Required readings: Lechner and Boli (eds.), The Globalization Reader (Blackwell)

Note: in addition to the book above, I’ve reserved ® some additional readings and they are listed below. They are available in the reserve room of the main library, and some are also on my web page (http://www.u.arizona.edu/~volgy/). These are noted as (x) below.

Week 1

(Aug 24) Introduction to the course, expectations, etc.

Note: No class on August 31^st; it is the annual American Political Science Association Conference.

Week 2

(Sept 7) What is Globalization?

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part III

Keohane/Nye, "Globalization: What’s New? What’s Not? (And so What?)" Foreign Policy ®, (x)

Week 3

(Sept 14) Explaining Globalization

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part II

Week 4

(Sept. 21) Explaining Globalization (continued)

READINGS: Friedman/Ramonet, "Dueling Globalization," Foreign Policy ®,(x)

Ellingsen, "The New World Order: Global Village or Civilizational Clashes," ®,(x)

Huntington, "The West: Unique, Not Universal," Foreign Affairs, ®, (x)

Week 5

(Sept 28) Economic Globalization

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part IV

Week 6

(Oct. 5) Economic Globalization (continued)

Week 7

(Oct 12) Political Globalization

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part V

Week 8

(Oct 19) Political Globalization (continued)

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part VI

Week 9

(Oct 26) Cultural Globalization

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part VII

Barber, "Jihad Vs. McWorld," Atlantic Monthly®, (x)

Political Cartoon: "Cold Wall World" by Kal

Week 10

(Nov 2) Cultural Globalization (continued)

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part VIII

Week 11

(Nov 9) Debating Globalization

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part I

Flynn, "Globalization and the Future of Border Control," Council on Foreign Relations ®, (x)

Week 12

(Nov 16) Debating Globalization (continued)

READINGS: Lechner/Bali, Part IX

Shapiro, "The Internet," Foreign Policy ®,(x)

Note: No class on November 23^rd; Thanksgiving recess

Week 13

(Nov 30) Presentation of Research projects;

Wrap-up and Synthesis

Final Paper due: December 14^th, 5:00PM (of course, turning them in earlier will be greatly appreciated)

This course is formally known as a frosh colloquium. As such, it is intended to fulfill a number of objectives:

1. to think, talk, and interact creatively around a salient topic. In this case, the focus is on globalization, and we want to talk and think insightfully about that topic with each other;
2. to create opportunities for faculty-student and student-student classroom interactions. Thus, the class is meant to be small, and my responsibility is to help engage you in discussion about the subject. Your responsibility is to come prepared—to think about the subject matter ahead of time, to do the readings and think critically about what you read—to discuss the week’s subject matter;
3. to provide an alternative to the traditional, large, first year class. This means that I will seldom, if ever lecture. We will discuss subjects, and the value and quality of the course is as much dependent on you as it is on me. It means as well that we will have opportunities to interact with each other both inside and outside of the classroom. The university tends to be a bit large and impersonal; this class gives us a chance to get to know each other better, and for you to feel free to come chat with me about either the course or virtually anything else.

The course is for one credit. Therefore, the work load is expected to be significantly lighter than in a more typical, three-unit course. I have responded to this in two ways. First, I’ve assigned what I consider to be very little in the way of readings. Second, to help facilitate your discussion, I typically listed one or more questions to think about for each topic. I will be focusing on those questions in class, and I expect that you will come to class prepared.

This class is typically conducted on a pass-fail basis. To pass the course, I expect the following:

--you engage the subjects in class and demonstrate it through your class participation;

--you do the above by having read the materials in a timely fashion, and thought about them before coming to class;

--you write one paper and the end of the course in lieu of a final exam, that will reflect how much you have learned in the course. More about this later.

--you will be involved with one research project. These projects are designed to have you think systematically about how to gather evidence. The project should take no more than about five hours of your time.

Your grade will be based on the following:

Class participation: 50%

Papers: 50%

Instead of a midterm and a final exam, you are asked to write a paper, due at the end of the semester (December 14^th), which will summarize what you had learned about globalization and how to approach the subject.

Here is the setting: you are a foreign policy advisor to the President of the United States. The new President is going to take office in a few weeks. You’ve been asked by the outgoing president to write a paper for the incoming one, briefing him on globalization and its consequences for the United States.

In writing the briefing paper for the President, make sure you address the following topics:

• Explain what is globalization;
• Explain its multidimensional nature;
• Explain its benefits and drawbacks (from the standpoint of the United States government);
• Explain what, if anything, he should do about it.

The paper should be no more than ten pages (typed, of course…Presidents don’t read handwriting).