Globalization and Its Discontents

In this course we will explore one of the most fundamental dynamics of our time-globalization. Underlying so many changes in our economic, political, and cultural lives, globalization has transformed our world in innumerable ways. Nonetheless, debates about the nature of these processes and outcomes are largely unresolved and often completely misunderstood. In this survey course we will examine particular themes related to the general concept of globalization: transnational civil society and social movements, economic development, postmodernism, global governance. We will read from sources across the academic disciplines and make use of journalism, film, and popular nonfiction. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)