Course: SOCIAL CHANGE & GLOBALIZATION

SOC 340 SOCIAL CHANGE & GLOBALIZATION

Dr. Leontina (LT) Hormel
Phinney Hall, Room 115
(208) 885-6735

Course Description

Social change is a central area of study in sociology. Original studies tried to explain the reason for, and impact of, the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Globalization is among the key social phenomena instructing contemporary discussions in social change. This course asks the following questions: What are the impacts of globalization in U.S. society? How are these social impacts connected to people's experiences in other countries? To answer these questions we will explore historical explanations of social and economic development. From this foundation, we will consider alternative explanations arising from the "margins"; namely, critiques using race, gender and class analyses. As we explore these theoretical frameworks, we will examine case studies of U.S. deindustrialization, U.S. industrial restructuring in connection to free trade agreements, and international migration as a means to providing domestic services to "First World" customers.

Course Texts:

Texts may be checked out from Library Reserves for 2-hour periods.

Sarah Anderson and John Cavanagh with Thea Lee. 2000. Field Guide to the Global Economy. New York: The New Press.

Jane L. Collins. 2003. Threads: Gender, Labor, and Power in the Global Apparel Industry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Jefferson Cowie & Joseph Heathcott. 2003. Beyond the Ruins: The Meanings of Deindustrialization. Ithaca: ILR Press.

Robert Heilbroner and Lester Thurow. 1998. Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going. New York: Touchstone.

Rhacel Salazar Parreñas. 2001. Servants of Globalization: Women, Migration, and Domestic Work. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Course Assignments

Research Journal Assignments (40%) Students will submit four research journal assignments over the term. These assignments are intended to push students to develop their research projects throughout the term and to enable me to assess each student's level of progress toward this end. Guidelines for each assignment will be provided in class over the term.

Research Project (25%) Students will submit a final research project at the end of the term, no later than 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 15. Early submissions are gladly accepted. Research projects can involve many forms; from traditional essays on to alternative forms portraying what has been learned in class (video documentaries, social movement organizing, etc.). If you wish to pursue a creative means of illustrating your work, please discuss your ideas with me and receive my official approval. No such assignments will be accepted without my approval. Topics can cover a wide range of ideas, but must illustrate:

  1. how you define globalization,
  2. how the course material led you to your own definition of globalization,
  3. the impacts of globalization (positive and/or negative), and
  4. how local conditions likewise impact the process of globalization.

Grades will reflect the level of sophistication in the project's analysis of the course topic.

Globalization in the News (10%) Each student will present to class a news article connected to issues of globalization. Strong presentations will make clear connections to the readings, explaining exactly how the news article is relevant to at least one specific reading in the course. Presentation material may not be duplicated in research journal assignments. Each student will select a date for his or her presentation. Presentations will take place every Friday.

Participation/Questions (25%) Attendance will not be taken for this course. This portion of the grade includes in-class participation (10 %) and question lists (15%). Students will be required to submit a list of questions (approximately 1 page) arising from the reading assignments (a total of ten lists by the end of the term). Questions will be graded according to:

  1. How many lists you submit by the end of the term (if less than 10 are submitted, points will be reduced in your overall grade) and
  2. The level of engagement and thoughtfulness is involved in composing each list (grades will be 0, 50, or 100 reflecting the quality of work).
100 =
student elaborates on his/her question, demonstrating engagement with the reading.
50 (half credit) =
student briefly discusses his/her question, without much reflection on the reading.
0 (no credit) =
student lists questions with no discussion and questions are not clearly connected with the reading (vague, too general, or simply irrelevant).

Questions should address readings, and parts within the readings, that puzzle the student as she or he reads each chapter. Lists must be completed prior to the class session when the reading will be discussed and must be submitted by 11 a.m. via WebCT under "assignments." Questions regarding past readings will not qualify.

Note this is the only assignment in this class I accept via WebCT. If a technical issue arises in the Web course, then students have permission to send question lists to my university email address: lhormel@uidaho.edu Be sure to write "question list" in the subject header; otherwise, I may delete it. No other assignments may be sent to my email account. If you anticipate unique difficulties in sending these assignments via Internet by 11 a.m., please talk with me in advance.

The purpose of the question lists is to highlight areas in the reading that you may wish to have discussed in class, which is why I must receive these lists prior to class and with enough time to read them carefully. If you struggle with the readings, this is the best means to help you direct my attention to difficult concepts and arguments. You may submit as many question lists as you wish, but no extra credit is given to students who submit more than 10 over the term. This is intended as a lecture and discussion tool.

EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH ME

I do not use email as a means to receive most student work (see exception below), general student questions, explanations for absences, and explanations for late assignments. I will accept email messages from students for the following reasons:

  1. To schedule an appointment to meet with me (Write subject heading: "appointment") and
  2. To submit a question list when WebCT does not work (Write subject heading: "question list").

If a serious emergency arises that affects your work, do not worry about contacting me until you can provide evidence (see detailed explanation below) and discuss the matter with me in person. Be assured that I will extend a deadline if evidence of a serious emergency is provided.

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR THIS COURSE

This is a course in an institution of higher education, thus it is assumed that students will handle attendance maturely and responsibly. Class attendance is NOT recorded. If I notice patterns of absenteeism among particular individuals, I may confer privately with her/him. As a general rule, continual absence from class sessions will inhibit a student's ability to master course material and to complete this course successfully. Keep in mind class sessions are opportunities for students to engage in course topics.

Except in emergency situations, students are expected to submit all assignments by deadlines, regardless of whether or not they are in class when the papers are due.

Only the following, at the discretion of the professor, are possibly legitimate reasons for an absence:

  • Death or serious illness in family;
  • Medical emergency or illness (this does not include a non-emergency medical appointment that could have been scheduled for another time without significant difficulty);
  • Emergency child-care responsibilities;
  • Religious holiday, in accordance with state law;
  • Participation in UI-sponsored athletic events, UI dramatic or musical performances, UI-sanctioned professional or academic conferences, etc.; or
  • A similar type of situation/problem (at professors' discretion).

You should provide reasonable documentation for an absence, unless because of special circumstances I waive this requirement. Please discuss schedule conflicts in advance with me. As specified at the beginning of this syllabus, I do not accept any correspondence via email except to arrange office appointments and question lists.

Note that vacations, work schedule issues (except in cases of exceptional financial need, at my discretion), driving someone to an airport, etc., are not legitimate excuses for an absence.

WISH TO ATTEND A CLASS SESSION LATE, OR TO LEAVE EARLY?

To ensure a sound learning environment for all students taking this course, the door will be closed 10 minutes after the class session begins. If you are more than 10 minutes late and the door to the room is closed, you have officially missed class for the day. If you anticipate being late for class (conflicting doctor's appointment, childcare arrangements, work arrangements, and so on), let me know as soon as you are aware. Also, if you need to leave early from class on a particular day, please let me know BEFORE class session begins. Otherwise, students are expected to attend the full class session - no early exits. Those who need to use the restroom are excused (I can tell since you will not put all of your books away and take off with your book bag to do this). Please acknowledge that these measures are taken to reduce interruptions in the class and to maintain respect in our classroom. Thanks, in advance, for cooperating.

CODE OF CONDUCT AND RESPECT

Sociology explores topics that are often controversial. In light of the potential for conflict in the classroom, I ask that we follow a code of conduct. The code of conduct includes the simple idea that "you do unto others what you would like done unto yourself". How this translates into our own conduct in class comprises the following: listen attentively to individuals who present ideas in class; do not hold conversations with peers in the background of class presentations/discussions; and put away all materials that are not related to the course during class sessions (newspapers, magazines, cell phones - turn the ringer off - no text messaging, portable video games, CD players, and so on). In addition, when you pose your own position before the class, please recognize that others' ideas may vastly differ from your own. Be sure you don't make fun of, or degrade, others who hold different perspectives. Failing to abide by any of the terms in this code of conduct may result in expulsion from class sessions. Thanks, in advance, for your cooperation!!

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is not accepted in any student's work in this course. I will discuss more specifically in class what is considered plagiarism. Briefly, I consider plagiarism to be the duplication of someone's ideas (a famous writer/researcher's ideas and even a fellow student's ideas) without proper reference of WHO made these ideas, as well as WHEN and WHERE these ideas were made. A bibliography alone is not sufficient for avoiding plagiarism. Please discuss with me individually if you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism. The safest rule to follow is to acknowledge the source (through proper citation) of an idea whenever you are in doubt. I will fail an assignment if I identify any plagiarized ideas in it. If a student plagiarizes a second time in the same course, that student will fail the entire course. It is important to note, I can only determine if plagiarism has taken place and not whether a student intended to plagiarize. Therefore, it is critical for students to learn how to avoid plagiarizing.