GlobalStudies

 

DRAFT Syllabus for GIST 201, Spring 2005

Nels H. Granholm, Instructor/Coordinator plus other SDSU Faculty

 

 

I.                   Time & Place:  Spring 2005, MWF 11:00-11:50, Bio Stress (SNP) 102

 

II.                Required Texts:  (Draft List)

 

1.      Achebe, Chinua.  Things Fall Apart (or Kingsolver-The Poisonwood Bible).

2.      Lederer, W. and Burdick, E. The Ugly American.

3.      Berger, Peter L. and Huntington, Samuel P. (Eds).  2002.  Many globalizations:  Cultural Diversity in the Contemporary World. Oxford University Press.

4.      Friedman, Thomas.  The Lexus and the Olive Tree.  (Also Friedman’s “The World Is Flat”).

5.      Singer, Peter.  2003.  One World.  The Ethics of Globalization. 

6.      Speth, James Gustav.  2003.  Worlds Apart:  Globalization and the Environment (esp. Robert Kates).  (a) – see footnotes at end. 

 

III.             Topics and draft syllabus—based on 40 sessions.  Two important themes: A) RELEVANCY—Communicate to students how Global Studies’ themes are an integral part of their day-to-day lives and B) CONNECTIONS—Show how our Global Studies course components are connected, i.e., when we finish with Friedman’s discussion of globalization, why doe this lead seamlessly and naturally into a treatment of global institutions and global problems?  Emphasize the big picture; stress the connections in order to make the topic of global studies achieve holistic cohesiveness and clarity.

1.      (Sessions 1-3).  An explanation of Global Studies.  Semester plan?  What do we hope to accomplish?  What is our plan—our modus operandi?

2.      (Sessions 4-6 & 7-9)—Mechanics of Globalizations—Friedman’s The Lexus and the Olive Tree

3.      (10-12) Global Institutions and Global Problems.  Read Burger and Huntington (b)

4.      (13-16) Terrorism and Bioterrorism

5.      (17-19, 20-22) CULTURE:  Art, language, and literature—read Achebe/Kingsolver.

6.      (23-25) Experience Abroad, Culture Shock, Issues of “emic” and “etic” thinking, Appropriate and culturally-sensitive behavior (c).  Read The Ugly American.

7.      (26-28) Global food/Global Agriculture

8.      (29-31) Political philosophy and global studies (Read Burger and Huntington)

9.      (32-35) Ethics of Globalization (Read Singer’s One World)

10.  (36-39) Globalization and the Environment (Read Speth’s text)

11.  (40) Course Summary

 

Additional Notes:

  1. The Ugly American and Sally Morgan’s “My Place” (about Aboriginal life in contemporary Australia), and other books, essays may be productive discussion items.
  2. Some of the global institutions referred to in #3 above include UN, NATO, SEATO, WTO, IMF, WB, NGOs, MNCs, International Court of Justice, and others.
  3. Taken from a Planning Sheet for the teaching of GISt 201 scheduled for Spring 2003—Global Studies:  historically and Currently, Global Issues, Careers, Communication—movies like “Lost in Translation.”  Emic (outside) and etic (inside the culture) thinking.

Back to GLOBAL STUDIES Home Page