ASOB05030U Globalisation and its Discontent

Volume 2013/2014
Education
BA+MA elective courses
Content
The term “Globalisation” refers to a process of cultural, political, and economic integration resulting from rapid changes in technology and world politics. There is no doubt that we live in a world that is increasingly global, international and even transnational and globalisation is one of the defining features of the contemporary world. But there is considerable controversy regarding its nature, impact, and future trends. This interdisciplinary (combining perspectives from political science, sociology, economics, and political philosophy) course introduces students to the emerging field of global studies. We will explore how the process of globalisation is shaping and transforming economic, culture and politics around the world. The course is divided into three sections. In the first half of the course, we explore the current conceptual debates concerning the intensification of global interaction, the historical processes associated with the emergence of a global economy, and the acceleration of globalisation processes in its political, economic, cultural and social forms. In the second half of the course, we build fundamental knowledge about the key actors, institutions, and processes that shape globalisation and the international political economy. The aim of this part is to examine the agents, modes of organisation and institutions that govern the new transnational space of globalisation. In the final section, we explore the many promises of globalisation as well as the sources of the anti-globalisation backlash (global civil society, anti-globalisation movements and terrorist networks). We conclude by exploring the implications of globalisation for the nation-state and international order.

TENTATIVE OUTLINE
The course consists of the following fourteen units.
Unit 1: Course Overview and Introduction: What is globalization? What is Resistance?
Unit 2: Theories of the Global System: Discourses on Globalisation
Unit 3: What Drives Globalisation: Economic Dimensions (as Economic Flows: Trade, Finance, and Production)
Unit 4: What Drives Globalisation: Globalization, Culture, and Global Communications: Homogenisation or Hybridity?
Unit 5: What Drives Globalisation: Political Globalisation: Power, Transnational Politics, Global Governance and the State
Unit 6: Globalisation and/or Regionalisation
Unit 7: Globalisation of Human Rights and Democracy
Unit 8: Globalisation and Inequalities/poverty
Unit 9: Globalisation, International Migration, Transnationalism
Unit 10: Globalization, Resistance, Hegemonies and Counterhegemonies,
Unit 11: Negative Global Flows and Process: Conflict, Terrorism
Unit 12: Globalization and the Environment -- saving the planet
Unit 13: The Future World Order: The Decline of American Power and The Emerging Giants: China and India?
Unit 14: Course Conclusions: Capitalist Globalization, Alternative Globalizations, and Resistance: What does the Future Hold?
Learning Outcome
This course explores the global nature of contemporary social change. It takes globalisation as the master trend reshaping social life everywhere. It deals thematically with the main issues in the debate about the meaning, extent, and consequences of globalisation. It uses a multidisciplinary approach, and covers the political, economic, historical and cultural aspects of globalisation. The interdisciplinary readings emphasise the political-economic, cultural, institutional, and technological, implications of globalisation and allow students to evaluate whether these processes pose opportunities or challenges to individuals, societies, and the global community. This course cannot hope to cover all aspects of globalisation adequately, and therefore the content is of necessity selective. Yet (without being narrow) it will provide an intellectually stimulating course which will prepare students for a critical engagement with contemporary debates on globalisation.

MAIN LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of the course students will:
• Acquire an understanding of key concepts of globalisation and the dominant theoretical interpretations.
• Be able to identify the sources of major political transformations in the contemporary world
• Be able to interpret and evaluate the political, economic and social consequences of the processes associated with globalisation
• Have wide-ranging familiarity with the ways in which globalisation is experienced, managed and resisted by actors within (and across) different levels of analysis – global, regional, national and local.
• Have developed key analytical, interpretative, and written and oral presentational skills.
Literature

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

George Ritzer (2010) Globalization: A Basic Text. Malden, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell

John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens (2011) The Globalization of World Politics Fifth Edition Oxford University press

Both of these sources are great sources for the study of globalization. I strongly encourage you to purchase the books
Class teaching
Kurset fungerer også som liniefag for specialiseringsretningen: Politisk Sociologi
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 123,5
  • Preparation
  • 123,5
  • Total
  • 275,0
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Group/individual:. The Free written take-home essay may be written individually or by a group (max. 4 persons)
Size: An Free written take-home essay of maximum 15 pages of 2400 characters each page. If written by a group, the essay may be 7½ pages of 2400 characters each page longer per additional student.
Attention: When handing in as a group, the contribution of each student must be pointed out
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners
Exam period
Handing in of papers: 12.00 o’clock in the secretariat (16.1.26) Submission dates will be available during September.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see the course objectives.
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
An oral exam based upon a topic chosen by the individual student
Group/individual: Individual
Size: A synopsis of maximum 3 pages of 2400 characters. The synopsis may be handed in as a group. However, the oral exam is on individual basis. The synopsis itself is ment as a discussion paper and does not enter into the assesment.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners
Exam period
Handing in of papers: 12.00 o’clock in the secretariat (16.1.26) Submission dates will be available during September.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see the course objectives.