Economic Globalization
Sociology 2, Class 10
Copyright © 2010 by Evan Schofer
Do not copy or distribute without
permission
Announcements
• Announcements
– Midterm next class: Feb 9
• Bring something to write with!
• Midterm review sheet handed out previously
– Available on the course website
– NO SECTION during week of midterm!!!
• No section meetings Feb 8-12
– One week 5 reading won’t be on the exam:
• Brawley, Mark R. 2003. “Globalization and Domestic
Politics” Pp. 107-130 (Chapter 5) in The Politics of
Globalization. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview.
• Agenda
• Wrap up and more midterm review.
Midterm Info
• Topic coverage:
– All class lecture material
• Lecture notes on course website
– All readings up through Week 5
– Commanding Heights video, Episodes 1 & 3
• Available via course web page…
– Exam Format:
• Closed book / closed notes
• Mix of short answer/multiple choice, medium length,
and perhaps one short essay question.
Globalization and Governance
• Issue: Can we do anything about the
negative consequences of globalization
• As Stiglitz recommends we “reform governance”
• What does he mean?
• Governance: Ruling, governing, or
managing
• Sovereignty: Supreme power over a body
politic; freedom from external control
(Webster)
• Related term: autonomy
Governance: Definitions
• Treaty: An agreement among nations to follow
certain rules
• Ex: GATT: “General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade”
– Set rules for global trade, prior to the WTO
• Ex: Montreal Protocol on CFC emissions
– An environmental treaty, in which countries agreed to ban the
use of chemicals that damaged the Ozone layer.
Governance: Definitions
• IGO: Inter-governmental Organization: An
organization whose members are governments
– Again, purpose is usually to negotiate or enforce agreements
among governments
• Ex: The World Trade Organization (WTO)
– Members created it as a forum to manage world trade
• Ex: The World Bank
– Governments created it to reduce poverty and encourage
development via loans and projects
• Ex: European Union
– An supra-national government that coordinates (and in some
cases has the power to set) economic & trade policies for
member countries
• Ex: UNEP: The United Nations Environment Program
– Branch of the UN; urges nations to address environmental issues
Key Players in Global Governance
Civil Society
• Issue: States and corporations are not the
only players in global governance
• Civil society: citizen activity in the public
sphere that is not part of the state or
business sector
• Includes things like: Citizen participation in
organizations, protest activities
• Social movements: Sustained efforts by
members of civil society to challenge existing
governance and produce social change.
Governance: Definitions
• Some components of civil society:
• NGO: Non-governmental Organization
• A domestic association
– Clean Water Action; The Nature Conservancy
• Also sometimes called “non-profits” or “associations”
• INGO: International non-governmental
organization
• An association that is international in membership and
(typically) scope
• Ex: Greenpeace, WWF
Governance: Issue to reflect on…
• Issue: Who should be able to participate in
making the rules for governing globalization?
•
•
•
•
Just states?
Domestic or international NGOs & social movements?
Random people?
What would a more democratic “global governance”
look like?
Video: Commanding Heights
• Wrap up: Inequality, governance, and the
future of globalization
• Episode 3, Chapters 17-end (28 minutes)
– If time allows…
Midterm Review
• Additional review, for those who wish to stay…