The origins of a general trend in Europe of rising prices between 1520 and 1640, labeled the Price Revolution, have been deeply contested by economic historians since the 1920s. The debate is divided between two major camps, stressing the importance of monetary and ‘real’ factors respectively. My paper provides a general overview of the literature since the 1920s. I identify the influence of parallel developments in economic thought on the debate. Further, using the same qualitative primary sources employed by previous works on the topic I construct a novel explanation for these rising prices, avoiding constraints presented by flawed/restricted data.

People Anil Menon Professor Paul Monod

Related Links My experience at the Spring Symposium

Downloads The Price Revolution

Researchers have explored economic and social aspects of migration. However, legal considerations in migrant decision making and sending communities have been largely ignored. This thesis focuses on perceptions of U.S. immigration laws in Santa Rosa, Michoacán—a small community in central Mexico. I show how migration from Santa Rosa to the United States has been historically constructed as necessary and ethical. I also reveal that people in Santa Rosa expect and are waiting for another amnesty for undocumented workers in the United States. I highlight the role of the Bracero Program (1942-1964) and the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act in the construction of these beliefs, as policies that encouraged and then rewarded illegal entry to the United States. I then suggest that U.S. immigration policy has established a social contract, complete with benefits and obligations, between the people of Santa Rosa and the U.S. state.

People Kate Bass ’11.5 Researcher David Stoll Professor of Anthropology & First ReaderMarcos Lopez Post-Doctoral Fellow in Sociology & Second Reader

Related Links Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 Bracero History Archive

Downloads Thesis Presentation Slides Thesis Report

In a January 2011 Winter Term Class, “Twenty-First Century Global Challenges,”  21 Middlebury students studied great challenges of our time – including wide-scale poverty, climate change, and the struggle for human rights. They then analyzed how social entrepreneurs – individuals and groups who are developing new ways to attack systematic problems – are taking on these challenges.  For example, Nina Cameron ’12 studied how the Global Network is trying to reduce the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases; Erin Kelly ’13 studied how the University of the Peopleis providing tuition-free higher-education throughout the developing world.  The students also spend much of the course developing a vision for a new center for social entrepreneurship based at Middlebury College.  On this MiddLab, we report the ongoing results of this work.

People Jonathan Isham, Jr. Professor of Economics Wahid Ahmed Catherine Brown Nina Cameron Brian Clow Thomas Crocker Matthew Engel Stuart Fram Allison Grant Mark Hannah Paul Hildebrand Aaron Kelly Claire McIlvennie Olivia Noble Bradley Osborn Devin Perkins Hilary Platt Jeronimo Riefkohl Martin Sweeney Rhidaya Trivedi Kenneth Williams Nicole Williams

The Ripple Effect in India

Related Links Social Entrepreneurship in the Liberal Arts – Jonathan Isham (The Middlebury Campus, January 20, 2011) The Development Project Management Institute (DPMI) at MIIS Careers in the Common Good Old Stone Mill The Alliance for Civic Engagement Fred Kropp’s course on social entrepreneurship at MIIS

Downloads Reducing the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases – Nina Cameron ’12 Increasing access to tertiary education in the developing world – Aaron Kelly ’13 A vision for the Hassenfeld Center at Middlebury College – the students of ES380 A 2007 paper on social entrepreneurship at Middlebury – David Hopkins ’06.5 Social Entrepreneurship Collaboratories – Gordon Bloom (Harvard ’82) A recent talk from Bill Gates on Education for the Real World

People Doug Sinclair Co-Founder of Middlebury Community Care Coalition Ingrid Pixley Property Manager for Addison County Community Trust Yuan Lim Student Organizer Veronica Muoio Student Organizer Dan Murphy Student Organizer

Related Links To Learn More and Take Action, check out these links First Stop: Alliance for Civic Engagement (ACE) Fall 2010 Student Symposium: American Poverty in Context Housing Issues: National Coalition for the Homeless Vermont Committee for Temporary Shelter (COTS) Middlebury Community Care Coalition (MCCC) Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects (HOPE)

Downloads Full Symposium Schedule Ingrid Pixley and Doug Sinclair

October 21st- 29th will be the Fall Student Symposium, “American Poverty in Context.” We aim to build awareness and encourage discussion of poverty-related issues on the local and national level. The symposium will tackle issues such as hunger and local foods, social determinants of health, labor legislation, community action, and homelessness. In addition to inspiring intellectual discourse on poverty, we hope to motivate more students to participate in volunteer activities and to consider pursuing careers in non-profits.

Please click on the posters below in the downloads section for more detailed information about each event!

People Joel Berg Executive Director of the New York Coalition Against Hunger Harlan Beckley Director of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability at Washington and Lee University Robert Prasch Middlebury College Professor of Economics Samantha Marder Project Manager, Project Health  Providence Hannah Nichols Talent and Technology Coordinator, Project Health National Offices Hal Colston Founder and Director of Good News Garage and Neighborskeepers Doug Sinclair Co-Founder of Middlebury Community Care Coalition Ingrid Pixley Property Manager for Addison County Community Trust Jeanne Montross Executive Director of HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects) Yuan Lim Student Organizer Veronica Muoio Student Organizer Dan Murphy Student Organizer

Related Links To Learn More and Take Action, check out these links First Stop: Alliance for Civic Engagement (ACE) ! Hunger and Food Justice Issues: VT FoodBank Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger New York City Coalition Against Hunger Health Equity: Project Health Unnatural Causes: Documentary on Poverty and Poor Health Housing Issues: National Coalition for the Homeless Vermont Committee for Temporary Shelter (COTS) Middlebury Community Care Coalition (MCCC) Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects (HOPE) Feel Free to Post your own links below as well.

Downloads Full Symposium Schedule Information about Individual Events: Harlan Beckley Joel Berg Hal Colston Ingrid Pixley and Doug Sinclair Professor Robert Prasch Samantha Marder and Hannah Nichols

The One Child Policy (OCP) has had an enormous impact on Chinese society over the past thirty years and has further exacerbated the gender imbalance of the nation. The ensuing ?”marriage market shortages” in China have had important implications for marriageable-aged Chinese men and women. The scarcity of Han women in Chinese marriage markets and the concessions of the OCP with regard to ethnic minorities may increase the propensity of female Han to marry out when they see gains to marriage such as being able to have more than one child. Given this and other potential gains to intermarriage, under certain circumstances, interethnic marriage may be a rational choice for females in Chinese society.

People Rachel Butera Researcher Thiery Warin Thesis Advisor& Associate Professor of Economics Hang Du Second Reader & Assistant Professor of Chinese

(click to enlarge)

Related Links National Population and Family Planning Commission

Downloads Read the Thesis

A high mortality of seeds and seedlings has been documented in areas of high conspecific adult density as a result of increased predation and disease. Although this phenomenon has received significant attention in the scientific literature, the long-term evolutionary and ecological impact of density-dependent seedling mortality remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present study is to determine the population-level impact of density-dependent seedling mortality on heavily exploited big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla).

People Chris Free Researcher Matt Landis Faculty Sponsor

Related Links Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna Undergraduate Research Office Senior Work Fund

Downloads Watch the Presentation with Slides (requires RealMedia player) Presentation Slides

From the Spring 2010 issue of the student-published Middlebury Geographic magazine, Andrea Jones examines the economic and geographic conditions that lead to the creation of slums and shantytowns across three continents.

People Andrea Jones Author Emily Allison Photographer

Related Links Middlebury Geographic Spring 2010 Middlebury Geographic Spring 2009

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