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Globalization
Sociology 395
Spring 2006

Grading Rubric | Assignments | E-mail Dr. Ames

SOCIOLOGY 395: JUNIOR SEMINAR
Spring 2006
Globalization

The word, ‘globalization’, is used daily by the media, by businesses, and by politicians, local and international. What does that word mean? How is the world different from—and the same as—the world before globalization? What impact does the phenomenon have on individual countries and their economies, politics, and cultures? What impact is there on individual people? How do those impacts vary by race, class, and gender? By north and south, east and west, first and third worlds?

We will address these questions, looking at the positives and negatives. We will examine the large corporations and non-governmental organizations that wield power over our lives and those of people around the world. We will examine war and peace, rich and poor, and how people are attempting to mitigate the changes of globalization.

This course fulfills the advanced writing requirement for sociology majors. Hence, we will be doing a great deal of writing.

Course Expectations:

Seminar Participation: 15%

This seminar requires full participation from all members. So, all members must be here at all meetings. Class attendance is absolutely required. Every absence and every late arrival will lower your grade. If you have a personal emergency, let me know immediately (phone or e-mail).

Each student will be expected to contribute to each seminar meeting. In addition, once during the semester, each student (in teams) will be responsible for leading the class discussion.

Take-Home Essays/Exams: 50%

Three times during the semester, you will be assigned to answer essay questions concerning the readings and class discussions. Dates are listed on the reading calendar. NOTE: Keep up on the readings, since you’ll have only a week to do the assigned essays.

Term Paper: 35%

Each student will write, in stages and with lots of feedback and help, a 20-page library research paper. (Further information is attached.) Each student will also present her/his paper to the class.

Required Texts:

Richard H. Robbins. 2005. Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, 3rd Edition. Boston: Pearson.

Robert K. Schaeffer. 2005. Understanding Globalization: The Social Consequences of Political, Economic, and Environmental Change, 3rd Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Paula S. Rothenberg (ed.). 2006. Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically About Global Issues. New York: Worth Publishers.

Judith Richlin-Klonsky and Ellen Strenski (eds.) 2001 A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers. New York: Worth Publishers.

Reading and Assignments Calendar:

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

1-26

Introductions

    

2-2

History and Perspective

 

Robbins:

Part I: "Introduction", pgs. 1-12

1: "Constructing the Consumer"

2: "The Laborer in the Culture of Capitalism"

Rothenberg:

Part One: "Putting Things in Perspective", pgs. 1-6

Monk, "Are Things What They Seem To Be?"

Bulbeck, "Fracturing Binarisms"

Shalom, "Lapulapu and Magellan"

Parenti, "Mass Media: For the Many, by the Few"

Guide: Ch. 1: "Getting Started"

Paper topics requested

2-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preliminary research into available sources

Robbins:

3: "Rise of the Merchant, Industrialist, and Capital Controller"

Schaeffer:

"Introduction", pgs. xv-xvi

1: "Globalizing Production"

(continued on next page)

Session w/ Librarian—meet in Feinberg 129

4:30-5:45

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

2-9
cont.

 

Rothenberg:

Part Two: "Colonialism and Its Legacy", pgs. 75-80

Williams, "Empire as a Way of Life"

Greene, "How It Began"

Amin, "Eurocentrism"

Kloby, "Legacy of Colonialism"

Rodney, "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa"

Mies, "The Myth of Catching-up Development"

Siva, "Second Coming of Columbus: Piracy Through Patents"

  

2-16

Transnational Institutions

Robbins:

4: "Nation-State in the Culture of Capitalism"

Schaeffer:

2: "Dollar Devaluations"

3: "Fighting Inflation"

Rothenberg:

Part Six: "Transnational Institutions and the Global Economy", pgs. 411-418

Stiglitz, "Globalization and Its Discontents"

Powell & Udayakumar, "Race, Poverty, and Globalization"

Pettman, "On the Backs of Women and Children"

Guide: Ch. 2: The Writing Process

Ch. 3: Acknowledging Sources

Paper topics finalized

2-23

 

Schaeffer:

4: "Debt Crisis and Globalization"

5: "Debt and Taxes"

Rothenberg: (Part Six continued)

Tabb, "Privatization and Urban Issues"

Moberg, "Plunder and Profit"

Parenti, " The WTO and Globalization"

Chossudovsky, "The Globalization of Poverty"

Roy, "Shall We Leave It to the Experts?"

Guide: Ch. 6: General Research Paper

First Take Home Assigned (Based on readings through today)

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

3-2

Power, Democracy, Patriarchy

Schaeffer:

6: "Dictatorship and Democracy"

7: "Falling Commodity Prices"

Rothenberg:

Part Four: "Patriarchy and Domination", pgs. 247-252

Lerner, "The Patriarchal Family"

Rubenberg, "Foundation of Gender Identity"

Enloe, "Daughters and Generals in the Politics of the Globalized Sneaker"

WHO, "Violence Against Women"

Marshall, "The Connection Between Militarism and Violence Against Women"

Wali, Gould, & Fitzgerald, "Impact of Political Conflict on Women: The Case of Afghanistan"

First Take Home Essay Due

(no late papers accepted!)

15% of course grade

3-9

Inequality

Schaeffer:

8: "The Rise of China"

Rothenberg:

Part Five: Poverty, Inequality, and Structural Violence", pgs. 317-322

Black, "Inequality in the Global Village"

Yates, "Poverty and Inequality in the Global Economy"

IFG, "A Critical Look at Measurements of Economic Progress"

WHO, "The Current State of Global Health"

ILO, "Facts on Child Labour"

UN, "World Poverty and Hunger Fact Sheet"

El Saadawi, "Women and the Poor"

Annotated references for paper

DUE

3-16

BREAK

  

 

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

3-23

Externalities and Everyday Life

Robbins:

Part II: "The Global Impact of the Culture of Capitalism: Introduction", pgs. 137-144

5: "The Problem of Population Growth"

6: "Hunger, Poverty, and Economic Development"

Rothenberg:

Part Seven: "Globalization in Everyday Life", pgs. 471-476

Scholl & Arrizabalaga, "The Human Face of Economics in Argentina"

Mattson, Ayer, & Gerson, "The Maquila in Guatemala"

Global Exchange, "Plan Puebla Panama"

Wypijewski, "GE Goes South"

Frank, "Ground Down in the Fields"

Houghton & Bell, "Latin American Indigenous Movements"

Taylor, "Globalization and the Caribbean"

Majavu, "Debts, Reforms, and Social Services in Africa"

Throop, "The Impact of Water Privatization on South African Women"

Opara, "Water Privatization Charts"

Booker & Minter, "Global Apartheid: AIDS and Murder by Patent"

Frazier, "The Chad-Cameroon Pipeline"

Sengupta, "Squeezed by Debt and Time, Mothers Ship Babies to China"

Ehrenreich & Hochschild, "Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy"

Basel Action Network, "Exporting Harm: The High Tech Trashing of Asia"

Rajiva, "The Globalized Village"

Toure & Compaore, "Your Farm Subsidies are Strangling Us"

Hassett & Shapiro, "How Europe Sows Misery in Africa"

(continued on the next page)

 

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

3-23 cont.

  

Rothenberg:

Waldman, "India’s Poor Starve as Wheat Rots"

Shiva, "The Crisis of Potato Growers in U.P."

Goode, "TV Trims Fiji Girls’ Body Image"

Tokar, "World Bank and the ‘Next Green Revolution’"

  

3-30

 

Robbins:

7: "Environment and Consumption"

8: "Disease"

9: "Indigenous Groups and Ethnic Conflict"

Schaeffer:

14: "Global Climate Change"

Guide: Ch. 4: Polishing Your Paper

Part Three: Finishing Up

Second Take Home Assigned
(Based on readings through today)

4-6

Maintenace,

Rebellion

Rothenberg:

Part Three: "Constructing Difference", pgs. 167-172

Memmi, "Assigning Value to Difference

Eisenstein, "Hatred Written on the Body"

Gourevitch, "Stories from Rwanda"

Stein, "Construction of an Enemy"

Robbins:

Part III: Resistance and Rebellion: Introduction", pgs. 293-300

10: "Peasant Protest, Rebellion, & Resistance"

11: "Antisystemic Protest"

12: "Religion and Antisystemic Protest"

Second Take Home Due:

(no late papers accepted!)

20% of course grade

4-13

9/11

Schaeffer:

"Collateral Damage: The Causes and Consequences of 9/11", pgs. 221-222

9: "Partition in India & Pakistan"

10: "Partition in Palestine"

11: "Revolution & War in Iran & Iraq"

12: "Revolution and War in Afghanistan"

13: "The Aftermath of 9/11"

Paper Draft DUE

For:

Topic:

Read:

Write/Do:

4-20

Social Change

Robbins

13: "Constructing the Citizen-Activist"

Rothenberg:

Part Eight: "Toward a More Equitable Future", pgs. 573-576.

Albertini, "Small is Beautiful"

Shiva, "Building Water Democracy"

New Pittsburgh Courier, "Nigerian Women Win Out Against Oil Giants"

Featherstone, "The New Student Movement"

Gonzales & Stanton, "Filipino Dump Activists Turn Waste into Wealth"

"The Grameen Bank"

Afterword: Schwalbe, "The Cost of American Privilege"

Third Take Home Assigned

4-27

Paper Presentations

    

5-4

Paper Presentations

  

Third Take Home Due

(no late papers accepted!)

15% of course grade

5-11

Paper Presentations

Final Discussions

  

FINAL PAPER DUE

 

Last Modified 02/23/2006
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