Syllabus: Sociology 2: International Sociology

Sociology 2: International Sociology

Winter 2011, Course #69050

Time/Place:	Tuesday and Thursday 3:30- 4:50pm, SSLH 100
Class Web Page:	http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~schofer/2011soc2/soc2.htm
Online Readings:	http://webfiles.uci.edu/schofer/classes/2011soc2/readings

Instructor:	Evan Schofer
Office:	SSPB 4271
Office Hours	Monday 11:00am-12:00pm and by appointment
Office Phone:	(949) 824-1397
Email:

TAs:	Rachael Chatterson	Andrew Duncan
Email:	rchatter@uci.edu	duncana@uci.edu
Office Hours:	Thursday 2-3:15pm	Monday 4-5:00pm
Office:	SST 682	SST 619
Sections:	Tuesday 11:00-11:50am SSL 155	Monday 9:00-9:50am SSL 105
	Tuesday 12:00-12:50pm SSL 155	Monday 10:00-10:50am SSL 105
		Monday 5:00-5:50pm SSL 159

TAs:	Erin Evans	Beth Gardner
Email:	emevans@uci.edu	beth.gardner@gmail.com
Office Hours:	Thursday 10:00-11:00am	Thursday 12:00-1:00pm
Office:	SST 603	Meet at Phoenix Grill
Sections:	Tuesday 9:00-9:50am SSL 155	Thursday 1:00-1:50pm SSL 159
	Thursday 5:00-5:50pm SSL 155	Thursday 2:00-2:50pm SSL 155

TAs:	Natasha Miric
Email:	nmiric@uci.edu
Office Hours:	Wednesday 1:00-2:00pm
Office:	Meet at Phoenix Grill
Sections:	Wednesday 10:00-10:50am SSL 159
	Wednesday 11:00-11:50am SSL 159
	Wednesday 12:00-12:50pm SSL 105

Introduction

This course explores international political, economic, cultural, and social changes that are currently transforming our world on a global scale, as well as theoretical ideas and research from sociology and related fields to help us make sense of them. Countries are increasingly interconnected by flows of information, trade, money, immigrants, technology, and culture. Trans-national corporations and political organizations (e.g., the United Nations) have grown in size and influence, as have the organized social movements that lobby or oppose them. The goal of the course is clarify what globalization is and how it is affecting societies around the world. For instance, how does global trade affect jobs and the economy? And, how do those effects differ depending upon whether you live in the U.S., India, or South Africa? How does the spread of political ideologies affect politics in the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America? How do international social movements and protesters affect government policies in different societies? In sum: this course provides an overview of globalization and its consequences, drawing on new theoretical ideas from sociology and related fields.

Readings & Media

Reading assignments are listed below. All readings are required unless otherwise indicated. Readings should be completed by the first class meeting on the week indicated. Lectures and sections will make more sense if you’ve done the readings!

Required Online Readings:

Online readings can be accessed via the UCI webfiles system. A UCINET id is required for webfiles access. You must also “register” for webfiles access by clicking on the following link: http://webfiles.uci.edu

Once you have registered for webfiles access, you can access the readings here:

http://webfiles.uci.edu/schofer/classes/2011soc2/readings

Most readings are in .pdf format. A few readings are in “doc” format (Microsoft Word) or can be accessed on the web in html format. A pdf reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded for free. http://get.adobe.com/reader/

WARNING: We all know that computers can crash and networks can fail. Therefore, you must be responsible and plan ahead. DO NOT leave all the reading for the night before the exam. Complete reading assignments ahead of time or print them out in advance. Excuses such as “my computer crashed” or “the network was down” will not garner sympathy on the day of the midterm or final, given that you that you had ample opportunity to access (and print or download) the course readings at any time during the quarter.

Supplemental Readings/Handouts. I may assign additional required readings – such as topical newspaper articles – by providing either a web link or a hard copy during class.

Required Video Material:

The course will be utilizing video material from various documentaries, including the PBS series “Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy.” I will provide links to videos (if available) on the course website so you can review them as you prepare for the exams.

Assignments and Evaluation

Midterm Exam. There will be one closed-book midterm exam that will cover course material from lectures and readings. (40% of final grade)

Midterm Exam: Tuesday February 8, in class (3:30-4:50)

Final Exam. There will be a closed-book final exam that will cover course material from lectures and readings. The final exam will encompass material from the entire course but it will emphasize material discussed after the midterm. (40% of final grade)

Final Exam Time: Tuesday March 15, 4:00-6:00pm

Discussion Section Assignments and Participation. This course has a required weekly discussion section. Discussion sections offer the opportunity to discuss readings, ask questions, participate in group activities, and generally deepen your knowledge of course material. Attendance of discussion sections is required and will contribute to your final grade. Section instructors will distribute required assignments (which may include homework assignments, in-class writing activities, in-class quizzes, etc.) that will contribute to your final grade. (20% of final grade).

Final Grades. Your final grade will be computed based on the percentage weightings indicated. In the event of a borderline grade, I may use my discretion in adjusting grades based on course participation and effort. Incompletes will not be given, except in unusual circumstance.

Assignment Policies:

In-Class Activities. Unless otherwise indicated by your section instructor, missed in-class activities or assignments conducted during discussion sections cannot be done later. These may include writing activities, quizzes, etc. If you miss section on the day of an in-class assignment or quiz, you will receive a zero.

Late Assignments. Assignments received late will be marked down incrementally for each day past the deadline. Extensions for certain kinds of assignments may be granted for legitimate reasons if requested in advance (but this generally does not apply to in-class activities such as quizzes). It is better to turn in work late than not at all. A late assignment, despite the penalties, is generally preferable to a zero. So, remember the rule: “Better late than never.”

Missed Exams. If you miss an exam you will get a zero. Missed exams cannot be taken later, except in unusual circumstances. I have occasionally made special arrangements, in advance, for students with particular needs… but, this not always possible. Don’t count on it. DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL PLANS ON THE DATE OF THE MIDTERM OR FINAL EXAM.

Grade Corrections/Changes. If you believe that you received an incorrect grade on an exam or assignment, complete the “Grade Change Request Form” available in the “course files” part of the course website.

Cheating, Plagiarism, etc. Academic violations such as cheating and plagiarism will be dealt with very severely, based on the specifics of the case. I may use software to detect text plagiarized from the web or other sources. If requested, students in this course must provide computer copies of their written work for examination by plagiarism detection software. Keep electronic copies (and backups) of all course work.

University Policies

Students in this course must abide by all relevant university policies, ranging from issues of general behavior to academic issues such as plagiarism. It is your responsibility to be aware of university policies.

My Policies

Respect. All participants in this course (including myself) should strive to treat others – and their ideas – with respect. The course material and class discussion will cover sensitive topics ranging from immigration and welfare to racial and ethnic identity. Disagreements may arise. Try to be aware of and show respect for other people’s feelings on such issues. Conversely, if you find yourself offended by something, please try to raise the issue in a constructive manner – either in class, afterward, or even anonymously – so the situation can be addressed. Often, conflicts are rooted in simple misunderstandings, but sometimes they reflect more serious issues that can only be resolved if things are brought to my attention.

Commitment to Learning. There is no point in taking a course if you are not committed to learning. That means doing the readings, showing up, concentrating, and participating in class discussion and group activities. I strive to make the class interesting, but make no mistake: this is not entertainment. We will struggle through ideas and readings that are difficult and may seem boring if you do not yet understand them. It is your responsibility to be committed.

Professionalism. I expect you to conduct yourself professionally. If you show up and do your work, you will most likely do well. If you don’t show up and fail to do the work, expect a bad grade. Take responsibility for your actions. (I really dislike it when students come to me and say “I haven’t been to class for 6 weeks and missed the exam. But, I really need this course to graduate/keep my financial aid/get into law school/make my parents happy. Can’t you give me a better grade?” If those goals are really so important to you, do the work!)

Course Information

Course handouts, assignments, and other information will be posted to the course web page (listed above). Any changes in the syllabus, assignments, or course requirements will be posted there. Check the web site periodically to keep fully informed.

Schedule & Reading Assignments

NOTE: * indicates optional reading, NOT required.

Week 1: Background: States and Markets (Jan 4, 6)

NOTE: Discussion sections will not meet during week 1.

Krugman, Paul. “Partying Like Its 1929.” The New York Times, March 21, 2008. Available via webfiles and also on the web:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/opinion/21krugman.html (2 pages)

Rodrik, Dani. 2010. Capitalism 3.0, pp. 288-9 in Harf and Lombardi. Taking Sides. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. (2 pages)

J. Bradford DeLong. 2010. “What Do Econ 1 Students Need to Remember Most from the Course?” Blog post [excerpt]: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2010/12/what-do-econ-1-students-need-to-remember-most-from-the-course.html (2 pages)

Hiltzik, Michael. 2009. “Why Privatizing the University of California Won’t Work.” The Los Angeles Times. December 10, 2009. (2 pages)

* Leonhardt, David. “Can’t Grasp the Credit Crisis? Join the Club.” The New York Times, March 18, 2008. Available via webfiles and online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/business/19leonhardt.html

* Dillon, Sam. 2005. “At Public Universities, Warnings of Privatization.” The New York Times, October 16, 2005. (3 pages)

Week 2: States and Markets and Globalization (Jan 11, 13)

Ellwood, Wayne. 2006. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization.

Chapter 1, “Globalization Then and Now.” Pp. 12-25 (14 pages)

Reich, Robert T. 2007. Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Chapter 1, “The Not Quite Golden Age,” section 9 (pp. 46-49) (3 pages)
Chapter 2, “The Road to Supercapitalism.” sections 3-6, 9 (pp. 60-75, 86-87) (18 pages)
Chapter 3, “Of Two Minds,” sections 1 (pp. 89-95) and 8 (pp. 122-3) (8 pages)
Other sections and chapters are OPTIONAL – but interesting. Take a look!

Friedman, Thomas L. 2005. “The Untouchables.” Chapter 6 in The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. (12 pages)

Friedman, Thomas L. “The Golden Straightjacket.” Chapter 5 (p. 83-93) in The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Farrar, Straus, and Grioux (1999). Focus on pp. 86(middle)-88(top), 90-end. Skim the rest. (6 pages)

*Ellwood, Wayne. 2006. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization.

Chapter 2, “The Bretton Woods Trio.” Pp. 26-41 (16 pages)

*Friedman, Thomas L. “Revolution is U.S.” Chapter 16 (p. 307-329) in The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Farrar, Straus, and Grioux (1999). Pages 307-309 (top) only. The rest is OPTIONAL. (3 pages)

Week 3: Economic Globalization: Overview (Jan 18, 20)

Grieco, Joseph M. and G. John Ikenberry. 2003. “Economic Globalization and Political Backlash.” Chapter 7 in State Power and World Markets: The International Political Economy, W. W. Norton and Company (2003). Pages 204-222 ONLY (19 pages).

Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2006. “Another World Is Possible.” Chapter 1 in Making Globalization Work. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. Pp. 7-24 ONLY. (18 pages)

Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2006. “The Multinational Corporation.” Chapter 7 in Making Globalization Work. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. (23 pages)

* Paul Knox, John Agnew, and Linda McCarthy. 2003. “The Globalization of Production Systems.” Chapter 6 (pp. 181-212) in The Geography of the World Economy (4th Ed). (32 pages)

Week 4: Economic Globalization: Trade (Jan 25, 27)

Krugman, Paul R. 1993. “What Do Undergrads Need to Know About Trade?” The American Economic Review, Vol. 83, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Hundred and Fifth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association. (May, 1993), pp. 23-26 (4 pages).

Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2006. “Making Trade Fair.” Chapter 3 in Making Globalization Work. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. (41 pages)

Schaeffer, Robert K. 2003. “Free Trade Agreements.” Chapter 9 (pages 217-250) in Understanding Globalization. Rowman and Littlefield, Inc. (2003). Pages 241-5 (“Winners & Losers) Only. The rest is OPTIONAL. (5 pages)

Krugman, Paul R. 2007. “The Trouble With Trade.” The New York Times, Dec 28, 2007. (2 pages) Also at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/opinion/28krugman.html

Krugman, Paul R. 2009. “Chinese New Year.” The New York Times, December 31, 2009. (2 pages) Also at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/opinion/01krugman.html?hp

*World Trade Organization. “The World Trade Organization… In Brief.” (5 pages)

Week 5: Globalization, Economic Crises, and Governance (Feb 1, 3)

Brawley, Mark R. 2003. “Globalization and Domestic Politics” Pp. 107-130 (Chapter 5) in The Politics of Globalization. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview. (22 pages).

Irwin, Neil. 2010. “Europe’s Financial Contagion.” The Washington Post (1 page).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/financial-crisis-in-europe/

Krugman, Paul. 2008. “Don’t Cry for Me, America.” The New York Times, Jan 18, 2008. Also online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/opinion/18krugman.html

O’Rourke, Kevin. 2010. “Letter from Dublin.” EuroIntelligence.com. (2 pages) Also online at: http://www.eurointelligence.com/index.php?id=581&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2973&tx_ttnews[backPid]=901&cHash=484db55c3a

Thomas, Landon. 2010. “Europe Examines Ways to Quell Its Debt Crisis.” The New York Times, November 30, 2010. (4 pages)

Ellwood, Wayne. 2006. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization. New Internationalist.

Chapter 7. “Redesigning the World Economy.” Pp. 127-137 (11 pages).

*Schaeffer, Robert K. “Debt Crisis and Globalization.” Chapter 5 (pp. 95-118) in Understanding Globalization. Rowman and Littlefield, Inc. (2003). (22 pages)

Week 6: Globalization, Politics, and Governance (Feb 8, 10)

February 8: Midterm Exam

* In-class closed book exam, covers readings, class, & section from Weeks 1 – 5

NO DISCUSSION SECTION THIS WEEK (except Monday – check with your TA)!!!

No additional readings. Start on readings for next week!

Week 7: Theories (Feb 15, 17)

Serneau, Scott. 2006. “Class: A World of Rich and Poor.” Pp. 7-32 (Chapter 1) in Global Problems: The Search for Equity, Peace, and Sustainability. Boston, MA: Pearson. (36 pages)

Brawley, Mark R. 2003. “Theoretical Lenses for Viewing Globalization” Pp. 35-56 (Chapter 2) in The Politics of Globalization. Toronto, Ontario: Broadview. (22 pages)

Schofer, Evan, Ann Hironaka, David Frank, and Wesley Longhofer. 2011. “Sociological Institutionalism and World Society.” In Nash, K, A. Scott, and E. Amenata (eds). The New Blackwell Companion to Political Sociology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (10 pages)

*Meyer, John W., John Boli, George Thomas, and Francisco Ramirez. 1997. “World Society and the Nation-State.” Excerpt. (8 pages)

*Frank, Andre G. 1969. “The Development of Underdevelopment.” Pp. 3-20 in Frank, Andre G. 1969. Latin America: Underdevelopment or Revolution. New York, NY: Modern Reader. (18 pages).

*Chirot, Daniel and Thomas D. Hall. 1982. “World-System Theory.” Annual Review of Sociology, 8:81-106. (26 pages).

Week 8: Theories (Feb 22, 24)

Waltz, Kenneth N. 1999. “Globalization and Governance.” PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 693-700. (8 pages)

Keohane, Robert O. and Joseph S. Nye. 2001. “Realism and Complex Interdependence.” Pp. 20-32 in Power and Interdependence (Third Edition). New York, NY: Longman. (13 pages)

Sikkink, Kathryn. 1998. “Transnational Politics, International Relations Theory, and Human Rights.” PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 31, No. 3. (Sep., 1998), pp. 516-523. (8 pages)

Nye, Joseph S. 2004. “The Changing Nature of Power.” Chapter 1 in Soft Power. New York: Public Affairs. (32 pages)

* Keck, Margaret E. and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. “Transnational Advocacy Networks in International Relations.” Pp. 1-38 in Keck, Margaret E. and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. Activists Beyond Borders. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (38 pages)

Week 9: Globalization: Identity, Culture, Conflict (March 1, 3)

Huntington, Samuel. 1993. “The Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs, 1993, Vol. 72, No. 3 (Summer), pp. 3-22. (19 pages).

Bowen, John R. 1996. “The Myth of Global Ethnic Conflict.” Journal of Democracy, 7, 4:3-14. (12 pages).

Martell, Luke. 2010. “The Globalization of Culture: Homogeneous or Hybrid?” Pp. 89-104 (Chapter 4) in Sociology of Globalization. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. (16 pages)

Kurzman, Charles. 2002. Bin Laden and Other Thoroughly Modern Muslims. Contexts. Nov 2002, Vol. 1, No. 4: 13–20. (7 pages)

Telvick, Marlena. 2007. “Al Qaeda Today: The New Face of Global Jihad.” Also at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/front/etc/today.html (4 pages)

*Boli, John and Frank Lechner. 2002. “Globalization and World Culture.” In the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by Neil J. Smelser and Paul M. Baltes. Oxford: Elsevier. (5 pages)

*Friedman, Thomas L. “Revolution is U.S.” Chapter 16 (p. 307-329) in The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Farrar, Straus, and Grioux (1999). (23 pages)

Week 10: War, Terrorism, and Global Politics (March 8, 10)

Daalder, Ivo H. and James M. Lindsay. “The Bush Revolution.” Pp. 152-165 in Kreiger, Joel (ed). 2006. Globalization and State Power: A Reader. New York, NY: Pearson Education. (14 pages).

Schaeffer, Robert K. 2009. “Revolution and War in Afghanistan.” Pp. 259-280 (chapter 11) in Understanding Globalization (4^th ed). (21 pages)

Shane, Scott. 2009. “The War in Pashtunistan.” The New York Times, December 5, 2007. (4 pages)

Rubin, Alissa et al. 2010. “Afghanistan in Review: High Hopes and Big Obstacles.” The New York Times, December 31, 2010. Video, available online at:

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/31/afghanistan-in-review-high-hopes-and-big-obstacles/?scp=3&sq=war%20in%20afghanistan&st=cse

Mazetti, Mark et al. 2010. “U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan.” The New York Times, December 20, 2010. (1 page)

* Beinart, Peter. 2009. “Obama Shrinks the War on Terrorism.” Time Magazine, December 7, 2009 (5 pages).

* Zakaria, Fareed. 2009. “The Case Against a Surge.” Newsweek, October 10, 2009. (2 pages)

* Cronin, Audrey K. “Behind the Curve: Globalization and International Terrorism.” Pp. 243-256 in Kreiger, Joel (ed). 2006. Globalization and State Power: A Reader. New York, NY: Pearson Education. (14 pages).

Week 11: Finals Week

Final Exam Time: Tuesday March 15, 4:00-6:00pm