GLBL 210: Global Issues This syllabus includes the following sections: Course Overview Required Texts Course Requirements Academic Policies Course Outline COURSE OVERVIEW Over the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in the processes broadly known as globalization, driven, in part, by significant changes in technology and global integration and affecting such areas as politics, economics, and cultural practices. In institutions of higher learning and increasingly at the elementary and high school levels, teachers are developing courses aimed at mapping out the historical and contemporary factors that have led to the emergence of a global system marked by interdependence, similarities, and differences. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the renewed interest in global issues has resulted in the creation and tremendous growth of the Curriculum in Global Studies, an academic program that offers a wide range of courses that examine the nature of global political, economic, and cultural interconnectedness. GLBL 210 provides an introduction to the evolving field of global studies, with a focus on globalization, a concept increasingly invoked by politicians, scholars, social activists, and other social actors in contemporary debates on global political, cultural, and economic issues. 1 of 5
While the term globalization is widely used by a variety of social actors, its meaning and core elements are highly contested. In this course we will take a historical approach to the study of globalization in an effort to tease out the main elements of this process that encompasses economic, political, cultural, and environmental developments. We will examine specific issues that have taken different forms across geographical regions and cultures in the various phases of globalization: the emergence of markets and the construction of a global economy nationalism and the formation of a world of nation-states European colonialism and its legacies conceptions and consequences of Third World development core themes in contemporary debates on globalization economic globalization the continued global presence of genocidal violence cultural globalization (media, identity, and fundamentalism) strategic globalization and the relations between Great Powers the global financial crisis and its implications the rise of China as a major world power. Our central goal will be to understand the cultural, political, and economic issues that have marked the evolution of the global system, and the historical forces that have created current relationships among different groups of people and regions of the world. We will draw on scholarly literature of the social sciences, historians, accounts of personal experiences in the modern global system, and policy documents and reports of governmental and nongovernmental agencies. The course will proceed on two levels: 1. an account of changing social relations within increasingly global economic, cultural, and political systems 2. analytical and critical reflections on the terms and categories that are used to describe these relations. I hope that this course will not only help us understand the complexity and evolution of modern political, economic, and cultural processes but also enable us to see the interconnectedness of our societies. A final note on the readings: In the past, many participants have voiced concerns about the amount of readings for the course. The classroom version of GLBL 210 is similarly demanding we cover a broad range of information that will help prepare you for the Global Studies major, and we want you to have a corpus of readings and ideas to which you can refer back as you continue your course work (or employment) in the years ahead. I agree that these readings are substantial, some weeks more than others, but it should be noted that each week s readings take the place of assignments for two to three classes (depending on whether it is a MWF or TTh class). Your exam is also open book (obviously), so you have time to refer back to them when taking your test. I have tried to tailor the discussion questions so you know what you are looking for in the readings, so do look at the discussion forum assignments each week before beginning your reading, as this will speed you along and let you know what is important to get out of each reading. Past students have managed to master this course, and I have no doubt that you all will do the same. In the event that you fall behind, especially in the beginning, contact me, and we will figure out how to get you up to speed. You will find that I am extremely accommodating when I am made aware of your situation. Overall in this course, the more you let me know about your situation, the more I can help you. This is a unique class, offering a thorough and comprehensive overview of the bewildering whirlwind of events 2 of 5
and processes that affect the world around us. I look forward to joining you on this rapid journey through our complex, ever-changing world. Welcome to GLBL 210! REQUIRED TEXTS See the course description for instructor information. Library Services (including e-reserves) Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access. Most online resources require you to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an email to request assistance. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Your final grade will be based on the following breakdown: Discussion Forum Participation Essay 1 Essay 2 TOTAL 30 percent 20 percent 20 percent 30 percent 100 percent Reading Assignments Each lesson has a required reading assignment. The readings are organized thematically and form the foundation for our weekly discussion forums. Complete your reading assignment during the weekend so that you will have time to think about the readings before your discussion forum postings are due. Discussion Forum You can access the discussion forums by clicking on Forums in the left navigation bar of this Sakai site. The forums provide a site for a stimulating and engaging discussion of the main themes of the week's readings and lecture notes. Your participation will count as 30 percent of your course grade. There are eleven lessons during the semester, and you will be required to participate in the discussion forum for nine of those. In other words, you are entitled to two weeks of nonparticipation, no questions asked. Beyond that, failure to submit your posts and responses on time will result in a zero for any missed discussion forums. There are no exceptions to this rule except in the case of documented emergencies. 3 of 5
You are required to post your response to the questions in the discussion forum assignment by Tuesday of each week. Respond by Thursday to at least one classmate s posting. The Tuesday/Thursday schedule will be the norm. Due to holidays, some weeks will operate on a slightly different submission schedule, so pay attention to dates and deadlines. As noted above, late responses will not be accepted. It is important to complete your readings on the weekends so that you can post your responses on time. You will get much more out of this course if you interact with each other and talk about your ideas on the forums. Essays You are required to write two essays in this course. Essay 1 will be on topics we cover in Lessons 2 5. Essay 2 will be on topics we cover in Lessons 6 10. There are links to the essay guidelines in the Schedule. You will email your completed essay to me. Your final exam will consist of three essay questions. It will be open book. A link to your exam will appear in the section on the day the exam is scheduled (see the Schedule). Grading scale A 100 93 B+ 89 87 C+ 79 77 D+ 69 67 A- 92 90 B 86 83 C 76 73 D 66 60 B- 82 80 C- 72 70 F 59 0 ACADEMIC POLICIES By enrolling as a student in this course, you agree to abide by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill policies related to the acceptable use of online resources. Please consult the Acceptable Use Policy on topics such as copyright, net-etiquette, and privacy protection. As part of this course, you may be asked to participate in online discussions or other online activities that may include personal information about you or other students in the course. Please be respectful of the rights and protection of other participants under the UNC-Chapel Hill Information Security Policies when participating in online classes. When using online resources offered by organizations not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, such as Google or YouTube, please note that the terms and conditions of these companies and not the University s Terms and Conditions apply. These third parties may offer different degrees of privacy protection and access rights to online content. You should be well aware of this when posting content to sites not managed by UNC-Chapel Hill. When links to sites outside of the unc.edu domain are inserted in class discussions, please be mindful that clicking on sites not affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill may pose a risk for your computer due to the possible presence of malware on such sites. Honor Code As a UNC student, you are expected to uphold the University s Honor Code, which states that It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the 4 of 5
enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic personnel acting in an official capacity. All graded academic work must include the following pledge: No unauthorized assistance has been received or given in the completion of this work. All work that you produce must be your own! Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be tolerated in this course. Be sure that you understand the correct way to cite scholarly material when completing assignments. If you have any additional questions about what constitutes plagiarism, or how to properly cite a source, please contact me. Please view this brief Plagiarism Tutorial created by the librarians of UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, NC State University, and NC Central University. COURSE OUTLINE Lesson Topic Globalization I: Before 1945: Introduction; Rise of Modern Industrial Societies; European Imperialism and Its Legacies Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Introduction; Defining Globalization The Emergence of Political Modernity: The Rise of Nation-states and Their Continued Relevance Today The Rise of Self-regulating Markets Lesson 4 Lesson 5 European Imperialism: Political Legacies: Nationalist Movements and the Construction of Ethnic Identity The Emergence of Theories of Third World Development Globalization II: 1979-present: Contemporary Globalization Important Themes Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Lesson 9 Lesson 10 Lesson 11 Economic Globalization I: Production, Trade, and Capital Economic Globalization II: Globalization and the Developing World Debt Crisis, Structural Adjustment Policies, and Hunger China as a Global Power Globalization and Violence: The Specter of Genocide in the New Millennium The Global Financial Crisis Cultural Globalization: Globalization and Cultural Politics The University of North Carolina Send comments and questions to fridaycenter@unc.edu. 5 of 5