TRINITY COLLEGE
SOCY131: GLOBAL SOCIAL ISSUES
FALL SEMESTER 2004
FLC
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE #:
FAX #:
EMAIL:
Dr. Roxanna Moayedi
(202) 884-9266
(202) 884-9229
MoayediR@trinitydc.edu
Office Hours
Tu. & Th. 11:45 to 2:00
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
This course is designed to provoke critical thinking about some contemporary issues
involved in the process of globalization. The course will help students acquire the ability
to develop an analytical understanding of the following key issues in the globalization
theory:
What factors drive the globalization process?
What is the relationship between core/global and periphery/local?
What are the consequences of the globalization process?
What are various forms of protest and resistance against the globalization process?
This course will demonstrate the importance of sociological variables specially those
structural variables that have a great impact, if not a determining impact on the ‘way of
life’ of a people.
Few subjects require students and instructors to keep up with current affairs quite as
much as the study of global problems and issues. To assist students, there is a web site
(http://www.plattsburgh.edu/legacy or
http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/richard.robbins/legacy/default.htm) which provides
supplementary material for the book. The website includes an Online reader with articles
to supplement each of the book chapters and sites arranged according to the chapters of
the book links to resources on countries, maps and corporations as well as links to news
sources, including mainstream media (e.g. International Herald Tribune, New York
Times, Christian Science Monitor), alternative media sources (e.g. New swatch, Green
Leaf Weekly, People Tribune) and international media sources (e.g. Africa News Online,
South China Morning Post). New sites are continually being added online where you
will also find links to search engines and general resources relating to global issues.
Materials from these sites will be used to help us discuss the relevant issues and problems
in the globalization process and its importance in our lives.
The Merchants of Cool video web
site:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/
REQUIRED TEXT
Richard H. Robbins, (3rd edition) 2002. Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism.
Boston. Allyn & Bacon.
OTHER MATERIALS
Videos, Xeroxed materials including newspaper and journal articles and hopefully one or
two guest speakers (during the community time Tu. and Th. From 12:00 to 1:00).
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Students are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled classes, and to attend for
the full class time allotted. Absences must be for reasons of serious illness or other
unavoidable problems. Contact me immediately if you are to miss a class or meeting. It
is as important to attend a class when students are presenting as when the professor is
presiding. The professor has the right to reduce the final grade of any student with an
excess of unexcused absences or late arrivals/early departures.
You will be required to write a number of one page reflections (typed) of videos and
presentations. While I will not grade these papers, I will consider them, when I am
formulating your class participation grade and assessing your mastery of course content.
Class participation
Community Based Research Project
And Poster Presentation (Nov 23)
Mid term (Oct. 12)
Final
10%
30%
30%
30%
Community Based Research Poster
All students are required to complete a CBR poster. CBR is a collaborative process that produces
research information that will be used by community-based organizations. The CBR project
integrates civic action with classroom knowledge. The CBR poster should INTEGRATE the
course materials, readings and class discussions with what you are learning from your
CBR. More information will be provided in the class.
SPECIFICATION FOR CBR PROJECT
Students will condact telephone interviews with food providers (after school programs,
summer feeding sites, soup kitchens, food pantries, mobile feeding programs) in Maryland
and Virginia (# 300). Students at GU will conduct telephone surveys of D.C. food
providers. The goal of this project is to develop a recourse guide of community based food
providers to share with individuals, churches and nonprofit agencies in the area. A specific
protocol will be provided for students to follow. Dr. Sam Marullo of Georgetown U will
also provide a training session.
Washington D.C. Free Food Providers
A Collaborative Project with the Salvation Army, Capital Area Food Bank, Georgetown
University, Trinity University, and the Urban Institute
1. Background on project
This project was started by a GU student Natasha Dasani last semester in the Project DC
course taught by Dr. Sam Marullo
 D.C. Food Insecurity
 D.C. Poverty (see map)
 Need articulated by food providers
Capital Area Food Bank: http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/site/PageServer
Salvation Army: http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf
 Models of other websites: America’s Second Harvest
http://www.secondharvest.org/
 Project by Natasha Dasani:
https://lumen.georgetown.edu/faculty/marullos/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=poster.fullLi
st
2. Overview of Data
 Sources
 Phone numbers
3. Protocol
 Survey instrument
 Consent form
 Phone call log
 Questionnaire
 Key points to keep in mind
4. Next steps
 Cleaning up the questionnaires
 Coding the data
 Inputting the data
 Data analysis
 Web site construction
 Dissemination and training
4. Timelines
Complete calls by: __________________________
Turn in completed forms:
CHANGES MAY BE MADE TO ANY PART(S) OF THIS SYLLABUS AND/OR OTHER
ASSIGNMENTS MAY BE ADDED OR SUBSTITUTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR
AND/OR STUDENTS (WITH PERMISSION) DURING THE SEMESTER.
NOTICE: We will not meet on Th. Sep. 9. In exchange, you are required to attend one session
of the Educating Women and girls Worldwide Symposium. The symposium will be held at
Trinity from Sep. 10 to 12. You are required to write a one page reflection paper which will
include the following:
Brief summary of the session (1 paragraph)
Discuss the relevance of the issues presented to concepts in our course
Conclude with personal reflections