Paper Guidelines

   

Deadlines

1)       Proposal – due in recitation the week of October 18th.

2)       Final paper – hardcopy due to TA in recitation (week of Nov 22) or his Gugg. mailbox and

                                softcopy to turnitin.com by 5pm on Wed. Nov 24

 

                        Late papers will be downgraded 10% for every day late. 

 

General Format

 

The paper should be between 2000 and 2500 words in length (usually 8-10 double-spaced pages), not including tables, graphs, maps etc and bibliography.  Be sure to staple your hardcopy before submitting.  Also, avoid any unusual fonts and margins (12pt Times New Roman font and 1-1.25 inch margins are standard).  Please save any cover pages for the trees (similarly, double-sided printing is encouraged).

 

Any standardized referencing system is acceptable so long as it is internally consistent.  See the following links if you need examples.

1. citing sources
2. web citations

 

Proposal:

 

The proposal should be a couple of paragraphs in length and should include some preliminary references.  An ideal proposal would a) briefly state the question to be answered, b) state the theory that will be used to try to understand or analyze the problem, and c) would list some key references.  Proposals must be typed.

 

Students should meet/email with one of the instructors if they have any questions about the proposal or the topic.  The key is to pick an interesting contemporary problem and draw on political geographic theories to gain some insights into this problem.  A focused topic is more likely to produce a successful paper.

 

Term Paper:

 

Topic:

 

This is an analytical paper, not a descriptive one.  This is also an argumentative paper: you must have a thesis (an argument), and your thesis should be stated in the first paragraph.  The topic must be a contemporary one (i.e. after 1945) and should be political-geographic in nature.  The ‘political-geographic’ rubric is broad and most topics can be accommodated in that framework.  If in doubt, consult one of the instructors.  Examples of acceptable topics are: a) what caused the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991? b) the reasons for the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1991; c) the rise and fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan; d) why Chechnya has rebelled against Russia and not the other North Caucasian peoples; e) the role of Brazil in the world-economy; f) US geopolitical strategy in the post-September 11 world; g) The Silk Road Act (considered by Congress) as a geopolitical document – a critical geopolitical perspective, etc.

 

After you define the topic of interest, which of the following sets of political-geographic theories can help to understand the subject – a) geopolitical theories (classical and critical); b) world-system theories (Wallerstein and Modelski); c) globalization theories – economic, cultural, world-city, etc; d) state theory – including those that explain the stability of regimes; and e) nationalism theories (primordial, Marxist, mixed).  Read the sections of the text that explain/review the relevant theory and follow up on some key references, preferably from the original author – e.g. for Wallerstein’s world-systems theory, read some of Wallerstein’s original works.

 

After you become familiar with the theory and its elements (assumptions, background, expectations, relations, predictions, etc), read about the topic from that perspective.  For example, looking at the Silk Road Act from a critical geopolitical perspective, you could examine its statements about democracy, US investment, relations with Islamic world, oil companies and exploitation of the region’s resources, etc.  What “story” is being sold? What discourse (words, phrases, images) is being promoted?  Is it plausible?  Who stands to gain and who is losing?  Who supports and who opposes the initiative, in the region and beyond?

 

By the time the proposal is due, we will have covered world-system theories, globalization and democratization, so you need to look ahead to the textbook and assigned readings for the other theories.  In particular, if you are dealing with a nationalist conflict, read the chapter in the Taylor/Flint text on this topic.

 

 

Structure

 

About 2-3 pages should be devoted to elaboration of the theory, and why it is useful for the examination of this particular topic.  There is no need to present all the details of the theory, but focus on those elements that are more relevant to your topic.  Then, devote the remainder of the paper to showing how this theory is helpful in understanding the problem at hand.  You will have to present empirical details of the problem but emphasis should be on interpretation using the theory.

 

 

Term Paper Grading:

 

 

Theory		Empirical		Analysis		Writing
One of the political geographic theories specified		Clear choice of topic		Uses theory well		Well written: structured with a clear thesis, section headings, conclusion, etc.
Clear or unclear		Accurate and relevant facts		Able to interpret specific events in wider theoretical context		Correct grammar and spelling
Sophisticated or superficial		No key data missing		Able to pick events to illustrate point		Reference are complete and follow guidelines
Is there a better theoretical alternative?		Political geographic in nature		Thorough connections or missing links		Use of ancillary materials (e.g. maps when appropriate)
						Length: 2000-2500 words
Column Totals	/20		/20		/40		/20
GRAND TOTAL (out of 100)