1. Introduction

One of the most prominent processes driving change in society today is globalization. In recent years, as communications and transportation technologies have increased the degree of spatial interaction between peoples of the world, few parts of the world remain isolated and removed from events in distant places. The impacts of globalization are considerable and varied. At one extreme we hear about the increasing significance of international trade and large international corporations in the global economy, decimating small, locally-owned indigenous industries around the world. The same fears derive from the spread of a global culture (“cultural imperialism”) dominated by American values and ideas. At the same time, there is fierce local resistance as peoples and regions seek to preserve as many aspects of their society as possible. In fact, as much as global change derives from the larger spatial processes trickling down to localities, we also see a reverse and very strong movement up the spatial hierarchy. As an example, today people in remote parts of the US are exposed to foods, culture and other aspects of foreign societies unheard of even a decade ago.

If there is one area of some consensus that comes from the debates of globalization, it is that it is an inherently spatial process. Today we see an increasing degree of global interconnectedness that has produced multifaceted networks of associations and interactions between local villages and communities, global cities, nation/states, international institutions such as GATT and the UN, and of course, multinational corporations. Any and all of these are a part of the new global order that is constantly evolving. In geography, sociology, political science and other social science disciplines, this complex set of new relations at multiple spatial scales between a multitude of factors has imposed a number of limitations on how societies can grow and change over time. But at the same time, these evolving relations offer new opportunities as well. Thus, in many respects, globalization can be described within the structuration framework outlined by Giddens in the 1980s, where socioeconomic structures/institutions and human agency interact to (re)produce contemporary society (Held et al, 1999). Needless to say, globalization is not a one way process, nor a linear one.

The primary objective of the course proposed is to introduce students to globalization as a complex process that can be examined from any number of perspectives. However, central to the course will be the geographical nature of the process—the shrinking of the space-time continuum through technological innovation (e.g., the internet) and international migration—that has accelerated the degree of spatial interaction taking place around the globe today. An additional objective is to help students appreciate how globalization works at multiple spatial scales, and the interaction of the local with the global, and vice versa. From this initial geographic core of ideas, the final objective of the course is to demonstrate to students the broad nature of globalization and its impacts, and how the process touches virtually all aspects of society and the environment. Specifically, topical areas to be discussed will include the economy (transnational corporations, international trade and finance, etc.), politics (the UN, regional political and trade bloc formation, trade agreements, foreign aid, rise of other non-governmental organizations, etc.), culture (media and entertainment growth, language, loss of local indigenous cultures, gender issues, etc.), and the environment (resource destruction, environmental sustainability, climate change, etc.). These constitute only a brief array of the wide range of topics that are to be examined throughout the course. In the end, the objective of this course is to develop students who are aware of the global forces affecting their own lives, and the lives of other peoples in various parts of the world.

2. Criteria for Group 2 (Social Sciences) and Group 4 (Diversity and Multiculturalism):

(Note: these are the tentative areas for the general education curriculum)

The specific ways in which this course will meet the new general education requirements will be outlined in the final course proposal. However, the relevance of this course in contemporary society is easy to gauge.

a. Besides a foundation in geographic theory as it relates to globalization, the course will emphasize the impacts of globalization on individuals, groups, institutions and societies around the globe, and the interconnectedness between places and peoples of the world. Much of this will be done through numerous case studies.

b. Globalization is not a purely human-related process, and its effects on the environment are many, especially as a result of global economic change. Students will learn of the varied impacts on the environment at multiple spatial scales (e.g., local resource destruction vs. global climate change) as the global economy grows over time.

c. An important component of the proposed course (and a controversial topic in many respects), will be a discussion of multiculturalism and diversity in once homogenous societies. As noted above, the increasing racial and ethnic heterogeneity observed in many nations and cities today is a byproduct of global forces like international migration. While these forces often create tensions (e.g. many cities in Europe), they have also created dynamic new spaces of global economic growth, trade and technological innovation (e.g., Singapore, Vancouver).

d. Finally, as with any major changes brought on by broad socioeconomic processes, there are winners and losers, and the course will highlight this aspect of globalization in terms of emerging inequalities and discrimination based on geography, class, income, education, gender, race and ethnicity, etc., in different parts of the world.

e. An simple example I have used before represents a case study that might be discussed in class with respect to the impacts of globalization. Islands in the remote Bass Straight off Tasmania once served local markets with rock lobsters in Southern Australia. Although not a large market, demand and prices were reliable and steady, and did not lead to over-fishing. In the last decade, with transportation improvements and increased international demand, local fisheries have been devastated due to the increasing desire for rock lobsters in the emerging global cities of Hong Kong and Shanghai. Literally, lobsters caught in the Bass Straight on Monday are on dinner plates in China on Tuesday. Among the outcomes of these changes: rock lobsters, once a local staple food, are now too expensive for most residents to eat; fishing licenses have been bought up by outside investors, leaving many fisherman who once owned their own boats or licenses as day-workers on the boats of outside investors, or unemployed; and a sustainable resource that once provided a good living for locals in Tasmania is being destroyed due to global processes beyond their control, changing a long-established way of life. Finally, although a few of the locals have profited handsomely from private ventures with outside investors, much of the community is suffering, a situation that will only worsen as fisheries become depleted (Bradshaw, 1999). An assortment of case studies related to the impacts of globalization on social, cultural, economic, political and environmental continuity and sustainability in the developing nations will also be developed and presented in class.

3. Other Strengths of the Proposed Course:

a. The course will not take a regional focus, such as GEOG 160, but will focus on the theory and impacts of globalization (topical and issue-oriented), and use specific regional examples as needed.

b. Rather than focusing solely on the economic, cultural, or social aspects of globalization, as might be found in courses offered in other disciplines, the course will offer students a broad overview of globalization as it touches various aspect of society and the environment today. However, because of the centrality of space and geography in globalization, it makes sense that geography be the base discipline for this introductory course. For additional learning on globalization as it applies to specific topics like the economy or the environment, students can then move on to higher level courses in specific departments to gather further expertise.

c. The contemporary nature and relevance of globalization should make the course popular and accessible to students. However, while taking advantage of media like the internet, film/TV clips, music, and other contemporary outlets as a way of stimulating students interest in the course material, the instructor will still emphasize a broad and rigorous academic core with theory and applications across numerous academic disciplines, and with examples on the differential impacts of globalization on the peoples, societies, institutions and regions of the world.

4. Course Structure

The course would be centered around three 50 minute classes a week. The first two of these classes would primarily focus on lecture material on the theory and impacts of globalization, along with the presentation of numerous case studies. In general, lectures will be Powerpoint-based to take advantage of the wide number of tools such as photos, sounds and movies clips that can be incorporated into each Powerpoint presentation. This approach using different media in lectures will be designed to stimulate student interest in the topics presented. The third class of each week will be left open to some extent based on the topic of the week. For example, in a typical week, a journal article, a book chapter, or even a recent newspaper story may be assigned as a reading for the class, and an open-ended question(s) from the instructor about the material will be posted for a threaded on-line discussion through WebCT, a discussion in which all students are required to participate. (Note: In some weeks, the discussion may not even rely on a particular reading, but focus on contemporary events). At times the entire class will participate in one general discussion, while at other times the class may be divided in smaller discussion groups. Based on the instructor’s evaluation of the online discussions, a lesson plan for the third class meeting will be prepared. This third class may involve a short media presentation (brief movie or news clip) with brief in-class reaction write-ups from students, especially on how the material pertains to class lectures. Alternative scenarios might involve bringing in guest lecturers from other departments with an in-depth knowledge of the topic, or engaging students in class discussions of the issues at hand (a large section would be broken down to small groups). The entire objective of the third 50 minute class is to more fully engage students in a discussion of the topics rather continuing with the standard lecture format. Also note that a comprehensive website will be developed as part of the WebCT tool, with links to relevant sites on the internet containing additional readings and information.

Students will be graded and assessed in a number of ways. First, for each week of new material, students will get personal feedback on their understanding of important issues through short on-line quizzes. The answers to the quizzes will be automatically displayed, along with explanations of the correct answers. This self-assessment by students will help reinforce ideas introduced in class. While these short quizzes will not be officially graded, the results will be monitored by the instructor through WebCT to determine if some topics need to be re-examined in class. Second, a major part of the grade will be derived from two midterms and a final (primarily multiple choice) to cover basic topics presented in the lectures. Embedded in the tests will be at least a dozen key questions directly related to the primary goals/objectives of the class as defined in the syllabus. These questions will provide a general assessment on whether core concepts are being learned by students, along with issues raised in the case studies that will be a part of the lecture material. Tests will also contain several short essay questions that will permit students to expand on their own ideas and opinions on topics related to globalization.

Finally, an important component of the class will be a writing project that will run over the full semester, culminating in a short paper on a globalization topic (about 5-7 pages). The topic will be the choice of students, but the nature of the problems/issues discussed, and their presentation, will follow strict criteria, and once again match with the specific goals/objectives of the class as outlined in the syllabus. Guiding the students will be a rubric that measures and assesses specific aspects of student learning in geographic inquiry, theory, methods, specific theory and content on globalization, and the presentation of information in a short academic paper. The papers will undergo several iterations in the sequence defined in the rubric, with students receiving feedback in each step of the process. An example rubric co-developed by this instructor (while teaching at the U. of Northern Colorado) for an introductory course on the Geography of US and Canada is included. The shaded areas are the sections of the rubric that need the most adaptation to fit a new globalization course. The use of the rubric provides students with clear guidelines on the expectations of the writing project, and how they will be assessed with respect to their grade. The rubric will also help the instructor and TA’s grade papers. Other take-home exercises may be created as the content of the course is developed.

The proposed schedule for developing the new course is the following: 1) obtain, read and review current materials on globalization over the summer of 2004, especially on the theory and impacts of globalization as viewed by other disciplines; 2) develop outline and basic content of the course, along with a formal course proposal in Fall, 2004; 3) in the Spring of 2005, work with technical experts to develop online assessment tools and Powerpoint graphics and multi-media clips. In all stages of this process, the instructor will utilize the help and expertise of faculty and staff in the Institute of Teaching and Learning. To make adjustments and fine tune the course content, presentation, and assessment tools, the instructor anticipates teaching smaller 60 student sections the first two times the course is taught. However, with some experience, and based on demand, it is expected that the course will be taught to much larger sections in the future.

5. Relevant Instructor Experiences: developed and is currently teaching an online course using WebCT tools and technology for College of Continuing Studies; helped develop assessment tools for general education courses in the geography curriculum at the University of Northern Colorado; served on several NSF panels on undergraduate assessment; content experience in regional courses on Australia and Latin America, and experience teaching economic globalization in GEOG 200: Economic Geography; research experience on impacts of globalization on rural America; research experience on trade with Mexico and NAFTA. Current course evaluations available upon request.

References and Potential Textbooks:

Bradshaw, M. 1999. Global lines, local issues: Change in the rock lobster industry on King Island, Bass Straight. Geography 84(3): 267-270.

Friedman, T. 1999. The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Farrar, Strauss, Giroux.

Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D, and Perraton, J. 1999. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. London: Polity.

Johnston, R., Taylor, P. and Watts. M. (Eds.). 2002. Geographies of Global Change: Remapping the World. London: Blackwell.

Lechner, F. and Boli, J. (Eds.). 2003. The Globalization Reader. London: Blackwell.

Criteria	Outstanding “A” Work	Above Average “B” Work	Average “C” Work	Below Average “D” Work	Scoring
1. Student is able to develop a suitable geographic research question	appropriately geographic; highly analytical question; shows insight into problem	suitably geographic and is limited to one region; answers can be mapped	suitably geographic and has component parts or potential answers that can be mapped; question is simplistic	non-geographic question; answers cannot be mapped	A = 14-15 points B = 12-13 points C = 10-11 points D = 9 points
2. Student is able to acquire appropriate geographic and other relevant data	high quality and variety of cited references (professional journals, textbooks, internet, newspapers) and the number of cited references exceeds five	good quality and variety of references cited in paper (textbooks, local/regional newspapers, internet) with at least five references cited	sources cited in paper are all the same type (internet, popular press); limited number of cited references	only two or three references cited; encyclopedia used as a cited reference	A = 14-15 points B = 12-13 points C = 10-11 points D = 9 points
3. Student is able to effectively organize/map geographic data	map quality is excellent; enhanced visual clarity; no errors	map quality is good; map is easy to read and understand; at least two features are mapped; correct use of symbols, color, or patterns; map title and legend are included on map	map is unclear; only one feature is mapped; map is difficult to read or understands; incorrect use of symbols, color or patterns; map title or legend is missing	map is cluttered; map is inaccurate; appears as if little or no effort was expended on the map	A = 18-20 points B = 16-17 points C = 14-15 points D = 12-13 points
4. Student is able to effectively analyze geographic data	data (evidence) clearly links cause and effect; topic connects to important geographic concepts and models/theory	data(evidence) generally supports interpretation; topic connects to important geographic concepts	data(evidence) is appropriate for problem but the interpretation is weak (not supported by the evidence	data (evidence) is inappropriate; no interpretation is offered	A = 23-25 points B = 20-22 points C = 17-19 points D = 15-16 points
5. Student is able to effectively express thoughts and ideas in a written format	well organized, no grammar and/or writing errors; no typos or misspellings; paper format is correctly followed	good organization; minimal grammar and/or writing errors; limited typos and spelling mistakes; paper format is correctly followed	poorly organized; some grammar, writing and spelling errors; limited formatting mistakes	disorganized, hard to follow, poor grammar, many typos and spelling mistakes; paper format not followed	A = 18-20 points B = 16-17 points C = 14-15 points D = 12-13 points
6. Student is able to effectively document data and references used in research	all in-text and map references are properly cited and list of references is complete and error free	all in-text and map references are properly cited and list of references is complete with only minimal errors	some in-text ore map references are missing or are unclear	list of references is incomplete (reference is cited in body of text but is missing from the list of references); references incorrectly cited	A = 5 points B = 4 points C = 3 points D = 2 points