DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURE
ANTH330-010
SPRING 2011
Instructor: Dr. Donna Budani
Class Meeting Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Class Time: 2:00pm – 3:15pm
Classroom: SHL
Office Hours: 8:30am – 2:00pm
Office: 138 John Munroe Hall
Voice Mail: 831- 1859
Email: budani@udel.edu
Web page: www.udel.edu/anthro/budani
COURSE DESCRIPTION
How do you make sense of people when they argue that they are ‗pro‘ or ‗antiglobalization? What is the affect of Globalization on cultures? Is it true that
American Culture has a hegemonic affect on world cultures? How do ‘the local‘
and ‗the global‘ affect each other? This course aims to help you start answering
these sorts of questions by examining globalization in all its diverse forms of
world-wide interconnections. Such interconnections include economic ties,
political ties, cultural ties and social ties. We will study these interconnections by
focusing on culture and its affect on societies at both the local and global level.
REQUIRED BOOKS
1. Many Globalizations: Cultural Diversity in the Contemporary World.
Peter L. Berger and Samuel P. Huntington, editors.
2. Disability in Local and Global Worlds. Benedicte Ingstad and Susan
Reynolds Whyte, editors.
3. Globalization and American Popular Culture. Lane Crothers, author.
4. Ireland and The Global Question. Michael J. O’Sullivan, author.
5. The Devil Behind the Mirror: Globalization and Politics in the
Dominican Republic. Steven Gregory, author.
6. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights and the New War on the
Poor. With New Preface by the Author. Paul Farmer, author
Class Attendance
Consistent attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be taken at each class
session. Any absence that does not have my permission is an unexcused absence.
Unexcused absences will result in the loss of 4 points for each unexcused
absence.. Any absence due to fevers, common colds, flu, migraine headaches,
dental work, more involved illnesses, car trouble and involvement with
University sponsored programs are considered excused absences provide I am
notified BEFORE class by email. In cases of personal circumstances, students are
responsible to contact me (via email) BEFORE class meets in order to qualify for
an excused absence.
Class Participation 10% of your final grade
This class will follow a seminar format of lecture, and discussion. Class
discussion is the forum for you to bring your opinion, and insights acquired as a
result of the readings assigned. Understanding and critical assessment of the
ideas and information in the required assignment are the aims of class
discussion. No student in the class will receive an A or A- unless he or she
consistently participates in class.
Films 20% of your final grade
Films are a proven way to enhance learning on any subject in the classroom. This
is especially true about a class on culture and globalization because films make
vivid the ethical questions and human consequences of globalization. Inequality
and increased poverty for the already poor are some of the results of
globalization. Films make complicated economic processes and conditions
understandable. Thus, films will be an important part of this course. The films
shown in this class are reviewed for the information they provide and for the
degree to which they enlighten students‘ comprehension of the key issues in the
film. Students are required to write a critical analysis of 5 out of the 7 films
shown in class. See my web page for this course where you will find a form for
critical assessment and technical guidelines. Each of the five films are reviewed
separately. See web page www.udel.edu/anthro/budani for further instructions.
Class Presentation of Reading 40% of your grade
Your goal is to prepare a typed critical assessment for class discussion of the
assigned reading. You prepare a critical assessment of the assigned reading for
the day. This assessment includes the following: 1) bibliographic citation for your
assigned reading, 2) statement of the question that the author tried to answer in
Your assigned reading, 3) statement of the approach taken by the author, 4)
statement of the author‘s conclusion, 5) your discussion of what the reading tells
you about globalization and/or culture, and 6) questions that you will use in
class to facilitate a discussion of the readings. When preparing your statement,
you should assume that everybody else in the class has read the assignment in
advance. Type your name, the class and section i.e., Anth330-010, and the date. If
two or more readings are assigned, then please select one reading for your
critical assessment. Turning in typed assessments begin Tuesday, February 15th.
Full credit for the exercise is valued at 20 points per assessment.
Critical Assessments are completed for Tuesday and Thursday reading
assignments and must be typed. No hand written assessment will be accepted. I
do realize that sometimes printers do not work. If your printer gives you
trouble, you are to do all you can to print out a copy of that date‘s critical
assessment and turn it into the department of anthropology by 4pm on the class
date. If this proves impossible, then turn in your assessment on the next class
date. I expect that, if printing should be a problem, students will notify me
before class. I also expect, that students, who have problems with their computer
or printer, will bring to class a hand written copy of their questions.
Research Paper 50% of your final grade
Your goal is to write a research paper about some subject and topic concerning
globalization and culture motivated by reading assignments, class discussion
questions and your own preliminary research. A list of possible topics and
subjects is included at the end of this syllabus, after the course schedule. A
scholarly research paper is not something you can start in the last three weeks of
the term. Such researches are easily recognized and will receive a grade of F.
Begin your research the first week of classes by previewing the assigned texts to
determine which subjects and topics interest you the most. Look through the
bibliography of the assigned texts as a way to begin to identify resources and
formulate ideas. Do article searches using both JSTOR and PROJECT MUSE.
Make a research plan by beginning backwards; that is, start with the date you are
to turn in your paper. Ask yourself what task did I have to complete my research
for May 17th? Well, you need to do a final editing, check to make sure you have
followed all technical guidelines. Then, ask yourself what task precedes this
step? To complete this task, you would need to edit your paper, do a final spell
check and give a final read through, checking that your argument is strong and
supported by solid evidence. Continue to do a comprehensive plan until you get
to the task start research which should begin Thursday, February 10th. At the end
of this syllabus, I attached a how to paper about how to write a research paper
from Georgetown University to be used as a guide. You will find many how to
papers on doing research on the internet. Find one that suits you the best. Keep
in mind that you are writing a scholarly research paper and not an opinion essay.
Due Dates for Research Paper
On Thursday, February 24th your goal is to turn in your research questions about
globalization and culture and a list of topics to be addressed in your research
paper. Organize your topics in the order of importance. Your list of topics will
change and the order of your topics will change. At this point, you questions will
be broad. I expect you to refine your question as you do research. Think of this
question as providing a direction for you to explore subjects, topics and
relationships concerning globalization and culture. Review the bibliography in
your texts as a start in the process of identifying potential resources/ Remember
at this point you are working with vague ideas. Do preliminary article search on
JSTOR and PROJECT MUSE. Go to the library and begin to identify books that
seem interesting to you. Review these books, as well as, required texts for idea
about culture and globalization. Finally, begin working on your own definition
of globalization or select a definition that seems appropriate to you.
On Thursday, March 17th submit a 200 word abstract of your paper including a
refinement (or change of your question), identify your topics, approach and
provisional conclusion. Also submit separately a list of sources you have
identified for your paper and that include books suited to your topics, and search
JSTOR and PROJECT MUSE for relevant articles.
On Thursday, April 7th turn in your provisional outline. This includes the
questions that underlie your research and topics in logical order necessary to
answer your questions. In other words, your question is about what you want to
know about globalization and culture in a specific context and your outline
contains identification of resources that will help you identify the answers to
your questions. Also, write a provisional thesis statement. The best way to write
a thesis statement is write a question about your research and answer the
question. The answer is your thesis statement
On Tuesday, April 19th turn in your first draft of your paper. You may find it
necessary to leave spaces identified by a subject/topic only. This indicates that
further research is necessary. I urge you to come to see me during the research
process when and if you are experiencing problems.
Sometime between April19th and April 28th all students are expected to make an
appointment with me during my office hours. If my office hours are
inconvenient for you, tell me and we will make other arrangements. I will
prepare a a check –off form for you to bring to our meeting. If you do not
schedule a meeting with me in this time period, 10 points will be deducted from
your grade for the research paper.
On Thursday, April 28th turn in your second draft and completed bibliography
On Tuesday, May 10th, If you like, turn in your final paper which I will read as a
draft and return it to you for final editing.
On Tuesday, May 17th Hand in your final paper.
Please be aware that the dates above are set in concrete. I will not accept any
work pass the date specified for the task.
Technical Guidelines
Technical criteria for the Essays include the following: One inch margins all
around; line spacing is set at 1,5;. Use no font larger than this one (Times New
Roman 12); Title page is required. Center the title of your research on the title
page. Skip two spaces and insert your name centered on the title page. Under
your name place the class designation. Number all pages including the first page
of text. Page numbers should be centered at bottom of the page. Citations are
required if you quote and/or paraphrase material from your readings and all
other sources. Citations are required for any material you use from the Internet
and library resources including those obtained from JSTOR and PROJECT
MUSE.. Length of research paper is 12 pages excluding title page and
bibliographic material. Use University of Chicago as your style guide. Footnotes
are required.
LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
It is my policy not to accept late submission of homework and other assignments.
If for any reason you MUST hand in your papers late, you are responsible to
obtain my permission prior to the due date of the assignment. Please be advised
that late T & TR reading analysis statements will not be accepted unless you
misses class for an acceptable reason. Also, due dates for turning in your paper
at various stages of development are firm and must be met. If you miss a
deadline date, you will lose 8 points per due date from your final grade for the
research paper.
MONITORING EMAIL
I rely on email to communicate with my students. From time to time, I will email
the class information related to our readings, special discussion questions and
notices related to class work.
Be sure to check your ―mail box‖ two to three times a week.
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY 330-010
GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURE
COURSE SCHEDULE
SPRING 2011
Tuesday, February 8
Introduction to Course
Thursday, February 10
Reading Assignment:
In Many Globalizations, read Berger’s Introduction: The Cultural Dynamics of
Globalization and Yunxiang Yan’s Managed Globalization: State Power and
Cultural Transition in China
Tuesday, February 15
Reading Assignment:
In Berger, read Hsin- Huang & Michael Hsiao’s Cultural Globalization and
Localization in Contemporary Taiwan and Tulasi Srinivas’s The Indian Case of
Cultural Globalization.
Thursday, February 17
Reading Assignment:
In Berger, read Kovacs’s Rural Temptations and Passive Resistance: Cultural
Globalization in Hungary and Hansfred Kellner’s Cultural Globalization in
Germany
Film: Illicit: The Dark Side
Subjects: globalization/ economic aspects/ethical and moral aspects
DVD 5160 54 minutes
Tuesday, February 22
Reading Assignment:
In Berger, read Ann Bernstein’s Globalization, Culture, and Development: Can
South Africa Be More Than An Offshoot of the West? and Hunter & Yates’s In
the Vanguard of Globalization: The American Globalizers.
Thursday, February 24
Reading Assignment:
In Ingstad & Reynolds-Whyte, read Introduction: Disability by Connection and
Aud Talle’s From ―Complete‖ to ―Impaired Body‖: Female Circumcision in
Somalia and London.
Turn In Research Questions and Topics
Tuesday, March 1
Reading Assignment:
In Ingstad and Reynolds-Whyte, read Inhorn and Bharadwji’s Reproductive
Disabled Lives: Infertility Stigma and Suffering in Egypt and India and Weiss’s
The Chosen Body and Rejection of Disability in Israeli Society
Thursday, March 3
Reading Assignment:
In Ingstad and Reynolds-Whyte, read Nancy Scheper-Huges and Marieena
Leal Ferreir’s Dombio’s Spirit Kidney: Transplant Medicine and Smyan India
Cosmology
Film: Buyer Be Fair DVD 5811 57minutes
Subjects: globalization/economic aspects/developing countries/free trade
Tuesday, March 8
Reading Assignment:
In Ingstad and Reynolds-Whyte, read Ingstad’s Seeing Disability and Human
Rights in the Local Context: Botswana Revisited and Traphgan’s Moral
Discourse and Old Age Disability in Japan; and Wheels and New Legs:
Mobilization in Uganda
Thursday, March 10
Reading Assignment:
In Ireland and the Global Question: Chapter 1 Introduction
Tuesday, March 15
Reading Assignment:
In Ireland and the Global Question: Chapter 2 Measuring Globalization in
Ireland and Chapter 3 Views of Unglobalized Ireland
Film: A Killer Bargain DVD 3924 57 minutes
Subjects: textile industry/
India/environment/globalization/pollutants/carcinogencity
Thursday, March 17
Reading Assignment:
In Ireland and the Global Question: Chapter 4 The Tiger; Chapter 5 The
Republic and Chapter 7 Ireland and the Globe
Hand In Research Paper Abstract and Research Provisional Questions and
Topics Listed in Order that makes sense for your research effort.
Tuesday, March 22
Reading Assignment:
In The Devil Behind The Mirror: Introduction, Chapter 1The Politics of
Livelihood and Chapter 2 The Spatial Economy of Difference
Thursday, March 24
Reading Assignment:
In The Devil Behind the Mirror: Chapter 3 Structures of the Imagination and
Chapter 4 Sex Tourism and the Political Economy of Masculinity
SPRING BREAK........................................ENJOY!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 5
Reading Assignment:
In The Devil Behind the Mirror: Chapter 5 Race Identity and the Body Politic
and Chapter 6 The Politics of Transnational Capital
Thursday, April 7
Reading Assignment:
In Globalization and American Popular Culture: Chapter 1 American Popular
Culture and Globalization and Chapter 2 ―American‖ Popular Culture.
Turn In Preliminary Topic/Subject Outline
Tuesday, April 12
Reading Assignment
In Globalization and American Poplar Culture: Chapter 3 The Global Scope of
Television and Chapter 4 The American Cultural Franchise
Film: Globalization and Human Rights DVD 4614 57 minutes
Subjects: globalization/social aspects/human rights. Film examines the clash
between economic aspects of globalization and international human rights
advocacy.
Thursday, April 14
Reading Assignment
In Globalization and American Popular Culture: Chapter 5 Global Trade and
the fear of American Popular Culture
Tuesday, April 19
Reading Assignment
In Globalization and American Popular Culture: Chapter 6 American Popular
Culture and the Future of Globalization
Turn in Rough First Draft
Film: The Hidden Face of Globalization VHS 9589 34minutes
Subjects: globalization/Bangladesh/ child labor/ sweatshops
Thursday, April 21
Reading Assignment:
In Farmer, read Foreword, Introduction and Bearing Witness; Read Chapter 1.
On Suffering and Structural Violence: Social and Economic Rights in the
Global Era. Pp. 21-50
Tuesday, April 26
Reading Assignment:
In Farmer, read Pestilence and Restraint: Guantanamo, AIDS, and the Logic of
Quarantine Pp 51-90 and In Farmer, read Lessons from Chiapas, Pp 91-114
Pp 51 – 90
Film: Bolivian Blues VHS 7915 24 minutes
Subjects: globalization/public health/ children/Indians
Thursday, April 28
Reading Assignment:
In Farmer, read (1) One Physician’s Perspective On Human Rights, Pp 134 – 138;
(2) Health, Healing, and Social Justice: Insights from Liberation Theology, Pp
139 - 159
Turn in Second Draft
Tuesday, May 3
Reading Assignment:
In Farmer, read (1) Listening for Prophetic Voices: A Critique of Market Based
Medicine, Pp. 160 – 178 and New Malaise: Ethics and Social Rights in the
Global Era, Pp 196 - 212
Thursday, May 5
Reading Assignment:
In Farmer, read Re-thinking Health and Human Rights: Time for a Paradigm
Shift, Pp 213 – 246
Film: From docklands to Dhaka VHS 7888 26 minutes
Subjects: medical care/ public health/poverty/ Bangladesh
Tuesday, May 10
Reading Assignment:
Turn in Most recent copy of Research Paper for me to read as a draft.
Thursday, May 12
Consultation on Research paper
Tuesday, May 17
Turn in Final Research Paper
With Permission of the Author.
How to Write a Research Paper
© Copyright 1999, Charles King
Most university courses involve some sort of extended writing assignment,
usually in the form of a research paper. Papers normally require that a student
identify a broad area of research related to the course, focus the topic through
some general background reading, identify a clear research question, marshal
primary and secondary resources to answer the question, and present the
argument in a clear and creative manner, with proper citations.
That is the theory, at least. But how do you go about doing it all? This brief guide
provides some answers.
Teaching Yourself
From the outset, keep in mind one important point: Writing a research paper is in
part about learning how to teach yourself. Long after you leave college, you will
continue learning about the world and its vast complexities. There is no better
way to hone the skills of life-long learning than by writing individual research
papers. The process forces you to ask good questions, find the sources to answer
them, present your answers to an audience, and defend your answers against
detractors. Those are skills that you will use in any profession you might
eventually pursue.
The Five Commandments of Writing Research Papers
To write first-rate research papers, follow the following simple rules—well,
simple to repeat, but too often ignored by most undergraduates.
1. Thou shalt do some background reading, think hard, and speak with the
professor in order to identify a topic.
At the beginning of a course, you will probably not know enough about the major
scholarly topics that are of most importance in the field, the topics that are most
well-covered in the secondary literature or the topics that have already had the
life beaten out of them by successive generations of writers. You should begin by
doing some general reading in the field. If nothing else, begin with the
Encyclopedia Britannica, a wonderful but sadly neglected resource. Read a few
books or articles on topics you find of interest. Follow up the suggested reading
on the course syllabus or the footnotes or bibliographies of the texts you are
reading for the course. After that, speak with the professor about some of your
general ideas and the possible research directions you are thinking about
pursuing. And you should do all this as early in the course as possible.
2. Thou shalt have a clear research question.
A research question, at least in the social sciences, begins with the word ―why‖ or
―how.‖ Think of it as a puzzle: Why did a particular political or social event turn
out as it did and not some other way? Why does a particular pattern exist in
social life? Why does a specific aspect of politics work as it does? How has a
social or political phenomenon changed from one period to another? The
question can be general or particular. Why have some countries been more
successful in the transition from Communism than others? Why did the Labour
Party win the last British general election? How have conceptions of race changed
in the US since the 1960s? How do different electoral systems affect the behavior
of political parties?
The point is that you should attempt to identify either:
novel trends, developments or outcomes in social life that are not readily
apparent (the ―how‖ questions), or
the causes of a particular event or general trend (the ―why‖ questions).
Professional social scientists—historians, political scientists, sociologists,
international affairs experts—work on both these kinds of questions. In the best
published social science writing you will be able to identify a clear ―how‖ or
―why‖ question at the heart of the research.
―How‖ and ―why‖ questions are essential because they require the author to
make an argument. Research questions that do not require an argument are just
bad questions. For example, a paper on ―What happened during the Mexican
revolution?‖ requires the author to do no more than list facts and dates—a good
encyclopedia entry, maybe, but not a good research paper. ―What‖ and ―when‖
questions are only the starting point for writing research papers. Obviously, you
need to have a firm grasp of the facts of the case, but you must then move on to
answer a serious and important ―why‖ or ―how‖ question in the paper itself.
3. Thou shalt do real research.
―Real research‖ means something other than reading secondary sources in
English or pulling information off the Internet. Real research means using
primary sources. What counts as a primary source, though, depends on what
kind of question you are trying to answer.
Say you want to write a paper on the causes of Communism‘s demise in eastern
Europe. You would begin by reading some general secondary sources on the
collapse of Communism, from which you might surmise that two factors were
predominant: economic problems of Communist central planning and Mikhail
Gorbachev‘s reforms in the Soviet Union. Primary sources in this case might
include economic statistics, memoirs of politicians from the period or reportage
in east European newspapers (available in English or other languages). Bring all
your skills to bear on the topic. Use works in foreign languages. Use software
packages to analyze statistical data.
Or say you want to write about how conceptions of national identity have
changed in Britain since the 1980s. In this case, you might examine the speeches
of British political leaders, editorials in major British newspapers, and voting
support for the Scottish National Party or other regional parties. You might also
arrange an interview with an expert in the field: a noted scholar, a British
government representative, a prominent journalist.
The point about primary sources is that they take you as close as possible to
where the action is—the real, on-the-ground, rubber-meets-the-road facts from
which you will construct your interpretive argument. There are, however,
gradations of primary evidence. The best sources are those in original languages
that are linked to persons directly involved in the event or development that you
are researching. Next are the same sources translated into other languages. Then
come sources that are studies of or otherwise refer to direct experience. In your
research, you should endeavor to get as close as possible to the events or
phenomena you are studying. But, of course, no one can speak every language
and interview every participant in a political or social event. Part of being a
creative scholar is figuring out how to assemble enough evidence using the skills
and resources that you possess in order to make a clear and sustainable argument
based on powerful and credible sources.
One other note for Georgetown students: In a city that contains one of the world‘s
great research libraries, representations from nearly every country on the planet,
the headquarters of countless international organizations, numerous research
institutes, and scores of other political, economic, cultural, and non-governmental
associations and institutions, both domestic and international, there is absolutely
no excuse for the complaint that ―I can‘t find anything on my topic in Lauinger.‖
4. Thou shalt make an argument.
Unfortunately, many undergraduate research papers are really no more than
glorified book reports. You know the drill: Check out ten books (in English) from
the library, skim through three of them, note down a few facts or mark some
pages, combine the information in your own words, and there you have it.
This will not do. Your paper must not only assemble evidence—facts about the
world—but it must weave together these facts so that they form an argument that
answers the research question. There are no once-and-for-all answers in any
scholarly field, but there are better and worse arguments. The better ones have
powerful evidence based on reliable sources, are ordered and logical in the
presentation of evidence, and reach a clear and focused conclusion that answers
the question posed at the beginning of the paper. In addition, good arguments
also consider competing claims: What other counter-arguments have been put
forward (or could be put forward) to counter your points? How would you
respond to them? In fact, consideration of counter-arguments is often a good way
to begin your paper. How have scholars normally accounted for a particular
event or trend? What are the weaknesses of their accounts? What evidence might
be marshaled to suggest an alternative explanation? How does your account
differ from the conventional wisdom?
5. Thou shalt write well.
Writing well means presenting your argument and evidence in a clear, logical,
and creative way. An interesting argument cloaked in impenetrable prose is of no
use to anyone. Sources must be accurately and adequately cited in footnotes,
endnotes or in-text notes using a recognized citation style. The writing style must
be formal and serious. Tables, graphs or other illustrations should be included if
they support your overall thesis.
These are only a few guidelines on how to write research papers. You will no
doubt develop your own styles, rules, and techniques for doing research, making
arguments, and presenting the results of your work. But if you follow the
commandments above, you will be well on your way to writing good research
papers—and hopefully learn something about an important political or social
topic along the way.
© Copyright 1996, Georgetown University
POSSIBLE RESEARCH TOPICS AND SUBJECTS
Obviously, this is not a full list of possible subjects for a research paper. Also,
you may not be interested on any of the below mentioned subjects/topics. For
example you may be interested in the anti-globalization movement in the USA
or Europe or India. The items listed below are just suggestions or a departure
point for other subjects. It is a guide. I hope it helps by helping yo to think of the
countless possibilities for research
1. Globalization---Laos---Economic Aspects
2. Globalization---Laos---Social Aspects
3. Globalization---Laos---Public Health
4. Globalization---Laos—Health/ Public Health
5. Globalization—Laos---Children
6. Globalization---Laos—Tourism/Sex Tourism
7. Globalization---Laos---Gap in Standard of Living
8. Globalization---Laos---Education
9. Globalization---Laos---Emerging Manufacturing Industry
10. Globalization---Laos---Culture change
11. Note: Repeat for Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, South
Korea
12. Feminization of globalization
13. Globalization and Inequality
14. Globalization---South American--/Economic aspects/ Social
Aspects/Public Health/ Health/ Children/ Tourism/Sex
Tourism/Inequality
15. Note Repeat for a country in South America
16. Apply subjects and topics to nations in Central America and include
Mexico
17. Apply subjects and topics to nations in Africa and the Middle East
18. Apply subjects and topics to India
19. Apply subjects and topics to European nations; also include immigration,
sanctuary, impact of loss of manufacturing economic industry to
emerging economies, and culture change