Rationale

 

The objective of this essay is to create and present questions centered around the theories and principles of politics and economics, and analyse and observe the symbiotic relationship, between the two. Furthermore, the essay will help facilitate critical thinking while asking questions which have been created by our fellow group-mates, in an attempt to bolster our understanding of these topics. Additionally, the objectives are also aimed at forming questions so that they are stated as clear, concrete, and coherent as possible.

Topic Description

Ashfred

Imagine living in a world where the government would hire persons to assess the financial standings of a country, and predict whether the current trend of decision making is positively or negatively influencing said economy. Also imagine having a principle that, in theory and practice, influences people through the exercise of power; i.e. the government (Tejvan Pettinger: economicshelp.org). Well this world is the world that you’re living in today and that’s what happens when one fuses politics and economics.

As one complete idea, politics and economics don’t have a joint definition, however, the relationship between the two have proven to be seamless and coherent, thus, it would be preferred to have one with the other. Despite the stigma that economics primarily deals with the finances of a country, and politics deals with the affairs of the government, it’s often misleading and misinformed, therefore, I intend on answering the questions: “what really is economics and politics?” throughout this essay.

My target audience are tertiary level education students, as well as young adults. The reason for selecting this type of audience, is simply because they are; or they are approaching the age of universal suffrage, and I believe that this essay would assist them in becoming more informed, learnt, and aware of their rights as citizens. This will also give them a clearer understanding of the concepts, and the ability to critically analyze the decisions of the government, and society. This will then bring me to my second question: “why is politics and economics important or even relevant”?

Generally, my span of knowledge about the topics is narrow, however, I am interested and fascinated by what I’ve already been expose too, and am anxious to acquire more knowledge and interpret it to my audience. Hence, I will be addressing the question: “how do we rightly judge economic and political decisions in our country”?

Also when walking through the supermarkets and shopping Centre’s of Roseau, it’s almost impossible not to hear persons complain about the prices of items and its quality, and often compare them with that of well-known superior supermarkets abroad. Sometimes persons even ask the question “why are the locally made products this expensive”? Consequently, I aim at tackling why these prices are the way they are, and what causes it.

Furthermore, we have recently been seeing quite a few demonstrations and protests, more than we have seen in the past 15 years, led by the opposition party. A lot of these protests may address different areas where persons believe the government is lacking; i.e poor usage of tax revenue. Have you ever wondered why is it that you can participate in cordial protests and the police can’t contain you however you can get fired for it? The answer for this question, as well as “why does Dominica has the lowest minimum wage in the OECS”, will be featured.

 

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. What really is economics and politics?

2. Why is politics and economics important or even relevant?

3. How do we rightly judge economic and political decisions in our country?

4. Why are the prices of imported and local products “expensive”.

5. Why can you protest without police interference yet still get fired for it?/ Why is Dominica’s minimum wage the lowest in the OECS?

Breidy

Economics is how society is able to allocate resources and use them to best of their ability. I think economics is very important because it shows us how people use resources to get through their daily life. If we have to look back at the maroon, how they were able to use what was available in the large forest to survive, we will be able to see economics . The maroons were able to utilize the trees to construct houses ,canoes and even weaponry; which they then used to resist the slave masters. The maroons left the plantation because they could no longer cope or deal with the slave system. They were tired and angry at the way in which they were treated.

Politics refers to the operation of a constitutional system of government and publicly defined institutions and procedures. Politics to me is how members of the government make decisions that benefit or affect a country. The government sets laws and regulation that protect the members of society. To me Marcus Garvey was a very inspiring politician because he wanted people to stand up for themselves. He also showed me that you can do anything if you work hard and put your all into it. Garvey was able to motive black all around the Caribbean and showed them that they have the power to change. Politicians are supposed to motivate their people as well as to provide them with the basic needs like education, health care and protection.

The audience targeted would be high school and college student who study history and economics because they’re required to learn about the different politicians from the Caribbean as well as they role and achievements. Also how the maroons were able to use resources in the environment for survive. I will like to research on these two topics because I want to know how different actions and decisions  has an impact on the people both positive and negative. I want people to stop thinking that economics and politics are boring topics and get interested in learning more about them.

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. How are economics and politics connected to each other?

2. Why did the population in Dominica started to decrease in 1995-2000?

3.  in 2015 the inflation rate was the lowest it ever been in Dominica. Why is this?

4. Why does the government have the right to make decision for the country?

5. Why are laws and regulation passed?

Noah

Economics is the study of how individuals think and make rational decisions under conditions of scarcity. since the beginning of time, humans have had to take various actions and think critically about their wants and how to obtain them and through such decisions they experienced what economist call “Opportunity Cost”.

Opportunity cost can be defined as what is dropped or given up to gain something else. For instance, a cave-man might be trying to decide whether he should hunt wild animals today or go fishing. If he decides to go hinting he is forgoing or giving up fishing along with the potential amount of fish he might have been able to catch.

Again, Mr. Jason, a single-parent is planning to take his two daughters out to the city where he plans to either go to the theater on the out-skirs of town or to an amusement park which happens to be very near-by. Let us suppose he chooses to take them to the theater then here the opportunity cost will be the benefits of being at the amusement park. It is now the job of the economist to answer questions like :why did he choose the theater over the park , was it truly beneficial to him and his daughters? Well one might argue that the theater was farther away so he must have had to pay additional cost which places him on the downside of the scale, but on the other hand one may raise the argument that Jason and his daughters may have had a higher utility or satisfaction from theatrical entertainment that park rides.{(total benefit>total cost)=gain}

Additional Questions

What is political unrest?

 

What are some of the things that brings about political unrest?

 

What is a referendum?

 

When was the last referendum passed in Dominica and what was the purpose of it?

 

What was the purpose of the last referendum passed in the UK?

 

What are political rights?

 

Why is it important for persons to know the political rights that they are entitled to?

 

What are civil rights?

 

Are civil rights just as important as political rights? Why?

Question 1- Understanding Summary and Audience Description

A summary understanding of the topic you have chosen (should have been approved by instructor) and a brief description of the audience to which you will ideally be targeting your completed project. Your summary should include some rationale for choosing this topic, including what you already know about the topic, what you don’t know or want to find out, or what current knowledge about the topic you want corrected, revised or updated.  (10 points)

 

GAEL

The term ‘science’ may be defined as the study of the natural world. In Dominica, science takes form in agriculture, the environment and medicine. I chose the projects’ ‘science’ sector because of my passion for biology and to investigate Dominica’s scientific journey along with its setbacks. Science is relevant to ‘Resistance and Caribbean Reality as there have been many instances of resistance that have influenced and affected the country in that aspect. The target audience for this project includes students, medical professionals, agriculturalists and environmentalists. Previous knowledge that I hold includes Dr. John Imray’s initiation of the first public hospital, agriculture’s dwindling status as a main economic activity and the ongoing development of geothermal energy. With my currently limited knowledge of the history of scientific development, I intend to find out the history of Dominica’s health care system as well as clarify how resistance played part.

 

RHEA

From creationism to current affairs, it is widely believed that religion and science are incompatible. Science can be defined as the state of knowing or a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study and religion as a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Science investigates the natural world through measurements and obtaining facts about tangible objects. Religion deals with the spiritual or supernatural beliefs and largely deals with faith. Throughout this project I intend on identifying how resistance affected this contradiction since according to Francis Collins. “One of the greatest tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war.”

 

ONICKA

Science brings about predictions and reasons to why things happen.  In Dominica, the science aspect is underdeveloped in my opinion.  Dominica forms its basis around religion and science sometimes contradicts religion.  Besides biology being one of my majors, I choose science as my topic for this project because I want to explore more of this topic while fueling my thirst to enhance my knowledge and bring its presence more into our society.  Doing this project made me realize how little I know of science pertaining to Dominica and a quick google search on ‘Science in Dominica’ will prove how limited the information is.  Science is Dominica is usually contributed to preserving its flora and fauna, improving health care in Dominica and creation of medication with use of the country’s large variety of plants and herbs which includes natural oils. The target audience is pharmacist, agriculturist, students and anyone who has an interest in this field.  I would love to know more of the history of diseases in Dominica and the statistical aspect.  I would like to know how resistance affected the spread and the healthcare of the people.

 

JODINE

There is a science to everything including the science of religion. The Cambridge Dictionary defines science as “the careful study of the structure and behavior of the physical world, especially by watching, measuring, and doing experiments, and the development of theories to describe the results of these activities.” Throughout this project, we aim to discover the science in everything and the religious beliefs also. As we place Dominica and the Caribbean on the map as being involved in every decision made by first world countries such as the U.S. We will discover how the subtopics; science and religion are linked. Many scholars, scientists and even high school students may find this segment rather enticing as we answer various questions.

 

Question 2 – Research Questions

Three to five research questions you have decided to centralize within your project with a description of how those research questions would impact our current understanding of the topic. (15 points)

 

GAEL

What was evolution of medicine like in Dominica?

This question requires a response that will define the starting point of Dominica’s health care system, challenges in its development and factors affecting its further improvement. This question will aid in the understanding of how resistance impacted Dominica’s healthcare system.

 

Is there a bias/stereotype towards students doing sciences?

The gender stereotype that only boys should be involved in prominent medical jobs has been faced with a lot of resistance. How do these stereotypes affect the youth of Dominica? This question will facilitate the understanding of how students in Dominica and abroad are resisting the stereotypes related with studying science subjects.

 

Did agricultural growth meet any resistance and challenges?

Agriculture is one of the economic activities in Dominica. In the past, this science was the main activity which brought in a lot revenue to the country and produced many jobs. How did resistance lead to the decline in agricultural activity such as banana production in Dominica? This question will highlight how the resistance affect the agriculture in Dominica.

 

Are any environment-related laws enforced in Dominica?

More often than not, Dominican citizens do not adhere to rules pertaining to environmental protection. Why are environmental laws being resisted? What effect could this have on Dominica in the future? This question will provide insight as to why Dominicans resist environmental protection laws and the effects that these actions have on the environment.

 

What positive environmental changes have been made in Dominica?

The implementation of geothermal energy is underway for Dominica. This question will aid in understanding how the resistance surrounding oil has effects on nations worldwide and in Dominica as well as shed light on the consequences of implementing geothermal energy and the resistance to this alternative form of energy is justified.

 

RHEA

How did the evolution of science in Dominica impact the society?

As science improved how did the Dominican populace respond new medical, agricultural or environmental breakthroughs including immunizations, waste systems and improvement in crop development? Was science frowned upon? Was it taught in schools?

 

Has religion created a prejudice against those involved in scientific endeavors in the Caribbean?

Throughout the evolution of the Caribbean, religion has been impactful in the affairs of the general population. However did this create a bias against science or anyone working within its various disciplines? How did this occur? What was the result of such?

 

How did the church respond to the changes brought about by the improvement in science in the Caribbean?

Since Christianity is the dominant religion in the Caribbean. How did the church react to these new breakthroughs in science? How did this impact the attitudes of religious members?

 

Has the church’s belief of people involved in science evolved?

Was science considered a taboo to religious leaders? Have the church’s attitude change? Did it become more positive?

ONICKA

What was the disease in Dominica which was most common?

Dominica’s health care is slowly improving resulting in less deaths caused because of health care.  Finding out if this disease is still the most common or if it is less of a threat is a great contribution to this topic.

 

Are there any new arising diseases?

This question searches for any new diseases which may be affecting the people of Dominica in large numbers.

 

Was there resistance or challenges from the people in lowering these diseases?

There could have been some challenges to getting the diseases under control.  These challenges could fall under social, economic or even political reasons.

 

Did the rest of the Caribbean have challenges with these same diseases?

Usually when one Caribbean has a disease other islands may have this disease also, this question investigates the cause of this.

 

Are men more likely to die earlier than women because of diseases?

As we know women are more likely to go to the doctor when they are ill.  This could be a matter of pride or ignorance.  Is the jobs which men do also tougher or would be more disease related?  There are disease more common in women so should that mean women are more-likely to die first.

 

JODINE

Why were some diseases specific to Dominica?

Every country has disease specific to them, however a lot of research goes into investigated what they are. This can be especially difficult in Dominica and the Caribbean due to limited resources. What were the diseases? How did they come about?  

 

Were Dominican people involved in the development of these medicines?

In Dominica there are a number of doctors who would be interested in the medicinal research, and isn’t it essential to include persons that have experience with a disease? Did the Caribbean scientists and doctors make themselves available to partake in such research? Were they even invited to participate? Was there resistance from those who conducted the research to invite them?

 

Were there any religious organizations or churches that rejected diseases or scientific discoveries? If so, why?

Whenever a religious party rejects a proposal, it is because it in opposition to their religious beliefs. In Christianity, they would disagree because the proposal is viewed as a “sin”. Did they reject the disease because they believed it was caused by “witchcraft” or an evil being? Why would such organizations reject scientific research??

 

Has the church financed scientific research?

The church is known for helping those in need especially the sick, but what about the research to create medicine to help the sick. Financial support is essential for every research especially scientific ones. As we do more research, this question too shall be answered. Why would the church finance scientific research? How would the church benefit from this?

 

Does a scientist’s religion affect his research?

It doesn’t matter who if the person is a scientist or not their religion does have an impact on their life. However, in terms of a scientist how will this affect his/her research? Will they be biased?

I found this list called “How to do Well in this Course” while browsing material to prepare for teaching this course. The author provides some useful tips for students that you may find valuable.

(“How to Do Well in this Course” adapted from a syllabus written by Christopher Douglas, University of Victoria Department of English.)

Read the material before we discuss it. Otherwise, you will not be able to follow conversations in class, let alone the lectures. Plus, demonstrating you’ve read the material means no quizzes.

Write while you read. For me this means annotating a text as I read it. You can annotate print and digital texts. (See me if you need ideas or resources.)

Come to class with ideas and questions. Be curious. Seek connections between texts, between projects, and between this course and others, even in other disciplines.

Take notes during class meetings. A good portion of your Final Project and Audit will intersect with what we talk about in class. Students who take good notes understand and retain the material better and then do better than students who do not.

Let me know when you don’t follow what I’m saying. I am not aware of what you do not know or do not understand, and I may assume more contextual knowledge on your part than you have. I find this stuff fascinating, but I will not always know what you want to investigate or know more about – so please tell me.

Persuasive projects take time. Before you submit a blog entry, and most certainly before you submit your proof of concept, consider circulating drafts. Ask friends or peers to give your work a gander. Come chat with me during office hours. Consider how your project can extend and even complicate our in-class discussions. Also avoid writing blog entries that are primarily descriptive.

Think of your blog entries as thought pieces that lead to your Final Project. Feel free to ask questions without answering them. The blog entries should also build upon each other (e.g., “In my last entry, I wrote…”). Over time, they should function as a way for you to refine your interests and pursue them—in a sustained way—through the collaborative project.

During class and in writing, be concrete when you comment on anyone’s work (including the texts we’re discussing). Quote it. Speak to specific gestures. And then respond with your own interpretations. When the work is by a peer, be sure to affirm his or her ideas (e.g., “I like how you…”).

Use the blog to share ideas and discuss the texts outside of class. If you have a question, then ask your classmates. If you hear something you want to remember, blog it for later reference. If you like an entry by someone outside of your cluster, then leave a comment saying so.

 

 

You’ve worked hard all semester on your digital research projects. This week, you will submit your final projects (by 9pm on Monday, May 2) and present on Wednesday May 4, from 12:00 noon at the Create Caribbean Research Institute classroom.

***Students are reminded that plagiarism is a serious academic violation. Students found committing various acts of plagiarism or academic dishonesty in the project and presentation will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and may face further disciplinary action by the college.

Here are the grading requirements for the project:

Category	Points
Minimum of 10 items included	5
Simple Pages·      About Us/Site·      Research Proposal ·      Annotated Bibliography ·     References	5
Minimum of 3 exhibits	5
Minimum 10 secondary sources in References	5
Proper Citation Format of References Page and in-text citations; relevance of sources to topic	10
Analysis of Exhibits·      Incorporation of secondary sources (10)·      Evidence of researchers analysis and synthesis of secondary and primary sources (20) ·      Conclusions drawn by researcher from analysis of data (20)	50
Proper Grammar, Editing and Revision of display	10
Website Design·      Layout·      Legible print ·      Creativity ·      Balance of visual elements to textual elements	10
TOTAL	100

Here is what is expected of you in the final project presentation:

Category	Points
Introduction·      Topic Background ·      Research Questions	5
Description of Limitations and Challenges	5
Highlight of main exhibit findings	15
Conclusions and Implications drawn from research experience	15
Clarity of oral presentation·      Organisation of ideas ·      Verbal and nonverbal communication ·      Adhere to time guidelines ·      Response to questions	10
TOTAL	50

Hello everyone,

Each of your sites should feature at least 4 exhibits that will form the substance of your analysis of primary sources for the final projects. You may have gotten a wide range of primary and secondary source documents during your research period. Now your job is to make sense of all the information you received by organizing and analyzing it so your audience can have a clear sense of the key issues within your topic.

You may have received newspaper clippings, videos, interviews, images etc. and should have already entered those as items in your Omeka site or even put them in separate collections depending on how many similar groups of items you obtained. Now your job is to select a few that tell a story about a sub-topic within your larger topic. For example, “The Dread Act Law” would be a sub-topic under Domfari as would “Rastafarian religion.” Or “handcrafts and natural resources” could be a sub-topic under Natives of Dominica. For each of these sub-topics, you will use your secondary sources (or criticism) to give some insight or explain further the details of that topic. Use the Exhibit Builder feature in Omeka to do so.

Spreadsheet Mapper 2

Mapping Novels with Google Earth 

 

 

 

See the instructions for how to build a timeline at the link below:

 

Timeline Tutorial

 

This week, we are beginning active work on our digital research projects. Here are some important dates and critical information for you to keep in mind as we proceed through the rest of the semester.

Formal Research Proposal – Due March 6 at 9pm

• Should be approximately 1,200 words and should include rationale, a brief description of the appropriate target audience, research questions (about 3-5), and methodology. It should be posted as a Simple Page on your Omeka site.

Annotated Bibliography – Due March 20 at 9pm

• Should include 10 research sources, 5 primary sources related to your project and 5 secondary sources (academic peer-reviewed or non-academic verifiable periodicals). For each citation, you should include a 3-5 sentence description of the source and its usefulness to your overall project. It should be posted as a Simple Page on your Omeka site.

Progress Report – Due April 10 at 9pm

• This should be a 300-500 word report on any challenges or major advancements that you are experiencing with your project during the research and analysis phase. It should be posted as a Simple Page on your Omeka site.

Final Project – Due April 24 at 9pm

• All items, collections, exhibits and simple pages relevant to your project should be posted on your Omeka site by this date and time. Your project grade will be based on information posted at that time. Any changes made to the site after this date without the prior permission of the instructor will result in a grade of F on the project as it is a form of academic dishonesty.

Final Project Presentations – May 1

• You will present your projects to a group of your peers during class time. You will prepare a 5 minute description of your project, which includes challenges, successes and outcomes.

 

I’ve also included this information on the Assignments page for easier reference during the semester…

In the field of digital humanities and other disciplines, many scholars, researchers and teachers often collaborate and share ideas on best practices about conducting research and teaching college students. Much of my own training in the digital humanities began with collaboration via email, Twitter, Hangouts, and formal and informal conferences with mentors, colleagues and peers. The blog grading rubric is one of the many gems I’ve been able to adopt and adapt from my experience in scholarly communication – one of the key aspects of digital humanities practice. I borrow it from Mark Sample’s A Rubric for Evaluating Student Blogs and have used it for a number of semesters, with amendments to the scoring. Here are the key points that will matter to you and your weekly blogging exercise this semester:

 

As we go through the semester, our classroom work will become more focused the research and application of digital projects. Here are some sample topics to consider, from which you may select with permission. This list is focused on topics related to Dominica, but you may select other more broad Caribbean-focused topics or adapt one of the listed topics to include the Caribbean in general.

1. Indigenous life in the colonial 20th Century (1900-1978)
2. Rise and Fall of Agriculture in Dominica: 1950-2000
3. My Grandmother and Me: : Extended Families’ role in Dominican society
4. Carnival and Costuming: A national history
5. Politics and Civil Discourse in the Eugenia Era
6. Live Long in Dominica: a history of centenarians
7. Exploring Dominica’s fictional worlds: popular writing in Dominica, 1930-1975
8. My Diaspora: tracing Dominican life around the world in the 20th Century
9. Wife Notice: Pre-independence marriage culture
10. From Town to Country: suburban development in Dominica post-Independence