Delta State University

SOC 421

Fall 2004

Writing Assignment No. 9

Due:  Monday, November 8

Instructions:  Prepare a two page essay on the topic identified below.  Be sure to develop an explanation or argument in your essay.

Topic:  Using information from the first part of the Bill Moyers video and the article "Bitter Harvest," which appeared at the time of the UN WSSD, consider the role that international trade plays in sustainable development.  Why do some people think that international trade contributes to sustainability, while others think that international trade detracts from sustainability?  What criteria do advocates on each side of this debate implicitly focus on in their definitions of sustainability?  Do you believe that trade is good or bad for sustainability?