Journal Assignments

Respond to the essential premise of the course: the study of "globalization"--its definition, its historical development, and the debates surrounding it are essential to understanding the contemporary global challenges we confront as citizens of the 21st century.

Of the many globlization debates described by Scholte, which do you find the most compelling and important. If forced to answer which side you're on in that debate, defend your position.

The makers of the documentary, The Flaw, assert that the underlying cause of the global financial crisis was growing income inequality. To what extent has globalization contributed to this growing income equality both in the United States and abroad. If this is true what does it say about neoliberalism, the Washington consensus, and the possibilities for arresting this widening economic chasm?

I found it interesting that there seemed to be a general consensus (with certain exceptions) amongst members of the class that political globalization was not a particularly substantial characteristic of our present moment nor did most of you believe that it was a likely outcome in the future – despite your sense that increasing the level of global political cooperation would be a good thing. There were also a number of you who thought that cultural globalization was not as widespread as observers have suggested. One might speak of Americanization, Westernization, or nations with cultural power and those without, but true globalization does not really exist. This led me to consider whether or not we are really in a new era of globalization. In other words, if political globalization isn't really occurring and if cultural globalization isn’t all that extensive, should we really entertain the possibility that globalization is as characteristic a phenomenon as most commentators claim? React to this.

From what you know about Cuba given the reading and documentary, Toby's presentation, our class discussion, your personal experience, etc., do you think that Cuba will be able to forge a middle path between its communist past and present introduction of market-based reforms? Will the US allow for such a possibility?