GLOBALIZATION:
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
http://www.hist.umn.edu/hist1015/
Lecturers:
Prof. Edward L. Farmer, efarmer@umn.edu, 916 Heller Hall, 612-624-7301,
Office Hours: MW 9:30-11:00 & by appointment
Prof. Carol Hakim, hakimc@umn.edu, 1235 Heller Hall, 612-624-9043,
Office Hours: M 1:00-2:00
Teaching Assistants:
Alan Fujishin, fuji0070@umn.edu, 930 Heller Hall
Melissa Kelley, kelle709@umn.edu, 930 Heller Hall
David Morton, mort0174@umn.edu, 930 Heller Hall
Eric Otremba, otrem009@umn.edu, 930 Heller Hall
Chantel Rodriguez, rodri161@umn.edu, 930 Heller Hall
Sections:
No |
GLOS/HIST |
Time |
Room |
Instructor |
02 |
23371/23357 |
09:05-09:55 M,W |
BlegH 115 |
Rodriguez |
03 |
23373/23359 |
09:05-9:55 Tu,Th |
HHHCtr 30 |
Morton |
04 |
23375/23361 |
10:10-11:00 M,W |
HHHCtr 35 |
Otremba |
05 |
23377/23363 |
11:15-12:05 Tu,Th |
HHHCtr 30 |
Morton |
06 |
23379/23365 |
12:20-01:10 M,W |
BlegH 230 |
Otremba |
07 |
37653/32187 |
12:20-01:10 M,W |
BlegH 225 |
Kelley |
08 |
23381/23367 |
08:00-08:50 W,F |
BlegH 220 |
Rodriguez |
09 |
26871/26849 |
10:10-11:00 M,W |
HHHCtr 25 |
Kelley |
10 |
32959/32941 |
10:10-11:00 M,W |
CarlSMgmt 1-136 |
Fujishin |
About the Course:
This class is designed as an introduction to global history in the last fifty years. It will provide you with a framework for thinking about the recent past, world geography, and some general trends. The course is organized comparatively, and will emphasize selected "cases" in Asia (The People's Republic of China and the Republic of China/Taiwan), the Middle East (Egypt), Africa (South Africa and Mozambique) and Latin America (Cuba and Guatemala). There will be three cycles of comparison, each followed by an examination. Because of the comparative structure our reading assignments will be taken from many sources. A brief introduction to the course, and to the approach to historical study we will use, can be found in the first chapters of the textbook.
Throughout the course we will not only attempt to understand the big picture of global history (East West rivalry in the Cold War, the North South division in development, global ecology and economy) but also how changes have affected people's everyday lives, using the concepts of livelihood and identity that reveal the impact of national and international forces at the personal level. We will seek out the "voices" of individuals by reading short stories and biographical accounts.
Historical Perspectives:
This course surveys global history in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Course content is focused on the emergence of a human rights discourse in the Cold War era and the movement of workers and jobs in an increasingly integrated global economy. A case study approach emphasizes three pairs of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with Egypt as a fourth case. Lectures and readings introduce theoretical approaches to the material, such as Marxism, Dependency Theory, and World Systems Theory, and underscore the ways scholarly understanding has changed over time.
The main work of the discussion sections is analysis of the primary documents in the readings and writing analytical papers. You will be taught to read closely, to question authenticity, to become aware of conflicting perspectives and contradictions between different sources and authors. You will also be required to consider the issues raised by the material from differing cultural perspectives. Finally, you will be introduced to the techniques of oral history. You will conduct an oral interview and then evaluate the evidence gained in an historical context framed from other material studied in the course.
The course is designed to heighten your awareness of assumptions and perspectives through the use of structured comparison. For example, you will compare and contrast differing interpretations of human rights in socialist and capitalist countries, with greatest emphasis on the Maoist era in the People’s Republic of China, South Africa under apartheid, and Guatemala from the 1950s to the 1980s. In a second section of the course the topic is international labor migration. Older patterns of migration from rural areas (agricultural employment) to urban areas (industrial employment) are contrasted with the international outsourcing of industrial and service work made possible in recent decades by lower communication and transportation costs. Global patterns of migrant labor are traced and particular attention is given to how labor mobilization has changed in China, Taiwan, and southern Africa with the advent of globalization.
Global Perspectives:
This course emphasizes four world regions. In three of the regions (East Asia, Southern Africa, Latin America) we will focus on two countries, one socialist and one capitalist. These are the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, South Africa and Mozambique, and Cuba and Guatemala. In the fourth region (Middle East) we will look at Egypt which was caught between the two Cold War camps. There are multiple lectures and readings on each of these countries. Primary emphasis is placed on two issues – human rights and labor migration – that are explored in each of the countries named above. More general consideration is given to processes of globalization with reference to Southern Africa and East Asia ( China and Taiwan). The course is built around a structured comparison of how human rights were interpreted in the socialist and capitalist countries named above during the Cold War and how labor was organized and exploited in those same countries during and after the Cold War.
Seating:
Seating in the lecture will be according to recitation section. Please fill center seats first, leaving outside seats for those who arrive last.
Course Requirements and Grading:
There will be two midterms and a final examination. You should do the assigned readings before attending the lectures. You are required to attend recitation section twice a week. In the section you will do map exercises, take part in discussions, do quizzes and work on writing assignments. Be aware that grades are reported by recitation section. For this reason you need to attend the section for which you are registered and keep in contact with the teaching assistant for that section.
Grading will be guided by the following formula:
Section Syllabus:
More detailed information about such matters as attendance, grading criteria, the rules governing academic dishonesty, map exercises, and writing assignments will be covered in a separate syllabus for your recitation section.
Readings:
Edward L. Farmer, The Information Age [text and documents/Docs]
Wayne Ellwood, No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization
Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, ed., I, Rigoberta Menchu
Liang Heng & Judith Shapiro, Son of the Revolution
Hammond New Headline World Atlas
2009 World Population Data Sheet
Map packet [Contains five outline maps for exercises]
Note Taking:
Because this course deals with recent history a great deal of information will be supplied in lectures. Therefore, it is imperative that you take careful and detailed notes. Practice organizing and condensing information as you write. A brief outline of the main sections of the lecture will be written on the board. Be sure to write down all key terms that appear on the board. If you miss a class, ask someone in your section to let you xerox their notes.
Lecture Schedule:
(Note: Do readings before lecture)
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Week 1
09/09 1. Assessing Your World View
09/11 2. A Global Perspective / Text Chapter 1
Week 2
09/14 3. Themes and Topics / Text Ch 2 / Begin Son of the Revolution
09/16 4. The Recent Past
09/18 5. Cold War Alignments: Egypt / Text Ch 3, Docs A & B - Map 1 Due
I. EAST-WEST DIVISION: HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE COLD WAR
Week 3
09/21 6. Context: The Chinese Civil War / Text Ch 4
9/23 7. People's Republic of China (PRC)
09/25 8. Taiwan: Republic of China (ROC)
Week 4
09/28 9. Context: Cold War in Latin America / Docs C & D
09/30 10. Cuba and Central America - Paper 1 Due
10/02 11. Guatemala - Map 2 Due
Week 5
10/05 12. Context: Southern Africa / Doc E
10/07 13. Cold War in Southern Africa
10/09 14. Film: "South Africa Belongs to Us"
Week 6
10/12 15. Apartheid in South Africa / Docs F & G
10/14 16. Egypt in the Cold War
10/16 17. MIDTERM EXAMINATION I - Paper 1 Returned
II. NORTH-SOUTH RELATIONS: MOVEMENT OF WORKERS AND JOBS
Week 7
10/19 18. The Global Economy / Text Chs 5 & 6/ Begin I Rigoberta Menchu
10/21 19. Cuba Under Embargo / Doc H
10/23 20. Film: “Revolutionaries and Worms" - Revised Paper 1 Due
Week 8
10/26 21. The Economics of Apartheid / Docs I, J, K - Map 3 Due
10/28 22. The End of Apartheid
10/30 23. Labor Migration in Egypt and Middle East
Week 9
11/02 24. Capitalism and Indigenous Peoples
11/04 25. Film: "The Sixth Sun"
11/06 26. Labor in a Planned Economy: PRC - Map 4 Due
Week 10
11/09 27. Export Processing in Taiwan / Doc L
11/11 28. Labor migration in PRC
III. GLOBALIZATION: INTERCONNECTIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
11/13 29. The Challenge of Global Management - Paper 2 Due
Week 11
11/16 30. MIDTERM EXAMINATION II
11/18 31. Capitalism in the Global Era / Text Ch 7
11/20 32. Economic Institutions of the Global Era / No-Nonsense Guide
Week 12
11/23 33. Corporations as Global Actors / No-Nonsense Guide
11/25 34. Film: “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?” - Map 5 Due
11/27 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Week 13
11/30 35. Consumerism and Lifestyle / Docs M & N
12/02 36. Ecology / Text Ch 8 / Doc O
12/04 37. Population in the Global Era / Doc T
Week 14
12/07 38. Population in Egypt
12/09 39. Family Planning / Doc P
12/11 40. Disease in the Global Era / Doc Q - Paper 3 Due
Week 15
12/14 41. Living with AIDS / Doc R
12/16 42. Memory and Recent History