Instructions

Initial Post

Explain what you want to focus your paper on, discussing both the problem and possible solution (s) you want to propose. In your response, integrate a quote from the Conclusion to Violent Borders that speaks to your ideas. And include enough detail to let the reader know the types of things you want to talk about and the information from Violent Borders you want to draw on.

Note: if you are considering a couple possibilities for your essay, it is okay to express two or even three for this post.

Reply to two posts

Reply to a minimum of two posts to add on to their ideas by suggesting:

ways to help focus their problem-solution ideas, if you feel that it is too broad or general, and/or ways to break down the essay into smaller parts (i.e. paragraph topics)

additional ideas or information from the book Violent Borders to draw on

research ideas, articles, or news stories to consider

Make sure to indicate where you are drawing your information from by noting the page number from Violent Borders and/or using the toolbar to link in the URL when using an outside source. (See Helpful Canvas Guides below)

Length: 2000-2500 words (5-7 pages)

Research Requirements (see below)

Essay 2: Violent Borders

Mode of Writing: Argumentation/Problem-Solution Research Paper

Problem-Solution Essays 

Problem-solution essays first (1) articulate the scope of an important problem while creating an argument for it to be immediately addressed, and second (2) articulate a solution in depth, laying out how the solution would work in a step-by-step fashion while addressing any objections to the parts of your solution.

Background

Reece Jones’ book Violent Borders situates itself on the structural inequalities necessary to creating and maintaining national borders, and the underlining goal of global equality to access resources and opportunities is a driving focus for his argument. In the conclusion to Violent Borders, Reece Jones outlines three long-term solution areas that would work to relieve global inequality with respect to accessing resources and opportunities, but he does not offer much insight as to the details of these ambitious solutions nor how they could be instituted on a global level. These solutions are categorized as:

1. Free movement between states

2. Global rules for working conditions

3. Global rules for environmental protection and limits on private property.

Jones’ explanation of these “solution categories” are prefaced with the statement: “incremental changes can often be more effective and more achievable than holding out hope for a completely different world.” This problem-solution research paper asks you to propose what you believe to be the most pressing and important “incremental change” that needs to occur.

Essay Prompt 

A problem-solution paper basically asks you to articulate a complex problem and propose and explain an effective solution. Therefore, your task is:

1. to articulate what you believe to be the most pressing problem addressed in Violent Borders, provide an explanation of how this problem came about, and create an argument for it to be addressed immediately; and

2. to articulate a solution for the problem, explain how the solution will work (considering both short term and long-term goals), and explain why your solution is better than other solutions. Keep in mind that our focus is on “incremental change.” We should not presume that there is any one “ideal” solution; but we can presume that there is a “next-step” that is more effective than others.

Source Requirements

1. Accurately represent and thoughtfully discuss main points and information from Violent Borders by Reece Jones

2. Integrate academic research using at least two sources from the LPC databases (JSTOR, Academic Search Ultimate, (e)books) and at least one additional source (from the LPC databases, government or organization websites, videos, interviews, or other online sources)

3. Apply MLA formatting standards

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on their ability to thoughtfully engage with the textual material and issues presented in Violent Borders; to seek out pertinent information and quotes from the book and from credible research sources; and to compose an organized essay that accurately articulates the scope of the problem and offers a well-thought-out solution. In so doing, students will be evaluated on their ability to:

1. sift through detailed factual material and separate relevant from irrelevant facts

2. assess the consistency and reliability of facts, and determine the need for and source of additional facts

3. analyze the legal rules and principles applicable to a problem and formulate theories from facts (that may be only partly known and are being developed);

4. recognize and resolve ethical issues arising in practical situations;

5. apply problem solving skills to diagnose a problem, generate alternative solutions, and develop a plan

6. communicate effectively in writing to a general audience

7. document sources correctly using MLA formatting standards

First peer post

For my essay, I want to focus on how border violence and all the issues that goes with borders stems from capitalism. I want to integrate the idea that long ago “all humans were hunter-gathers” and now that characteristic of humans has become extinct due to the many restrictions placed on mobility as a result of capitalism (162). I want to demonstrate the drastic changes humans have gone through and the steps that were taken by states in order to gain more power. I also want to highlight the issues that become present when borders are placed such as environmental issues, violence, more control, less rights to the individual, and many more stated in the novel. I definitely want to state all the things the United States has done, and other countries but mainly the United States, to control the people more such as requiring passports, drivers license, and other documents. This will help further my thesis that capitalism is the reason states are so power hungry which is why borders were formed. A solution I might recommend in my paper would probably be to change this capitalistic ideology that states have in order to obtain from creating more strict borders which could eventually lead to “more extreme systems of migrant capture and control” (180). I might also bring up the idea that the United Nations should start taking actions towards the problems being discussed in their conferences such as climate change which borders to contribute to. Basically, the solution should be something that attacks capitalism directly because states will never stop being power hungry.

Second peer post

For my essay, I want to look at ways to make immigration easier. There will most likely continue to be conflict and economic hardship, so at least making it easier for people to legally move between countries would be a step in the right direction. I am going to focus on the two main places that the book mentions, The EU and the US, and look at the tactics used to prevent legal migration as well as illegal migration. There are two parts of that as well, the physical and bureaucratic restrictions like a physical wall or an intangible travel ban, but also the political messaging used to justify restricting migration such as Australia’s anti-immigration campaigns and the justifications in the US like the Real ID act in 2005 or even earlier and the examination of the ramping up of security after 9/11 with measures like the patriot act. In the last few paragraphs, I will provide my own solutions with some evidence that I find to try to justify my solution to make immigration easier and try to reduce the amount of illegal and dangerous methods of immigration like smuggling. I will also try to find evidence to reject the claims of anti-immigration campaigns in regards to the possible benefits of taking immigrants aside from just the moral and ideological high ground. I will format my essay and show each problem in one paragraph and the solution in the next although it might change to have all problems and then all solutions. Overall, I want to appeal to the idea that taking these people in will benefit everyone in the long run and we need to look past whatever short term losses there are to enacting new policies that promote legal and safe immigration and promote a mentality that we as a country should be trying to help these people immigrate and promote citizenship rather than turn them away. For sources, I want to look at the new EU immigration and asylum-seeking plan as well as other proposed plans. I could also use plans proposed and not enacted in the US. I do not know where to look in the databases though. I could just do some searches for immigration reform.