Course Description
Explores why the global economy operates the way it does. It provides a broad overview of the discourse and politics of "globalization," and then examines two critical processes that shaped the contemporary global economy's emergence: 19th century imperialism and the 20th- and 21st-century actions of transnational corporations.
Athena Title
Globalization and Modern World
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Successful completion of this course will provide students with the following learning outcomes: A basic understanding of how the global economy functions and how it came to be. A clear grasp of the concept of globalization and contending definitions of it. An appreciation of the diversity of economic systems and practices in different parts of the planet. An awareness of the dynamic nature of economies, with emphasis on how political, social, cultural, and historical factors and processes shape their form and how they operate. An ability to think critically about globalization as a political, economic, and geographical process. This course meets the following General Education Abilities by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: Communicate effectively through writing. This is met by exams and the writing of a term paper. Communicate effectively through speech. This is met by oral presentations, leading discussion, and classroom participation. Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and is developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry-based learning efforts. Moral Reasoning (Ethics) is an important element of this course, as it explores linkages among human behaviors, economic development, differential cultural norms, and globalizing forces. Moral reasoning is developed through lectures, writing assignments, classroom discussion, and inquiry-based learning activities.
Topical Outline
Introduction -What do we mean by “globalization”? -How can we think of globalization as being a geographical process linking the world together? -Is there a difference between economic internationalization and economic globalization? -The hyperglobalists vs. the globalization skeptics – what’s at stake in the debate? Well, everything! Precursors to the Global Economy -How did imperialism link the world together in new and different ways? -How did the policies of the imperial age transform the world economy? -What has been the legacy of imperialism for understanding the geography of uneven development across the planet? Restructuring the global economy and the world of the transnational corporation -Imperialism and the birth of the modern TNC. -How have TNCs connected different parts of the world together through their activities? -What is the relationship between TNCs and the nation-state in a globalizing world? -How has globalization impacted the U.S. economy?
Syllabus