We will just pose as tourists traveling along the Yangtze who are interested in observing the lifestyles of farmers and fishermen. They hope that discussions of the dam will occur naturally in their interactions with the villagers. The idea for their project arose on an off-campus studies experience last spring when Karbeling and Nakano were participants on Carleton's Beijing Political Economy Seminar. Focusing on the politics and economy of China, the program exposed them to contemporary Chinese issues like the dam. Economically, Nakano sees the dam as a symbol of China's movement into the international business market.
China has a huge supply of human resources, enabling companies to produce products at a low cost.
So with China joining the World Trade Organization and the Chinese government loosening its regulations of foreign companies doing business in China, many will jump at the opportunity to do business with China. The two anticipate that generational and vocational differences among villagers will determine the reaction of different groups to the dam's construction. In an earlier research project, Karebeling studied how age affects a person's reaction to a new piece of technology. Adults who feel that they are being forced to learn a new way to accomplish tasks often question the purpose of the technology. Farmers and fishermen, the two hypothesize, will cope differently with the forced relocation.