Freedom, Markets, and Well-being Fall 2017

Thesis Updates

Overview

Yet more progress reports.

Jessica is going to compare three African countries: Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Nigeria. Zimbabwe is doing worse than the other two and she wants to know why. Readers: Engelbert (Politics) and Marks (Economics)

Shakira is going to study the market for luxury goods in China. Readers: Marks (Economics) and Auerbach (Scripps, Politics). Update: I heard a Planet Money show about the Birkin Bag. This is a purse that costs $60,000. It’s not about China, but it is about luxury goods. And the show is amazing.

Etelle wants to look at how refugees affect the labor markets of non-rich host countries. This is because very few refugees make it to wealthy countries; they are mostly in the non-wealthy ones. Readers: TBD.

Will is going to take on corruption in global football (soccer, for Americans). Readers: Goldblatt (Pitzer, Politics) and TBD.

Jesal wants to look at how social justice activists can be more effective at spreading their message outside of politically progressive enclaves like college towns and big cities in blue states. Readers: Foster (Politics) and Green (Philosophy)

On October 19, we got to Paul, Ian, and Jacob.

Jacob wants to write a thesis that is mostly a work of fiction. He’s thinking that the subject will be gene editing but he is not sure exactly what specific problem the plot will focus on. Readers: Brown (Economics) and perhaps someone who does creative writing.

Ian is working on conspiracy theories. He’s going to talk about how to define conspiracy theories, the role that conspiratorial thinking has played in politics, and what happened in 2016. Readers: Keeley (Philosophy, Pitzer) and someone in politics.

Paul is going to look at drug epidemics. Specifically, he’s interested in comparing cases where the state declares that the use of a drug amounts to an epidemic. In some cases, we treat these “epidemics” as epidemics of crime while in others they are treated as public health problems. Why? Are there other interesting differences or similarities? Readers: Davis (Philosophy) and Hollis-Brusky (Politics).