Soc 450: Globalization and Social Change   Spring 2006 Instructor: Dr. Gonzalo Santos Class: MWF 12:30 pm - 1:55 pm, DDH-101E Dr. Santos' Office: DDH-AA205     Phone: 664-2191 Office Hours: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, MWF. =  santos_class@csub.edu

• McMichael, Philip. 2004. Development and Social Change. A Global Perspective. 3rd. ed.. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press.

• Appelbaum, Richard & William Robinson. 2005. Critical Globalization Studies. New York: Routledge.
  

• Berman, Morris. 2006. Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire. New York: W.W. Norton.

Course Content:

This course explores the dynamics of globalization in the contemporary world, as it affects, and in turn is affected by, the world's social structures and its processes of social change. We will explore three broad and interrelated areas, in the same order as the textbooks listed above: (a) the universally pursued goal of national development in the world's South, from the end of the colonial era after World War II, through the demise Cold War and advent of the Washington Consensus, and the relationship of this history to the enduring structures of global stratification; (b) the analysis of the multiple dimensions and trends of global integration, their impact on the contemporary world-system, and the social action it is provoking; (c) the direct domestic political effects of the crisis of U.S. global hegemony since the end of the Cold War, and particularly since the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The course will use the traditional lecture/discussion model as we study the McMichael book. Afterwards, as we study the other two books, the course will be run as a seminar. Students will form nine groups of three students each, and after April 19 will take turns introducing and analyzing the assigned readings for each session, followed by class discussion. That way each student will make a class presentation twice in the quarter.

Attendance is mandatory (please, no tardiness or early departures, as these will be penalized). All students must come prepared to discuss the readings - either when they make their formal presentations, or by bringing to class their reading assessments if they are not presenting.  Copies of both presentation outlines and reading assessments must be turned in to Dr. Santos at the beginning of each class session.

The students will also collaborate in their groups to produce two research projects on topics related to the areas covered in the course -- each student will therefore write two research papers.

Class Presentations: At the beginning of the course, all students will be organized in groups of three. Every class after 4/19, by rotation, a student group will present the assigned readings of the day; short class discussions will follow each of the presentations; the groups will previously coordinate with each other and within themselves how they "split" the readings.

Each presenting student will introduce and summarize his/her own selection of the readings, and raise a few key issues and questions for subsequent discussion. Time allotted per individual presentation will be 10-to-15 minutes. Each presenting student must provide Dr. Santos with a one-page outline of his/her presentation, including one or two questions for discussion (please put these at the end).

Please put on top of your outline page your name, the date, and the reading selection you are presenting. The outline should use roman numerals for the main areas of the presentation (I., II., III., etc.), with lower-case letters -- a), b), c), etc. -- for subtopics; please avoid narratives and paragraphs and just focus on well-organized titles and subtitles. At a minimum there ought to be (I) an introductory section identifying the topic(s), (II) a section going over the main analysis, arguments, and facts, (III) a summary/conclusion section, and (IV) a section for questions/issues for discussion.

It is strongly recommended students bring their full presentations written up in cards or PowerPoint that follow the order of the topics and subtopics in their outlines. Visual aids - big charts, overhead slides, PowerPoint slides, handouts, etc. - may be included in the presentations but are not required.

The presentations will be graded based on: (a) the conceptual & organizational quality and clarity of the outline, (b) the analytical strength of the presentation, including the questions posed at the end, and (c) the quality, clarity, & style of the oral presentation (plus any visual aids).

Reading Assessments: All students must come to every class -- including when we study the McMichael book -- prepared to discuss the assigned readings for the day. To ensure that they do, students who are not presenting must bring to class a written "reading assessment," of no more than a page or two of double-spaced text, of the assigned readings for the day. No late reading assessments will be accepted, unless the students has an authorized absence from Dr. Santos.

These reading assessments must not summarize or describe the readings, but must personally and critically respond to them, express what the student thinks about them: they should identify the areas of strong agreement and disagreement with the author, explaining why, as well as the areas or topics of most interest to pursue, or anything in particular that caused amazement, puzzlement, or surprise. Whatever you write, you should explain your specific analytical and personal reasons for doing so. The reading assessment need not cover every issue found in the assigned readings for the day, but it should demonstrate you read everything and chose well what to comment on (early topics are always suspect!). A very bad assessment will reveal the student read very little or very superficially just to do the assignment (it's called "going through the motion"). A good assessment will demonstrate the student really read all the material and did a serious effort to chose and critically grapple with the main issues involved.

At the end of the reading assessment, students should always list a couple of questions or issues for class discussion. Dr. Santos will randomly select a couple of students to read their assessments and/or questions in the discussion periods. Please put on top of your reading assessments your name, the date, and the readings you are assessing.

Note: Students presenting on a given day do not need to submit any reading assessment.

Research Papers: Each student group will collaborate in designing, researching, and writing two research volumes on topics related to the main areas of the course. Each volume will contain 3 individual papers related to different aspects of the volume's topic. The papers need to be submitted in both electronic form and printed on paper. The first volume is due on Friday, May 5 in class. The second volume is due on Wednesday, June 7, before noon, at Dr. Santos' office.

All topics - group as well as individual - must be pre-approved by Dr. Santos: for the first paper, no later than April 14; for the second paper, no later than May 12.

Each printed volume should be bound and should include a title page and a table of content, listing each paper by title and author. Each individual paper should be between 6 and 8 pages long (excluding the bibliography). For a precise guide on the paper's format and citation style, go to:

http://www.csubak.edu/~gsantos/guide-paper.html

Plagiarism: To prevent students from wittingly or unwittingly engaging in plagiarism, Dr. Santos strongly recommends students to carefully read and abide by the document CSUB Classifications of Plagiarism found at: http://www.csub.edu/tlc/options/resources/plagiarism/4plagiarimclassifications.htm.

Grading: Each  research paper is worth 25 points - adding up to half of the grade. Each class presentation is worth 10 points. The reading assessments all together are worth the other 30 points. Extra points depends on the grades student get in the GST classes (0-3 per class). Every absence is penalized by taking one point off the final grade (apart from the zero grade you'll get for either a failed presentation or a missing reading assessment); tardiness/early departures are penalized by 1/2 point off. The final letter grade will be assigned, on a scale of 0 to 100, as follows:

    94-100 = A           84-86 = B              74-76 = C

    90- 93 = A-           80-83 = B-            70-73 = C-

    87- 89 = B+          77-79 = C+            65-69 = D                 < 65 = F

Dr. Santos prefers students either come to his office during office hours or call him by phone, rather than to receive e-mail messages that require more than a one-line reply. This is due to his large email traffic and the ease of talking, as opposed to typing! But if you wish to send Dr. Santos a brief, to the point, personal message, you may do so at his address above.

My group number is: ______

My other group members' names/phones/email addresses:

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

My group's presentations will be on:

          Date:                          My own presentation will be on:

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

My group's first research project is on:  _____________________________________

My research paper topic is: _______________________________________________

My group's second research project is on:  __________________________________

My second research paper topic is: _______________________________________