Globalization and Our Future:

Understanding Global Transformation

This course explores globalization, with an emphasis on economic globalization and its sweeping impact upon the planet. Tracing its historical roots, we investigate and analyze 10 essential factors necessary for the globalization project. We conclude with a dialogue about sustainable, equitable, and just alternatives for a more life-enhancing future.

Description

This thought-provoking and informative course explores the far-reaching issue of economic globalization and its sweeping impact upon our everyday lives, the environment, and people throughout the world, both North and South.

We begin the course with an overview of the historical roots of economic globalization from 1500 to the present. With this overview we can more clearly see the connections of past actions and events with current developments. Using a systems approach, we next investigate 10 essential factors necessary for implementation and perpetuation of the globalization project: imperialism and globalization, privatization of commonly held assets and property, the expansion of commodification, corporate mergers and consolidations, the concept of externalities, an elaborate support network, and political cooperation. Special emphasis is focused on the environmental impact of globalization and the widening social gap as a result of the intensification and expansion of globalization, especially the impact on women around the world.

We decide if the economic globalization project as outlined is in keeping with our values of creating a more just, sustainable, responsible, and peaceful future. We conclude by discussing possible sustainable and equitable alternatives for our shared human future.

Course Objectives:

Analyze major globalization theories and competing perspectives on the state of the environment, global economic development, explanations for world poverty and prosperity, inequality among and within nations, and other issues.

Connect interdisciplinary perspectives from history, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, science and philosophy to explore the multiple meanings of globalization.

Synthesize information -- gained through readings, experiences, discussions, videos, primary source documents, the internet, and other sources -- with the goal of understanding how globalization is shaping developments, within the United States, affecting people across the planet, and distressing the natural world in profound ways.

Deconstruct the globalization process in order to more fully analyze the relationship between globalization and rising standards of living for some of the world’s population, growing gap between rich and poor, the fate of cultural diversity, environment devastation, gender issues, expansion of a consumer culture, fragmenting of the nation state, global conflict and human rights.

Evaluate, using critical thinking skills, the benefits and drawbacks of a globalized world and participate in a dialogue about exploring possible alternative paths to globalization.

Engage in an action research project that explores a globalization issue of interest to the student.

Realize a deeper understanding of diverse people, places, periods of history, and complexity of the world.

Understand the connectivity of the 10 essential factors in the systematic project of economic globalization and how it is transforming our world.

Connect the forces of economic globalization to the goal of development of a peaceful world.

Teaching Methodology

Students learn differently, therefore, to achieve the student objectives listed above, a wide range of measurement devices and teaching styles will be employed. I firmly believe and pedagogists agree that active learning is more effective than passive learning. Thus, I embed student activity into all lesson plans and classroom activities. My teaching methods include discussion, cooperative learning groups, lecture, daily journal reflections, cooperative note-taking, feedback, video analysis, internet exercises, case study evaluations, systems thinking exercises, and individual or group presentations. Assessment will be a rubric devised in collaboration with students.

Journals: The daily journal consists of student’s reaction – both emotional feedback and rational analysis -- to the reading materials, classroom discussion, lectures, videos, or other material. Students are also asked to record their reactions to experiential projects in which they will encounter first hand the impact of globalization. I describe the difference between descriptive and analytical writing.

Classroom Discussion: The ancient Greek practice of Socratic questioning gets at the essence of modern critical thinking, which refuses to take things at face value and goes beyond common sense. The Socratic method of questioning involves questions that clarify and probe assumptions, evidence, consequences, and alternative viewpoints. The practice of framing deep questions will be a vital component of this course.

Instant Lecture Feedback: Rapid communication whereby professor collects at the end of the lecture brief responses to such questions: What puzzles you about the lecture? What questions does the lecture pose for you?

Action research paper, project, and/or presentation: an in-depth study of a particular globalization issue that involves experiential learning and scholarly research that will be shared with either the class or small group.

Language: English

Understanding Globalization Outline:

Unit 1: Introduction

Why study globalization? What is it? Definitions?

What are our perceptions about globalization?

Unit 2: A System Approach

Introduction of systems approach and why it is useful to see the project of globalization in holistic terms. We often look at each of the following factors in isolation; however, they are all intricately connected. To fashion a more sustainable and equitable model for our future we need to proceed from the standpoint of recognizing these interconnections. (The following 10 factors or ingredients will be presented in an interconnected diagram not as a list.)

Unit 3: Theories and Perspectives of Economic Globalization

Different theories and perspectives.

Introduction to the 10 essential factors of economic globalization.

Unit 4: Imperialism and Globalization: A Violent Alliance

Traces the theme of 16^th/17^th-century colonization, late 19^th century imperialism, post-World War II imperialism and the resurgence of imperialism today. How imperialism and capitalism intertwine will be examined.

Examples: brief examples from each era of imperialism

Unit 5: Making the Rules

An investigation of the World Bank, World Trade Organization, and International Monetary Fund – as well as NAFTA.

Unit 6: Privatization

Unit 7: Commoditization

Explain how MNC purposely strive to transform everyday aspects, events, and actions of life into a monetary commodity.

Examples: day care, family meals, death, elder care, play/leisure, sports, etc.

Unit 8: Destroy Self-Sufficiency

Destroy local agriculture, business. World-wide comparative advantage.

Unit 9: Corporate Expansion

· Consolidation and Mergers

Examine the centralization of corporate operations, consolidation of companies, and the formation of monopolies and mergers. The purpose is to increase market share, efficiency, productivity, standardize processes, and reduce labor and other expense. Who benefits in this process? Who loses?

Examples:

· Externalize Costs

Investigate how economic globalization transfers social, environmental, and health costs to society. Price in the practiced system is not true transparency since the above costs are not reflected in price but externalized to be paid for by society.

Examples: gas, energy, transportation, Wal-Mart workers, etc

· Subsidize Infrastructure

Inquire into the public funding of vast infrastructure network tailored to the needs of the largest corporations.

Examples: roads, harbors, airports, communication networks, etc.

Unit 10: Enabling Network

Deconstruct the creation and perpetuation of myths about the benefits of the current globalized system. Examine the role that consumerism as the new “religion” plays in this system.

Unit 11: Environmental Costs

Unit 12: Social Costs

Unit 13: Political Compliance

Analyze how and why the political system must be supportive of globalization through laws, funding, tax policies, subsidies, political contributions, etc. in order for the system to continue.

Examples

Unit 14: Alternatives to Economic Globalization

Unit 15: Conclusion

Reiterate the theme of interconnections in this process.

What we can do? In systems approach when certain leverage applied at strategic points the system changes. We as individuals can all contribute to this. Attacking the destructive aspects and enhancing the positive aspects of the system to create new, sustainable system .