Mercantilism
Both Bates (58-62) and Bruce Moon in ch. 6 of Snarr and Snarr introduce the concept of mercantilism. Some have argued Donald Trump is "bringing mercantilism back" (for example, here--please read this article). What is Mercantilism? Why is it appealing? Who stands to benefit from mercantilism, and who stands to lose from it? Why do supporters of globalization tend to oppose it so strongly?
Peace, prosperity and the state
Bates discusses a fascinating example of "peace without a state" in his discussion of the Nuer (43-45). He argues that the Nuer constructed a society that provided some peace without the threat of state violence, but it came at a great cost?
Why is controlling violence without a state so difficult and costly? Do you think there are other possible ways to have a peaceful society without a state/government?
Human Rights
Human rights is an important and controversial topic. One of the major controversies, even among people who accept the idea of "human rights", is which rights actually belong on the list. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreed to in 1948 by the United Nations, has served as one answer to that question. Read them again--they're in the textbook in the text boxes on pages 61-66. (Or if your book isn't handy they can be found here.) You can talk about any aspect of this list you like, but here are some suggested topics to get you started:
Are there any listed rights in these thirty articles you think might *not* belong on a list? Is there any right missing you think should be here?
Alternatively, setting aside your own views, which of these do you think would be the most controversial, or difficult to enact? Why?
What are the main obstacles to actually achieving human rights for all, as described here?
Women and Children ()
Why is the status of women and children considered so central to development?
Immigration
We have two readings on immigration, ch. 9 and the chapters from Kosel.
Migration obviously happens whether we "like" it or not--if not, humans wouldn't be spread out all over the earth. People moving around is the original migration, happening first hundreds of thousands of years ago. Only in the last few hundred years has the idea that it can and should be limited come to be. (Even in the first hundred years or so of US history, there were virtually no efforts to "control" migration in any meaningful way, until the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882).
So while people moving around is much older than the contemporary state system, it is often seen as a threat to it; one that they try to, if not stop, at least control from time to time.
Let's kick off this discussion with a consideration of what the benefits and drawbacks of migration, especially from poor countries to rich ones, actually are. Based on the readings, what are the biggest advantages and drawbacks? Which are greater, from the perspective of overall human development, in your view?