SOC 465 - Political Sociology
Globalization and the Political-Economic Restructuring of the World-Economy
MW 4:00-5:20
301 Condon
Instructor: Paul Prew
Office: 622 PLC
Office Hours: 2:00 to 3:45 Wednesday or by appointment
Office Phone: 346-5042
Email: pprew@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Note (not in the syllabus) :YOU WILL FIND REQUIRED TEXTS AT MOTHER KALI’S BOOKSTORE AT 720 E 13TH STREET
Course Links
Syllabus
Course Description
Recent events in the world-system demand a better understanding of the origins of the current situation. This
course will attempt to put the issues the world is facing into context. In the popular press and media, the term
"globalization" has been used to characterize the changes taking place in our world today, but this class will take
a critical look at the term globalization and the changes in global political and economic structures. In relation
to "political sociology," the course will focus on political bodies and agreements such as the WTO, GATT and
NAFTA to understand their operation and the implications for people around the world. In addition, the course
will examine the role of political agendas and the creation of such entities as the IMF and the World Bank. We
will also discuss the changes in the economy and the process of "liberalization" to provide a better understanding
of the global capitalist system. At the conclusion of the course, the students should have a better understanding
of what has been called "globalization" and the political and economic institutions that shape their lives.
Course Requirements
A few things are crucial for successful completion of this course. First, students are expected to have completed
all of the relevant readings prior to coming to class. Students must complete the readings in order to participate
regularly in class discussions. Class participation will be weighted heavily as part of the graded portion of the
class. Since you must be present to participate in class, attendance will be part of your participation grade. After
the first week, more than two absences will count against participation. Your participation and performance will
be evaluated by the professor. Students will be required to complete three short application papers addressing issues covered by the course. Late papers will lose ½ letter grade for each class day late. Also,
students must work well in groups. Part of the requirements for the class is the completion of a group project.
The group project will consist of 4-5 of your classmates on a topic of your choosing within the field of
"globalization." Because the first draft of the project is due during the 8th week, you must start work on your
project early. To give students the opportunity to supplement a weakness in their grade, students may watch an
approved movie and review it for extra credit. A list of possible movie selections can be found on my homepage
under "Suggested Films."
The grading for the course breaks down as follows:
30% Class Participation
30% Application Papers
40% Group Project (10% - Proposal, 10% - First Draft, 20% - Final Version of the Project)
Required Texts
YOU WILL FIND REQUIRED TEXTS AT MOTHER KALI’S BOOKSTORE AT 720 E 13TH STREET
- Tabb, William K. 2001. The Amoral Elephant: Globalization and the Struggle for Social Justice in the
Twenty-First Century. New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Hahnel, Robin. 1999. Panic Rules: Everything You Need to Know about the Global Economy. Cambridge,
MA: South End Press.
- Shiva, Vandana. 2000. Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply. Cambridge, MA: South
End Press.
- Achcar, Gilbert. 2002. The Clash of Barbarisms: Sept. 11 and the Making of the New World Disorder. New
York: Monthly Review Press.
- Readings on Reserve in the Library
- In addition to the required texts, many of your required readings for the week will be placed on reserve in
the library reserve room. Reserve readings are listed under the week for which they are assigned.
- Readings on the Web
- Many of your weekly readings can only be found on the Web. You can manually type in the address or
go to the course web page and click on the link to the appropriate readings. If you have any questions or
problems, please contact me.
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Weekly Readings
Week 1
Mar 31: What is Globalization?
Apr 2: Conditions Under Globalization
- Hahnel, Robin. 1999. "The Bloom off the Boom: The Facts" Pp 6-12 in Panic Rules: Everything You
Need to Know about the Global Economy. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
- Tabb, William K. 2001. "Globalization and the Politics of the Twenty-First Century." Pp. 7-32 in The
Amoral Elephant: Globalization and the Struggle for Social Justice in the Twenty-First Century. New
York: Monthly Review Press.
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Week 2
April 7: The Establishment of a Global Political and Economic Order for Accumulation
- Library Reserve Readings:
- Post World War II
- Wood, Robert E. 1994. "From the Marshall Plan to the Third World." Pp. 201-14 in Origins of the
Cold War: An International History, edited by M. P. Leffler and D. S. Painter. London: Routledge.
- Web Readings:
- Marshall Plan Institutions (feel free to browse through these web pages for items that interest you)
- Questions to guide your reading of the web pages.
- Recommended Readings:
April 9:
- Film: Deadly Embrace 28min
- Tabb, William K. 2001. "State Power in the New World Economy" Pp. 51-78 in The Amoral Elephant:
Globalization and the Struggle for Social Justice in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Monthly
Review Press.
- Tabb, William K. 2001. "Globalization as the Imperialism of Finance." Pp. 79-98 in The Amoral
Elephant: Globalization and the Struggle for Social Justice in the Twenty-First Century. New York:
Monthly Review Press.
- Web Readings:
- Recommended Readings:
- Recommended Readings: IMF and World Bank Policies
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Week 3
April 14: The Dismantling of the Soviet Union
Choose Group Project Topics
- Library Reserve Readings:
- Chossudovsky, Michel. 1998. "Introduction," "Chapter 1:The Globalization of Poverty" and "Chapter 2:
Policing Countries through Loan 'Conditionalities'" Pp 15-73 in The Globalisation of Poverty: Impacts
of IMF and World Bank Reforms. New York: Zed Books.
April 16:
- Library Reserve Readings:
- Chossudovsky, Michel. 1998. "Part V: The Former Soviet Union and the Balkans." Pp 225-42 in The
Globalisation of Poverty: Impacts of IMF and World Bank Reforms. New York: Zed Books.
- Web Readings:
- Recommended Readings:
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Week 4
April 21: Global Economics and Economic Crisis
Application Paper 1 Due
- Film: The Crash
- Hahnel, Robin. 1999. "Chapter 4." Pp 33-40 in Panic Rules: Everything You Need to Know about the
Global Economy. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
- Hahnel, Robin. 1999. "Chapters 2-3." Pp 13-32 in Panic Rules: Everything You Need to Know about the
Global Economy. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
April 23:
- Hahnel, Robin. 1999. "Chapters 5-9." Pp 41-103 in Panic Rules: Everything You Need to Know about
the Global Economy. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
- Recommended Readings:
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Week 5
April 28:. GATT, the WTO, NAFTA, and Fast Track
Group Project Proposal Due
- Web Readings:
- Recommended Readings:
April 30:
- Web Readings:
- Recommended Readings:
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Week 6
May 5: The Globalization of Production
Application Paper 2 Due
- Film: Borderline Cases 57 min
- Conroy, Michael E., and Sarah Elizabeth West. 2000. "The Impact of NAFTA and the WTO on Chiapas
and Southern Mexico Hypotheses and Preliminary Evidence." Pp. 41-55 in Poverty or Development:
Global Restructuring and Regional Transformation in the U.S. South and the Mexican South, edited by
Richard Tardanico and Mark B. Rosenberg. New York: Routledge.
- Gereffi, Gary. 2000. "The Mexico-U.S. Apparel Connection: Economic Dualism and Transnational
Networks." Pp. 59-89 in Poverty or Development: Global Restructuring and Regional Transformation
in the U.S. South and the Mexican South, edited by Richard Tardanico and Mark B. Rosenberg. New
York: Routledge
May 7:
- Films: TV Nation - NAFTA : Awful Truth - NAFTA Mike
- Web Readings:
- Recommended Readings:
- Chossudovsky, Michel. 1998. "Chapter 3: The Global Cheap Labor Economy"Pp 75-98 in The Globalisation of Poverty: Impacts of IMF and World Bank Reforms. New York: Zed Books.
- Singer, Daniel. 1999. "Beyond Labor and Leisure" Pp. 155-183 in Whose Millennium?: Theirs or Ours? New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Wilson, Patricia A., and Thea Kayne. 2000. "Local Economic Development and Transnational Restructuring: The Case of Export Assembly Manufacturing in Yucatán." Pp. 91-109 in Poverty or Development: Global Restructuring and Regional Transformation in the U.S. South and the Mexican South, edited by Richard Tardanico and Mark B. Rosenberg. New York: Routledge.
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Week 7
May 12:Globalization of Agriculture - The Corporate Control of Life and the Decline of Food Self Sufficiency
- Film: Science For Survival 50min
- Shiva, Vandana. 2000. "Introduction, Chapters 1-5." Pp 1-94 in Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the
Global Food Supply. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
May 14:
- Shiva, Vandana. 2000. "Chapters 6-7." Pp 95-124. Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food
Supply. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
- Recommended Readings:
Recommended Readings: Women and Globalization
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Week 8
May 19: Enforcement of the Neo-Liberal Order
Group Project First Draft Due
- Film: Jenin, Jenin 54 min Guest Speaker: Bob Rossi
- Achcar, Gilbert. 2002. Pp 13-56 in The Clash of Barbarisms: Sept. 11 and the Making of the New World
Disorder. New York: Monthly Review Press.
May 21:
- Achcar, Gilbert. 2002. Pp 57-103 in The Clash of Barbarisms: Sept. 11 and the Making of the New
World Disorder. New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Recommended Readings:
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Week 9
May 26: Globalization Reconsidered
May 28:
Application Paper 3 Due
- Tabb, William K. 2001. "Trade Wars, Overinvestment and Concentration of Capital" and "Globalization
and the Assault on U.S. Citizenship." Pp. 127- 179 in The Amoral Elephant: Globalization and the
Struggle for Social Justice in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Recommended Readings:
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Week 10
June 2: Neoliberalism: Success or Failure?
- Tabb, William K. 2001. "Progressive Globalism: Challenging the Audacity of Capital." Pp. 181- 210 in
The Amoral Elephant: Globalization and the Struggle for Social Justice in the Twenty-First Century.
New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Recommended Reading:
June 4:
Extra Credit Reviews Due
June 11: Day of the Final 3:15-5:15
Group Project Due
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