Need sociology help with a Discussion question about Foreign aid

Address the following based on the Instructor Insights, lecture, and Webtext materials:

• Foreign aid can comprise many different things. It can come in the form of food aid, hardware and machinery, infrastructure projects in the country, financial support, or even military equipment. This applies to not only government provided foreign aid, but privately funded aid as well.

• As we have learned this week and in past weeks, much of the foreign aid given to the developing world is rarely used for its intended purposes. In fact, it is quite often used to support the ruling elites of the country who constitute a large portion of the problem in that country.

• Often, the foreign aid, even purely humanitarian aid, causes the situation to get worse because it merely subsidizes the underlying problem. When we get a cold, we treat the runny nose and sore throat, but those are symptoms of the problem and not the underlying problem itself.

Consider the following when crafting your response:

–  What are some cultural issues that may hinder or advance the effectiveness of foreign aid in a country?

–  Are there circumstances where a country should simply be left alone regardless of the problem?

–  What may be some reasons why countries should restrict their foreign aid to the poor in their own countries?

–  What may be some circumstances where a country should provide foreign aid to another country?