The aim of this seminar is to develop an awareness and understanding of social change as a worldwide phenomenon.  Topics include:  different meanings of globalization; causes and consequences of the spread of American culture; origin and structure of world inequality; global protest movements; current U.S. militarism; formation of world regions; and possible future scenarios.  Emphasis is on world-systems analysis as an attempt to orient social thought to the global age.

 

Weekly reading assignments are to be done in advance of class meetings. Attendance and participation are essential.  There are 5 short writing assignments (2-3 pages) and a final paper (10 pages). 

 

Grading: assignments/participation (50%); final paper (50%)

 

Required Readings:

Wayne Ellwood, The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization, 2^nd ed.

Tom Mertes (ed.), A Movement of Movements

Immanuel Wallerstein, World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction

 

All other readings are available through ERES, the library’s electronic reserve reading site.

 

I.        Overview

 

II.       Views on Globalization

                        Ellwood, Intro. & ch. 1

Barber, “Jihad vs. McWorld”

Huntington, “The clash of civilizations?”

Wallerstein,  “Globalization or the Age of Transition?”

_____ “The Eagle has crash landed”

 

III.         Americanization and World Cultures

              Cowen/Barber, “Globalization and Culture”

            Pieterse, excerpt from Globalization and Culture

            Marcos, “The hourglass of the Zapatistas” in MM

            Ngwane, “Sparks in the Township” in MM

            Wallerstein, “Does India Exist?”

 

IV.       Foundations of World Inequality

            Ellwood, chs. 2-5

            Bello, “The Global South” in MM

            Sachs (UN Millennium Project)

            Wallerstein, ch. 2

            Aristide, excerpts from Eyes of the Heart

 

V.       World Inequality, cont.

            Kristof, “Two cheers for sweatshops”

            Njehu, “Cancel the Debt” in MM

            Muchala, “Students Against Sweatshops” in MM

 

VI.       Social Protest Movements

            Klein, “Reclaiming the Commons” in MM

            Hardt,  “Today’s Bandung?” in MM

            Bove, “A Farmers’ International?” in MM

            Ellwood, ch. 7

            Barraclough, “The Revolt Against the West”

           Silver and Slater, “Social Origins of World Hegemonies”

 

VII.      American Hegemony

Barraclough, “The Impact of Technical and Scientific Advance”; “From the European Balance of Power to the Age of World Politics”

Wallerstein, ch. 3

VIII.     Hegemonic Decline

Wallerstein, “The Eagle has crash landed”

Project Proposals Due

IX.     Discussion of Project Proposals

 

X.       World Regions: East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

            Arrighi, “The African Crisis”

            Gunder Frank, preface to ReOrient

 

XI.      Review of World-Systems Analysis I

Wallerstein, ch. 1

 

XII.     Review of World-Systems Analysis II

            Wallerstein, chs. 4 & 5

 

XIII.     Future Scenarios

            Wallerstein, “New Revolts Against the System” in MM

 

XIV.     Project Presentations