Essay Topics

For those of you who have expressed an interest in the papers that I'm writing, or would like to lend a hand, here are the topics:

Paper the First

(due July 16, 2000-2500 words)
Consider the following statistics: "97% of film distribution in Canada is controlled ouside the country; foreign-controlled publishers and agencies account for 75 percent of Canadian textbook sales; and fourteen foreign-controlled companies wer responsible for 66 percent of all new releases and 84 percent of total sales in the recording industry in Canada during 1993-4" (Borderlands: How we talk about Canada, W.H. New, 1998). This is the state of the national boundary-line: unstable. But, is it inevitable? Write an essay discussing Canada's cultural industries and its cultural survival.

Paper the Second

(due July 19, 10 pages/3000 words)
Many aspects of staples theory were developed to address particularities in Canada’s historical path of economic, social, and cultural development. As globalization proceeds apace, however, some would argue that the relevance of staples theory to Canada has declined at the same time that the circumstances described by staples theorists have increasingly come to characterize the situation of other countries in Latin America, Africa and elsewhere. Critically assess the merits of this position.

MY THESIS: The relevance of staples theory to Canada has declined at the same time that the circumstances described by staples theorists have increasingly come to characterize the situation of other countries in Latin America, Africa and elsewhere.

I have a bit more on the second one in the way of outline. Comment if you want my outline. :)