Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin

Thursday, December 1, 2016

A New Course: Global and Regional Development - Shanghai University Winter 2016-17


Global and Regional Development
Sociology of Development
Graduate Course
M.A. and PHD Students  
TUESDAY 13:05 – 16:45
Classroom: A116

Instructor:           Tugrul Keskin                
Office:               A 532  
Office Hours:      Tuesday and Thursday All Day or by appointment
(PLEASE include “Global and Regional Development” in the subject line in your emails)
                                                                                                
“Development is about transforming the lives of people, not just transforming economies.”
Joseph E. Stiglitz, Making Globalization Work

Course Description and Objective

The focus of this course is Global and Regional Development in the 20th and 21st centuries. Since the emergence of modern capitalism, there has been progress toward modernization and human development; however, as a result of this progress, we have also seen the emergence of social, political and economic challenges such as mass migration from rural areas to cities, increased poverty, unemployment, health issues, environmental problems, and ethnic and religious conflicts. In this context, societies and countries have moved from rural and agricultural-based economies to more complex and industrialized structures, and this has led to social and political transformations which we describe as development.  
On the other hand, according to some scholars, the origins of development began with the colonial conditions and structures in the Global South; whereas, the European origins of development began with the industrialization which fueled colonialism and the exploitation of natural resources in the Global South, for example in the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Middle East, Latin/Central America and China. Hence, development is understood more as a dual structure: one as experienced by the developed world created by the exploitation of the Global South; and the other as a more harmful by-product of colonialism. After the countries in the Global South gained independence from the first world (the US and Europe); African, Middle Eastern, Asian and Latin/Central American Countries faced financial, social and political obstacles that they had inherited from colonial conditions; therefore, the paradigm of dependency and underdevelopment has been created and also continued by the global institutions established after the second WWII such as the IMF, WB, and UN. This new economic world order transformed the newly independent nations and led to the unintended integration of the “developed” world. In the meantime, the Cold War between the USSR and US was taking place and the battleground was the Global South. These political circumstances led to economic chaos in addition to severe social and political instability for the Global South. Military dictatorships and ethnic and civil wars occupied the political, social and economic sectors in these societies. by the late 1970s or early 1980s, we started to see the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of a new form of capitalism, based on privatization and market deregulation called neoliberalism. The neoliberal ideas of Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher shaped the world economy and politics and led to unintended consequences for both societies and the individual. Consequently, after the 1980s, we have seen the growth of a more integrated world economy, which has generated social, political and economic globalization. Other by-products of neoliberal market conditions include gender inequality, poverty, urbanization, rural livelihoods and agrarian change, food security problems, migration, violence, health, hunger, environmental problems, and ethnic/religious conflicts. 

In this class, we will explore global and regional development in the context of globalization (coupled with neoliberal market conditions?) and will provide a comparative understanding of development.   

Global and Regional Development



Political Economy and Capitalism
Development
Work and Labor
Urbanization and City
Nation-State, Nationalism and Citizenship
Immigration
Energy
Environment
Health
Food
Education
Ethnic/Religious Conflict
Crime and Security 
Global Inequality: Unemployment and Poverty
Human Rights
Women Rights
Global Governance


Learning Outcomes (Tugrul Keskin):
By the end of the course, you will have enhanced your:
§  Critical thinking in relation to international studies
§  Ability to question dogmas and taboos in today’s societies
§  Consciousness of differing perspectives and diversity
§  Understanding of world issues and trends
§  Understanding of the impact of colonialism and imperialism in developing nations
You also will have increased your knowledge concerning:
§  Resources in your potential discipline
§  Resources specific to your region
§  Traditional information sources
§  Alternative information sources
§  Knowledge of relevant methodologies
Learning Outcomes

Core Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate an understanding of world cultures, politics, and economics, within the context of Global and Regional Development, as well as developing the skills and attitudes to function as “global citizens.”

Specific Outcomes:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of global issues, processes, trends and systems (i.e. economic and political interdependency among nations; environmental-cultural interaction; global governance bodies).
  • Can articulate an understanding of her/his culture in global and comparative context; that is, recognizes that her/his culture is one of many diverse cultures and that alternate perceptions and behaviors may be based in cultural differences.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of the meaning and practice of political, military, economic, and cultural hegemony within states and within the global system.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of how her/his field is viewed and practiced in different international contexts.
  • Uses diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference, including those of the media, to think critically and solve problems.
  • Uses information from other languages and other countries to extend their access to information and experiences.
  • Interprets issues and situations from more than one cultural perspective.
  • Can articulate differences among cultures; demonstrates tolerance for the diverse viewpoints that emerge from these differences.
  • Demonstrates a critical understanding of the historical origins of the nation-state, and its current role in the global system.
  • Can apply the key theoretical concepts in the field to interpret global issues.
  • Exhibits an ongoing willingness to seek out international or intercultural opportunities.

Required Readings:

PLEASE SEE THE COURSE TIMELINE FOR READINGS!

Please see the course schedule!

Recommended Readings:
  1. John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer. 2012. Sociology: A Global Introduction. Prentice-Hall. 
  2. Leslie Sklair. 2004. Globalization: Capitalism and its alternatives. Oxford University Press. 
  3. Sheila L. Croucher, 2004. Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing World, Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.
  4. John Mearsheimer. 2003. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W.W.
5.     Judith Blau and Mark Frezzo. 2011. Sociology and Human Rights: A Bill of Rights for the Twenty-First Century. Sage. http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book235439
  1. David Harvey. 2006. A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford University Press. http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/PoliticalTheory/ContemporaryPoliticalThought/?view=usa&ci=9780199283279
  2. Jeffry A. Frieden. 2007. Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. W.W. Norton. http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?ID=8193
  3. J. Timmons Roberts, Amy Bellone Hite. 2007. The Globalization and Development Reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
  4. J. R. McNeill. 2011. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the 20th Century World. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
  5. Naomi Klein. 2007. The Sock Doctrine. New York, NY: Metropolitan Books.
  1. William I. Robinson. 2004. A Theory of Global Capitalism: Production, Class, and State in a Transnational World. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press.
  2. Richard P. Appelbaum and William I. Robinson. 2005. Critical Globalization Studies. New York, NY: Routledge.
13.  Samuel Martinez. 2009. International Migration and Human Rights: The Global Repercussions of U.S. Policy. University of California Press.

Recommended Movies and documentaries: 

  • The War On Democracy - John Pilger
  • The Secret Country by John Pilger
  • The New Rulers of the World John Pilger
  • Ten Canoes (2007)
  • Citizen Kane (1941)
  • The Fountainhead (1949)
·      Death of a Salesman (1985)
  • Fight Club (1999)
  • Pleasantville (1998)
  • American Beauty (1999)
  • The Truman Show (1998)
  • The Corporation (2003)
  • Treble Army – Lullabomb
  • Animal Farm - George Orwell - 1954
  • Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
  • 1984 - George Orwell  
  • Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
  • Brazil - 1985
  • 12 Monkeys - 2009

Course Philosophy:
The goal of this course is to become familiar with the social, political and economic underpinnings of Global and Regional Development. The success of this course depends on your continued and sustained reading and participation. The course will be based on a four-dimensional method of learning, and this includes inquiry and critical thinking; communication; and will draw on the diversity of human experience; and ethics and social responsibility. First, I would like you to critically analyze what you learn in this class or have learned so far through the media and your education, because in today’s world, truth is a relative concept. Throughout human history, critical thinking is one of the most important factors that have contributed to human development.  In order to become active, self-motivated, and empowered learners and future leaders, you will need to have the ability to think critically, and therefore your criticism, feedback and suggestions are necessary. Second, I would like for you to enhance your writing and oral communication skills in this course. Therefore, it is important to clearly elaborate your arguments in class discussion as well as in the written assignments.

Third, we are each part of the human mosaic, and all have different experiences based on our unique social, political and economic differences. We can all learn from and respect each other and benefit from our diversity. Please try to learn from and understand those with different perspectives from your own. Lastly, we need to learn that we are all part of this intellectual community and part of a larger society, and all have social and ethical responsibilities to our family, community, classmates, and humanity. We live in a globalized world and therefore, we need to be aware of events in our community, and the world today. In order to enhance our knowledge, we must critically examine our social, political and economic environment in order to apply this knowledge to our experience.

Course Requirements

To prevent confusion later, please read the following information:

Grades: Your grade for this course will be based on your performance on the following components, shown below with their dates and respective weights.

Item                                                    Date                                        Weight (%)

Quizzes (4)                                                                                                      32.0
Short Analytical Paper                                                                        20.0
Final Paper                                                                                                      30.0
Class Participation/Attendance                                                                        10.0
Newspaper Articles                                                                                         8.0

Quizzes: You will have 4 quizzes. The quizzes will have 16 questions from each week’s class readings and discussions. Each Quiz is worth 8 points and each question is worth 0.5 point. You will find the schedule of quizzes below. Please carefully review the quiz schedule. If you have schedule conflict, drop the class. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.       

Quiz Schedule:
3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th Week

Final Paper and Analytical Paper: Please understand that this requirement involves a two-step process. You will select a global issue and write a critical analysis about this issue related with global and regional development. It should be at least 6000 words and you must provide a word count at the end of your paper. Everyone will select a different topic. Your selection must be approved and registered by me; therefore, you must contact me directly regarding your topic selection. The deadline for selecting/registering your topic is Sunday, the 5th week of the class. The Final Paper is due on Sunday, the last week of school. Late submissions will not be accepted.

  1. Analytical Paper: In the first part of this assignment, you will select a topic related with global and regional development, such as migration in Egypt after the 1980s, inequality in Peru under Alberto Fujimori’s government; health issues in Nigeria after the 1990s; work and labor during the Hu Jin Tao era in China; education in Turkey after 2002; or tech outsourcing and its effects in India after 2000; unemployment in Germany after the re-unification; ethnic and religious conflict in Iraq after 2003, US Foreign Policy and Think Tanks during the Bush administration; the Arab Spring and Political Economy; and so on. You will write a proposal/abstract (at least 500 words) for your research, describing the contents of your paper and sources (books, articles and newspaper articles – this should include at least 10 different sources) and will send it to me by email on Sunday, the 5th week of the course. You need to email me your analytical paper and it should be in MS Word Document. In this step of your assignment, you need to demonstrate a clear focus (time and geography) and a CLEAR RESEARCH QUESTION!            

  1. Final Paper: In the second part of your assignment, after I have accepted your proposal, you will start writing your paper based on the described contents, references and research question you provided in the analytical paper. You will submit your final paper by email on Friday March 16th, the last week of the semester. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate contact me directly! Your final paper should be at least 6000 words in length, excluding bibliography and references.

Attendance: Regular attendance is one of the most important parameters to successful completion of the course requirements. If you miss more than 4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade.  Excuses will not be permitted for any reason.

Class Participation: Each student must read the course materials before they attend class and I expect them to participate in class discussion. Class participation in the form of informed questions and comments will be taken into consideration when determining your final grade. Additionally, the class participation grade also depends on class attendance.

Newspaper Articles: During the semester, you can bring 8 newspaper articles related with our class subjects. You cannot bring more than one article in the same week. You will have to summarize these articles in class and will find the recommended newspapers listed on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.it/, under the external links section. Newspaper articles sent by email will not be accepted. Please bring it to class, the first page of the printed/hard copy of the article. You can only bring an article from the selected newspapers, posted on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot and you will find them under links section. Some of the recommended newspapers are The Guardian, Al-Jazeera, Democracynow.org, Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Pravda, Haaretz, China Daily, and the Economist.

Extra Credit: For this extra credit option, you will build your resume based on one of the samples which will be provided to you by email. The first sample resume is for academic job applications, and the second one is for general job applications. You will only build a resume based on your interests, please select only one. For your resume, please use Times New Roman, 12 font size. Please submit your hard copy of your resume/vita/cv to me. The last day to submit your resume and/or internship proof letter is Monday, January 9th 2017. 

You will have the two sample resumes by email.

For this second extra credit option, you will find an organization, NGO, government agency or a corporation based in Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Tokyo, London, Berlin, Moscow, Washington DC or anywhere in China or the World and you will apply for an internship for the spring or summer 2017. Please bring a print copy of your proof of your internship application to me. In the internship application, if you are asked for a recommendation, you may include my name as your reference. You can find recommended agencies, corporations, organization or think tanks on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Coming late to class: Late comers will not be accepted to class, so be on time. If you are late for a class, please do not disturb your classmates and me and do not come at all. Please also do not send an email or call me regarding your class attendance. If there is a medical need, bring an official letter from a doctor. Whatever the reason is, if you cannot come to class, this is your responsibility. If you miss more than 4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!    
Laptop and cell phone policy: No laptops or cell phones will be allowed in this class. Please turn your cell phone off before you come to class. If you use the Internet/laptop or your cell phone during class, you will be asked to leave.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:
  • Why a leading professor of new media just banned technology use in class
  • Why you should take notes by hand — not on a laptop
  • To Remember a Lecture Better, Take Notes by Hand

Responsibility: You and/or your parents pay tuition for this class; therefore, you have responsibility to yourself and/or your parents. Passing or failing the class is not the main objective, rather that you learn and improve your knowledge. Please read and try to understand the main concepts of this class. If you are having difficulty, please do not hesitate to see me and discuss your concerns!

Each year, millions of people graduate from Chinese, American or global universities (see http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/). As you will see from the statistics, the job market is very competitive; therefore, students need to improve their knowledge, skill, and experience in order to find a job they want. Learning is a lifelong process. An academic institution like Shanghai University will provide you with an educational discipline and methodology; everything else is up to you. You should study and improve your skills, in order to compete with the rest of the graduates. While you are in the program, you should apply for internships to obtain relevant experiences before you graduate. Therefore, if you need a letter of recommendation for an internship or job, please do not hesitate to ask me, if you receive at least an A, A- or B+ grade from my class. Please also remember that an undergraduate degree might not be enough to find the job you want; therefore, you might need to apply to graduate school. In order to apply to graduate school, you will also need to have a letter of recommendation. I am also happy to advise you on graduate school or provide a letter of recommendation if you receive an A, A- or B+ grade. 

No Laptops and cell phones will be allowed in this class.

Course Timeline

WEEK 1

Development
Introduction to Global Issues by VINAY BHARGAVA
Introducing Globalization and Global Issues By Michael T. Snarr
Human Development Index 2014 By United Nations Development Program

WEEK 2

Urbanization and City
 Development: Theory and Reality (You will receive by email)

WEEK 3

Work and Labor
Sociology of Work: Chapter 1 By Keith Grint
(You will receive it by email.)
Nunn, Nathan. "The Long-term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades." National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 13367, 2007.
Political Economy of AFRICA by Tugrul Keskin

Tuesday
  • QUIZ – 1
WEEK 4

Nation-State, Nationalism, Citizenship and Immigration
Nationalism and Ethnicity By Craig Calhoun
Ethnicity versus Nationalism By Thomas Hylland Eriksen
Political Economy of the USA by Tugrul Keskin

WEEK 5

Energy
World Energy Consumption and Resources By Gian Paolo Beretta
World Energy Outlook 2014 By International Energy Agency
Environment
Global Environmental Issues By S Vijay Anand
Water Security – National and Global Issues By U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program

Sunday

Analytical Paper Topic/Subject Selection
Midnight by email

Tuesday

  • QUIZ – 2
WEEK 6

Health
Global Health Indicators 2014 World Health Organization
Food
The State of   Food Insecurity in the World 2015 By UN World Food Program
Political Economy of CHINA by Tugrul Keskin

WEEK 7

Education
Rethinking Global Education in the Twenty-first Century By Sadiq A. Abdullahi
(You will receive it by email.)
Ethnic/Religious Conflict
Crime and Security 
Globalization, Ethnic Conflict, and Nationalism By Daniele Conversi
Political Economy of LATIN AMERICA by Tugrul Keskin

Tuesday

  • QUIZ – 3
WEEK 8

Global Inequality: Unemployment and Poverty
Inequality, Causes and Possible Future By Jeff Frieden
Political Economy of the MIDDLE EAST by Tugrul Keskin

WEEK 9

 Human Rights and Women Rights
Sociology of Human Rights: Chapter 1. Introduction - Mark Frezzo
(You will receive it by email.)
Economist (2010) “Gendercide” The Worldwide war on baby girls” Print Edition. March 4. http://www.economist.com/node/15636231

Tuesday
  • QUIZ – 4
WEEK 10

Global Governance
What Is Global Governance? By Lawrence S. Finkelstein
Globalization and Governance By Michael Zurn
Political Economy of EUROPEAN UNION by Tugrul Keskin



FINAL PAPER
Friday March 16th  Midnight by email

No comments:

Post a Comment