Critical Essay on Technology and Development 1. Development and capitalism
2. Uneven development
3. NGOs and Development
4. Ideology of Development
5. Media and (mis) representation
6. Aid colonialism
7. Neo Colonialism
8. Agrarian transition
9. Labor process: Surrogacy
10. Technology and Development
11. Value of nature
12. Education and Inequality
There are 2 ways of working on this essay.
1. You will find a newspaper article/podcast that is relevant to the course content. Then based on your readings in the course, you will assess the newspaper article’s merit.
Use the newspaper as a stimulus to begin your critical engagement.
How to find a news article:
1. Easier to first pick a country –
2. Mix and match: e.g. – Canada – women – technology OR Canada – school education – Inequality
3. Find a new clipping that makes sense… (See if it intuitively connects to any of the topics we have been discussing)
4. Look for an article that is not more than 5 years old
Parts of the essay:
1. Introduction (300 words): Introduce the news clipping. Summarize the article. And identify the theme under which you will discuss it.
2. Body 1: Analyzing the article: (700 words)
I. What event led to the writing of the article? – Background search
II. What is the main idea of the article?
III. Select several facts/arguments (3 if possible) which support the main idea.
IV. Does the author provide enough factual material to support his ideas (quotes witnesses, provides statistics, states his sources of information? Was he an eyewitness to events; or was the information obtained through a news service?
V. Is the reportage, in your opinion, true, balanced or biased? Explain.
VI. Are different viewpoints presented? Is this article an editorial (author’s own ideas), is it informative, is it convincing, is it balanced?
VII. What do you think of the article and its point of view? Explain.
3. Body 2: Reflect (300 words): In what ways does this story connect to the concepts discussed in course. (Use the lectures, readings.). How does the newspaper article amplify your understanding of the concept and vice versa?
4. Conclusion (200 words): give 1-2 concluding statements on the concept based on your analyzed version of the newspaper report: E.g.: In conclusion, given that the newspaper article refers to the lack of access to technology in classroom as a reason why students are not able to perform well in school, my analysis supports/opposes the author’s position. I will therefore argue that these phenomena will/will not increase inequality amongst the Canadian population which will be reflected based on gender, race, class, ethnicity, neighborhoods etc.
