Courses Taught
Graduate
SOC 9141. Theories of Globalization. This course provides a broad introduction to the major theories, approaches, issues and debates in the studies of globalization. Globalization has redefined not only the way we understand society at the very basic level but also our own sense of place and identity in a world where we are connected to and influenced by events and people in far off places. Substantively, this course will focus on the relationships between local and global social, economic, political, and cultural processes across time and space. Our scope will be global and historical-comparative, and our approach will be sociological and interdisciplinary.
SOC 8431. Globalization and Development. This graduate course is designed to critically examine the competing perspectives, historical processes, and key issues and debates in the study of globalization and development. Our emphasis is on the relationships between local and global social, economic, political, and cultural processes. In particular, we will focus on the late 20th century and early 21st century “globalization,” known as the “neo-liberal globalization,” and how the forces of globalization interact with the development trajectories of nation-states, societies, and communities.
Undergraduate
GBST 4096. Capstone Seminar in Global Studies. This capstone research seminar is designed for seniors in Global Studies, with the specific aim of helping students carry out and complete an independent research project in their areas of concentration. Over the course of this semester, you will select a research topic, formulate a research question, engage with the scholarly literature on this question, generate hypotheses for empirical testing (if appropriate), and set out a research design and methodology that will allow you to test and present compelling findings about your chosen research question. Whether you are coming to the seminar with well established ideas about the possible topic of your research paper, or are starting from scratch, the course will give you the skills you need to select a research question and move, step by step, to a completed work of original global studies scholarship. Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in GBST 2096.
SOC 3221. Global Development. This course is an introduction to the sociology of economic development and social, political, and cultural change. We will study the concepts, theories, historical processes, and issues regarding the interrelations and transformations of the social groups, economies, political systems, and cultures of developing societies – and their relationships with developed countries – over time. Thus, our focus will be on developing countries, our scope will be global and long-term, our perspective will be sociological but interdisciplinary, and our methodology will be historical-comparative. The primary questions we will address are: What is development? How do “developing societies” differ from “developed societies”? What are the relationships of “developing” and “developed” societies? How can we best approach an understanding of why the historical experiences of “developing” countries seem to differ so much from those of “developed” countries? In the first half of the course, we will focus on understanding, largely through case studies, the main theories of development: modernization theory, dependency, world-system analysis, and neoliberalism. In the second half of the course, we will expand our empirical and theoretical understanding by examining development and globalization, gender, ethnicity, ecology, and global social movements.
SOC 3208. Globalization, Development, and Labor in East Asia. This undergraduate course will introduce students to the major perspectives and debates in social sciences on globalization, development, and labor in East Asia, primarily focusing on China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. We will examine: What is globalization and how is it affecting countries in East Asia? What are different development strategies and paths pursued in those countries? How have workplaces changed and how have workers fared in East Asia under globalization? What roles have different kinds of labor unions played? How have workers responded, economically and politically? We will also discuss the social and political origins of “East Asian Miracle” and the impact of the rise of China on the region and the world. Through lectures, discussions, small group projects, and documentary films, students will be engaged with key theoretical debates and develop their own perspectives and research skills on these themes.
SOC 1176. Introduction to Sociology. This course introduces students to the discipline of sociology, which offers distinctive concepts and methods to understand human behavior and the societies we all inhabit. How do societies evolve and change? What can be learned from comparing them? How do they make us into the kinds of people we are, and which facts either sustain or shatter everyday life? What do culture, power, bureaucracy, racial discrimination, inequality, sexual and social conflict have in common? In this course, students will learn about themselves by exploring the hidden patterns in the world around them. By the end of the semester, students will have a firm grasp of the sociological imagination and how to use it to understand our increasingly diverse and complex world.
SOC 0962 Honors Fate, Hope, and Action: Globalization Today/SOC 0862. Development & Globalization. Use historical and case study methods to study the differences between rich and poor nations and the varied strategies available for development in a globalizing world. Examine the challenges facing developing countries in historical and contemporary context and analyze the main social, cultural, and political factors that interact with the dynamic forces of the world economy. These include imperialism/colonialism, state formation, labor migration, demographic trends, gender issues in development, religious movements and nationalism, the challenges to national sovereignty, waves of democratization, culture and mass media, struggles for human rights, environmental sustainability, the advantages and disadvantages of globalization, and movements of resistance. NOTE: This course fulfills the World Society (GG) requirement for students under GenEd and International Studies (IS) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed any of the following: SOC 0962, History 0862, POLS 0862/0962, or GUS 0862.