Research Guidelines

Latin America/Ethics Research Guidelines

There will be four group presentations. The countries examined will be Brazil, Haiti, Bolivia, and Venezuela. Each group will have two class periods to present their work. The first period should be devoted to the social scientific analysis. The second period should be devoted to your conclusions about social justice.

Each group needs to explore the following areas in some detail before you can make informed ethical decisions based on the ethical theories that group members have adopted.

Economy

How has the economy changed/developed over time?

What the income/wealth distribution is in the nation (who has what?)

What are the primary national sources of income? What is the primary export? Who controls it/them?

How self-sufficient is the economy? Can domestic industries/agriculture produce enough to support the population?

How do most people make a living? Unemployment? Unionization? Labor rights?

What role does the government play regarding the economy?

What is the national debt? To whom is it owed? For what?

Privatization? Foreign ownership of resources/property?

Political Developments

Understand the historical development of the nation’s political benchmarks.

What are the political parties/groupings? What policies do they endorse? Who dominates these parties and whose purposes do they serve?

Which party or parties are/have been dominant?

Who has the franchise? Who doesn’t?

How “democratic” are elections?

What international institutions/actors play a role in the elections? What are their interests? How do they impact the democratic process?

Social and Cultural Dimensions

Understand the historical developments: fate of indigenous population, immigration/emigration patterns, status of women, etc.

What is the racial/ethnic composition of the country? Which group(s) have dominated the economic and political life of the nation?

Life expectancy? Health care? Educational attainment? Literacy rate? Housing? Where do people live (urban/rural)?

Cultural traditions and cultural change? Impact of “foreign” cultures on the nation?

Philosophical Component

First of all, everyone should advance his or her own viewpoint on ethics and then consistently apply that viewpoint in order to describe the course of action that would best serve social justice. The more that you can show how your conclusions relate to that ethical perspective the better it will be. For example, if someone is a utilitarian, he or she should be systematically evaluating different social arrangements in terms of their consequences for human happiness and should routinely refer back to utilitarianism at appropriate
moments. Please remember that the philosophical evaluation of your work is based on whether you understand a theory and can consistently and convincingly apply it. Thus, you shouldn't just name your theory and state your conclusions; you need to show how your conclusions follow from your theory. Your group does not have to agree about an ethical theory or the recommendations for your country of choice. Organizing a debate for the second half of your group presentation is very appropriate.

Places to start:

Academic sources:

NACLA (North American Committee on Latin America)—Great web resource

Latin America Information Center (LANIC) at University of Texas

Journal of Latin American Studies

United Nations Development Reports

Print Media/Newspapers/Magazines:

WorldPress.org

New York Times

The Economist

Wall Street Journal

The Guardian of London