Student Perspectives
Below are some comments students made about their experience in this Reading Group.
- "It was overall a really interesting reading group. I really enjoyed the topic and, for me, a non-economics major and non-politics major, it was interesting to get to talk about things that I otherwise never would have discussed in a college setting." --Sam Ruby
- "I felt the reading group was a great experience to learn more about poverty itself and methods that have/haven't worked to alleviate it. With the input and guidance from Professor Knoop and Professor Yamanishi, we were able to shed more light on the situation and get a better grasp of the situation. Meeting with David Klaus allowed us to see both sides of the story told in the book. Overall, the reading group was a really great situation to learn about poverty and how it affects us and the recipients of the aid." --Ben Sebers
The White Man's Burden
The White Man's Burden Reading Group displaying their books
The White Man't Burden, by William Easterly
TWMB Discussion
Caitlin Ewing discusses Easterly's premise with the group
TWMB Discussion
Group members discuss poverty
The White Man's Burden
Group members listen intently to discussion
The White Man's Burden
Matt Mundell discusses the importance of the UN providing funding to developing countries
The White Man's Burden
Professor Todd Knoop leans in as Audrey Saunders clarifies her position on funding for developing nations
Spring 2008 Reading Group
The White Man's Burden
by William Easterly
During April and May 2008, facilitator Professor Todd Knoop met with students to discuss Easterly's look at "why the West's effortss to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good."
Here's a brief synopsis of the book, provided by Professor Knoop:
Easterly argues that the aid donated by western countries to underdeveloped countries is not only ineffective; it is actually harmful to development. There are "Planners" who seek to impose solutions from the top down. Easterly argues that these planners have historically been incompetent because they ignore the numerous obstacles (economic, political, societal, and cultural) that limit the ability of assistance to truly create development and improve the quality of life of most poor people. Easterly continues that "the right plan is to have no plan". "Searchers" -- those who enable people that are familiar with the life and culture of foreign lands and who have better information about what the poor need at a microeconomic level -- are the aid givers that are most likely to be the most effective. As a result, Easterly argues for a decentralized, bottom-up foreign aid program. Easterly extends these arguments to foreign policy and other forms of public policy as well.