This question refer to the documentary Bling; to help you I’ve crafted a (rough) transcript of the video here.
In this question you will apply an abstract concept to evidence from the Bling video and it’s precisely the ability to apply principles and content learned in one context to material in a different context that employers and grad schools are looking for in candidates. In short, helping you refine this skill is the reason the assignment is structured as it is.
Make sure you understand the description of the “resource curse” below; a strong essay will require a strong grasp of this concept.
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In this essay, demonstrate how evidence from the documentary can be interpreted to demonstrate that Sierra Leone has long suffered poverty as a consequence of the “resource curse” because of the country’s abundant diamond resources.
Your response absolutely needs to address BOTH of the reasons for the “resource curse” discussed above (A. government corruption and B. the fueling of conflict). Reviewing your answers to questions 8 – 14 from HW 1 will help you (hint: pay attention to infrastructure). Be specific in your argument by providing explicit textual evidence from the documentary.
WRITING REQUIREMENTS AND TIPS
1.Length: 450 – 650 words (about 1.75 – 2.25 pages of 12-point, double-spaced font)
2. You will want to organize around your essay around a concise thesis statement that appears near the beginning of your paper.
3. Be sure to underline your thesis statement (5 points off if you do not).
4. Be sure to have at least 5 direct quotations from Bling (you have the transcript)
5. When using direct quotations from Bling, be sure to use method 3 or 4 for introducing quotations (-5% if you don’t) and also be sure to reduce your quotations to ten for fewer words. See here on how to reduce quotations.
6. When making your arguments, be sure to ground those arguments in specific evidence from the video.
7. Be sure in those paragraphs where you make points from evidence to organize those paragraph in the familiar cl/ev/wa format and that you put a (CL) in front of your paragraph’s claim, an (EV) before the evidence, and a (WA) in front of the warrant. (Keep in mind (A) not all paragraphs should be in cl/ev/wa format–just those that make a point from evidence. Also keep in mind (B) that the cl/ev/wa format is for organizing individual paragraphs rather than for organizing whole papers. A strong paper will likely have a series of cl/ev/wa paragraphs as well as a number of paragraphs that are not in that format.)
END OF ASSIGNMENT