one topic within the clusters provided. Thus, your paper should identify the issue you are discussing, summarize the readings in your critical review, and clearly outline your analysis or argument. You should rely on the readings you have selected when making your argument.
