What have governments done to mitigate the spread of the virus and to provide care and protection for their populations?

The final assignment in this course is a research paper, in which students detail how two different countries have confronted and been affected by the coronavirus. Students can choose any two countries in which they have interest (except the US). It is recommended that students choose countries that are different along important dimensions, so that analytical contrasts can be more readily made. As examples, students could pick one developing country and one industrialized nation, an Asian nation and a Latin American country, a socialist country and a capitalist country, etc.

Once students have chosen two countries to study, they should begin locating news articles and information about those countries’ experience with the coronavirus. In their essays, students should address some of the following questions:
How has the virus affected each country–in terms of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, etc.?
What have governments done to mitigate the spread of the virus and to provide care and protection for their populations?
What are their experiences with social distancing, testing, contact tracing, etc.?
What economic and social policies have been implemented to address the virus and its effects?
How has the virus affected those societies–in terms of economics, politics, and other social institutions?
How have the particular histories, cultures, and social organization of these countries shaped their experiences with the virus?
What similarities are there between the two countries that you have chosen? What explains this convergence of experiences?
What differences in experiences, policies, and outcomes can you note between the two countries? What factors might account for these differences?
Are there any other notable issues peculiar to these countries?
Based on your research on these two countries’ experiences with the coronavirus, are there any important lessons that could help other countries, such as the US, deal with the pandemic?
These questions are meant to orient your research, reading, and writing. However, students do not have to answer every single question. The focus of your essay will depend on the information and reports that you encounter. Students have discretion to focus on certain aspects of the pandemic and its effects in their papers.

All of the information and claims made in the essay should be supported with references to news reports and other sources. You should have a minimum of six sources, and they should be cited properly. Essays should run around 1,500-3,000 words, be double-spaced with one-inch margins and twelve-point font.

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