SOC 3436-001: GLOBAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Spring 2008
MWF 8:35-9:25
BEH S 115
Instructor: Jessie Winitzky, M.S.
Office: BEH S 415
Email: jessica.winitzky@soc.utah.edu
Office hours: after class and by appointment
COURSE SUMMARY
“Globalization” is a buzzword many use to describe all kinds of sweeping changes in the
modern world, but few truly understand its meaning or implications. This class attempts
to clearly define globalization and uncover its effects. Is globalization, as some argue, a
revolutionary, new world structure, or is it merely a continuation of a process that was
begun some 500 years ago—or perhaps neither?
We will seek an understanding of the global social, economic, political and cultural
processes that structure our world. We examine these macro- and micro-level structures
in terms of nation-states, economies, cultures, cities, corporations and individuals. We
then consider the impact of these processes on development, inequality, and the
environment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
1) identify and differentiate between the economic, political and cultural dimensions of
globalization;
2) critically evaluate competing perspectives of the causes and consequences of
globalization; and
3) apply competing perspectives and concepts of globalization to social, economic and
political events associated with contemporary life.
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt and Jonathan Perraton. 1999. Global
Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford, CA: Stanford University.
Lechner, Frank J. and John Boli. 2004. The Globalization Reader, 2nd Ed. Oxford, UK:
Blackwell.
Seligson, Mitchell A., and John T Passé-Smith. 2003. Development and
Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality, 3rd Ed. London:
Lynne Rienner.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES STATEMENT
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and
activities for people with disabilities. If you need accommodations in the class,
reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services (available
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online at http://www.sa.utah.edu/ds), 162 Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). DCS will
work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations.
ASSESSMENT
You will be graded on four main dimensions:
1) Discussion leader (1-2)….……………..10%
2) Take-home exams (4)………………….50%
3) Group project…………………………..30%
4) Participation……………………………10%
100%
1) As this class is organized in a seminar format, you will be responsible for leading 1-2
class discussions (depending on class size) during the semester. This means you will
come to class on the appointed day(s) prepared with a summary of the day’s readings
and some questions to get the discussion rolling. You will not be expected to lecture
for the entire hour, but simply to first summarize the reading, then facilitate
discussion.
2) I will hand out four take-home exams over the course of the semester, each focusing
on one major unit of class material and comprising 3-4 essay questions. The
responses are to take an essay form and should each be roughly 2-3 pages in length
(6-10 pages overall). Traditional essay standards apply, such as Times New Roman
font or something similar, 12 pt font size, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, citing of
sources used, etc.
3) You will work in a group to create a final research project synthesizing material
encountered in class as well as resources culled from outside research and study. You
will be graded as a group on the final presentation (poster or PowerPoint is
suggested). This project will trace the “natural” history of a specific commodity, and
will require you to conceptualize across each dimension of globalization we explore
in class.
4) Participation includes actively listening to and engaging in class discussion,
completing assigned readings, being physically present in the classroom, and being a
respectful member of the class community. We will start every class with a written
assignment, which will act as a warm-up exercise as well as fulfill the secondary role
of taking attendance. Your participation grade will be largely based on this exercise.
READINGS
Bergeson, Albert J. and Omar Lizardo. 2004. “International Terrorism and the WorldSystem.” Sociological Theory 22(1): 38-52.
Bowen, John R. 1996. “The Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict.” Journal of Democracy,
7(4): 3-14.
Brenner, Neil and Roger Keil (Eds.). 2006. The Global Cities Reader. London:
Routledge.
Cardoso, Fernando Henrique. 1972. “Dependency and Development in Latin America.
New Left Review, 74(?): Pp.-pp.
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Chase-Dunn, Christopher. 1975. “The Effects of International Economic Dependence on
Development and Inequality: A Cross-National Study.” American Sociological Review,
40(6): 720-738.
Frank, Andre Gunder. 1969. “The Development of Underdevelopment.” Monthly
Review, 40(?): Pp-pp.
Grimes, Peter and Jeffrey Kentor. 2003. “Exporting the Greenhouse: Foreign Capital
Penetration and CO2 Emissions, 1980-1996.” Journal of World-Systems Research 9(2):
261-275.
Hawken, Paul. 2007. “To Remake the World: Something Earth-Changing Is Afoot in
Civil Society.” Orion, 25(3).
(http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/265)
Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt and Jonathan Perraton. 1999. Global
Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford, CA: Stanford Press.
Inkeles, Alex. 1969. “Making Men Modern: On the Causes and Consequences of
Individual Change in Six Countries.” American Journal of Sociology, 75(2): 208-225.
Lechner, Frank J. and John Boli. The Globalization Reader, 2nd Ed. Malden, MA:
Blackwell.
Massey, Douglas S. 1988. “Economic Development and International Migration in
Comparative Perspective.” Population and Development Review, 14(3): 383-413.
Ritzer, George. 2000. “An Introduction to McDonaldization.” Pp. 7-24 in The
McDonaldization of Society, 3rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.
Seligson, Mitchell A. and John T Passé-Smith. 2003. Development and
Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality, 3rd Ed. Boulder,
CO: Lynne Rienner.
Shannon, Thomas R. 1996. “Chapter 4: The Contemporary World System.” Pp. 85-125 in
An Introduction to the World-System Perspective. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Stonich, Susan C. 1989. “The Dynamics of Social Processes and Environmental
Destruction: A Central American Case Study.” Population and Development Review,
15(2): 269-295.
Thompson, William R. 1988. “An Introduction to Structural Change and Global War.”
Pp. 3-18 in On Global War: Historical-Structural Approaches to World Politics.
Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Introduction
1/7
Syllabus, etc.
1/9: Conceptualizing Globalization
Held, et al., “Introduction,” Global Transformations, 1-10
1/11: The Shape of Globalization
Held, et al., “Introduction,” Global Transformations, 10-26
Week 2: Political Globalization I
1/14: Decision-Making in a Global Context
Lechner and Boli, “Part V: Introduction,” Globalization Reader, 211-213
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Held, et al., “Chapter 1,” Global Transformations, 37-39, 45-62
1/16: Multilayered Governance
Held, et al., “Chapter 1,” Global Transformations, 62-81
1/18: The Nation-State: Still Relevant?
Meyer, et al., “World-Society and the Nation-State,” Globalization Reader, 84-92
Annan, “Role of the State in the Age of Globalization,” Globalization Reader, 240-243
Strange, “Declining Authority of States,” Globalization Reader, 219-224
Hand out Take-Home #1
Week 3: Political Globalization II
1/21: No class—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1/23: Non-State Actors
Boli and Thomas, “World Culture in the World Polity: A Century of International NonGovernmental Organization,” Globalization Reader, 258-264
Bond, “Backlash Against NGOs,” Globalization Reader, 277-282
1/25:
Film: TED
Week 4: Economic Globalization I
1/28: Economic Globalization in Historical Perspective
Held, et al., “Chapter 3,” Global Transformations, 149-152, 167-176
Due: Take-Home #1
1/30: Economic Globalization, cont’d
Held, et al., “Chapter 3,” Global Transformations, 182-188
2/1: Global Finance and Corporate Power
Held, et al., “Chapter 5,” Global Transformations, 236-238, 242-259
Week 5: Economic Globalization II: Modernization Theory
2/4: Modernization and Development: Theoretical Foundations
Rostow, “Five Stages of Growth,” Development and Underdevelopment, 123-131
Inkeles, “Making Men Modern,” e-Reserve, 208-225.
Dollar and Kraay, “Growth is Good for the Poor,” Globalization Reader, 177-182
Oxfam, “Growth with Equity is Good for the Poor,” Globalization Reader, 183-189
2/6: Modernization and Development: Empirical Evidence
Baumol, “Productivity, Growth, Convergence and Welfare: What the Long-Run Data
Show,” Development and Underdevelopment, 155-169
Firebaugh, “Empirics of World Income Inequality,” Development and
Underdevelopment, 209-222
2/8: Modernization and Development, cont’d
DeLong, “Productivity Growth, Convergence and Welfare: A Comment,” Development
and Underdevelopment, 171-182
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Week 6: Economic Globalization III: Dependency Theory
2/11: Dependency: Theoretical Foundations
dos Santos, “Structure of Dependence,” Development and Underdevelopment, 277-288
Cardoso, “Dependency and Development in Latin America,” e-Reserve, Pp.-pp.
2/13: Underdevelopment
Frank, “The Development of Underdevelopment,” e-Reserve, Pp.-pp.
2/15: World System Theory
Shannon, “Chapter 4: The Contemporary World System,” Introduction to the World
System Perspective, e-Reserve, 85-124
Hand out Take-Home #2
Week 7: Economic Globalization IV
2/18: No class—Presidents’ Day
2/20: Dependency, Underdevelopment and World System: Empirical Evidence
Chase-Dunn, “The Effects of International Economic Dependence on Development and
Inequality: A Cross-National Study,” e-Reserve, 720-738.
Kentor, “Long-Term Effects of Foreign Investment Dependence on Economic Growth,
1940-1990,” Development and Underdevelopment, 345-356
2/22
Film: China Blue
Week 8: Cultural Globalization I
2/25: Toward a Global Culture?
Held, et al., “Chapter 7,” Global Transformations, 327-331, 336-341
Due: Take-Home #2
2/27: The Shape of Global Culture
Held, et al., “Chapter 3,” Global Transformations, 346-363, 369-374
2/29: Homogenization and Differentiation
Ritzer, “Introduction to McDonaldization,” e-Reserve, 7-24
Tomlinson, “Cultural Imperialism,” Globalization Reader, 303-311
Week 9: Cultural Globalization II
3/3: Clash…
Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations,” Globalization Reader, 36-43
Barber, “Jihad vs. McWorld,” Globalization Reader, 29-35
Hand out Take-Home #3
3/5: …or Unity?
Bowen, “Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict,” e-Reserve, 3-14
3/7
Film: Affluenza? Virtual Objectivity? McDonaldization?
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Week 10: Global Cities
3/10: Global City Formation
Abu-Lughod, “Global City Formation in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles: An
Historical Perspective,” Global Cities Reader, 42-48
Friedman, “The World City Hypothesis,” Global Cities Reader, 67-72
Castells, “Cities, the Informational Society and the Global Economy,” Global Cities
Reader, 135-136
Zukin, “The City as Landscape of Power: London and New York at Global Finance
Capitals,” Global Cities Reader, 137-144
Due: Take-Home #3
3/12: Structures and Dynamics of Global Cities
Sassen, “Cities and Communities in the Global Economy,” Global Cities Reader, 82-87
Ross and Trachte, “Global Cities and Global Classes: The Peripheralization of Labor in
New York,” Global Cities Reader, 104-110
Fainstein, “Inequality in Global City Regions,” Global Cities Reader, 111-117
3/14: Globalization, Urbanization and Uneven Development
King, “Building, Architecture and the New International Division of Labor,” Global
Cities Reader, 196-202
Simon, “The Global City Hypothesis: Reflections from the Periphery,” Global Cities
Reader, 203-209
Grant and Nijman, “Globalization and the Corporate Geography of Cities in the Less
Developed World,” Global Cities Reader, 224-237
Week 11: 3/17-22: NO CLASS—SPRING BREAK
Week 12: Globalization and the Environment
3/24
Stonich, “The Dynamics of Social Processes and Environmental Destruction: A Central
American Case Study,” e-Reserve, 269-296
3/26: Environmental Impact, cont’d
Grimes and Kentor, “Exporting the Greenhouse: Foreign Capital Penetration and CO2
Emissions,” e-Reserve, 261-275
Hawken, “To Remake the World,” e-Reserve or
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/265
3/28
Film: Beloved Community
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Week 13: Globalization of Armed Conflict and Resistance
3/31: The State Military Apparatus
Held, et al., “Chapter 2,” Global Transformations, 103-104, 111-115, 123-133
4/2: State Military Apparatus, cont’d
Thompson, “Introduction to Structural Change and Global War,” e-Reserve, 3-18
4/4: Resistance and Terrorism, or “One person’s terrorist is another’s freedom-fighter”
Muller and Seligson, “Inequality and Insurgency,” Development and Underdevelopment,
83-99
Bergeson and Lizardo, “International Terrorism and the World-System,” e-Reserve, 3852
Week 14: Globalization and Migration
4/7
Massey, “Economic Development and International Migration in Comparative
Perspective,” e-Reserve, 383-413
4/9: Migration, cont’d
4/11
Film: The Other Europe
Week 15: Group Presentations
4/14: Time will be available during class to work on group presentations and for
individual consultation
4/16: Group presentations
4/18: Group presentations
Hand out Take-Home #4
Week 16: Wrap-Up
4/21: Group presentations
4/23: Meet at Big Ed’s
Finals Week: Tuesday, April 29, noon
Due: Take-Home #4
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