Globalization and Development

GDS 395-01 – Spring 2003

 

 

Lecture:          T/TH: 2:15-4:05                                   Instructor:      Monty Roper

Goodnow Hall Rm 105                                   305 Goodnow Hall

Office phone: 269-3017

e-mail: roperjm@grinnell.edu

 

Office Hours: M & W 9-11; Tu & F 10-12.  During office hours, you are welcome to stop by without an appointment.  I will also be happy to schedule appointments during non-office hours.  I am happy to communicate by phone or e-mail.  I check my e-mail regularly, though you should not assume that I have received your message until you receive a confirmation from me.

 

Course Description and Goals

Globalization and Development are incredibly broad topics.  We are focusing on only a handful of issues and topics in this class.  Our primary concern is with development in so-called “third world” (underdeveloped, developing, etc.) countries.  We will pay particular attention to how development takes place and is experienced at the local level, by real people.  More specifically, the class is intended to address how globalization is related to such development.  While “globalization” is probably an overused and somewhat contentious term, we will focus on two main processes that most scholars would agree are closely tied to diverse conceptions of development.  This includes a consideration of how directed international development aid – a primary process in economic globalization – by the first world and bilateral institutions (World Bank, etc.) takes place and is affecting rural peoples.  Secondly, the course will address more generally how the globalization of the world capitalist system, especially through the rise and expansion of transnational corporations is impacting on the third world and its role in “development”.

 

In order to consider these issues, we must address the topic through both micro and macro levels of analysis.  In other words, while our primary concern may be with local rural peoples, we must also seek to understand the globalization process that affects them.  This includes first world conceptions of development as well as a consideration of the dynamics of major economic institutions, the role of nation states, and the actions of international political and social organizations.  We must be able to understand how these levels of analysis operate individually and the linkages between the micro and macro levels.  As such, the course is necessarily interdisciplinary in nature and will draw on theory and literature from a range of social sciences, including political science, international political economy, economics, sociology, and anthropology. 

 

This class is a senior seminar.  It is YOUR senior seminar.  I am here to help provide you with a set of readings to stimulate discussion and to serve as a kind of in-class moderator.  I will very occasionally lecture.  You should think of this as a structured reading group.  Your responsibility is to come to class prepared to discuss the readings, raise questions, argue for or against certain positions, and stimulate one-another to come up with fresh ideas.  You should be able to build on past readings in your consideration of topics as well as bring in your own experiences.  Many of you have also done internships, taken other relevant classes, and traveled to “third world” countries, and you should bring these experiences to the discussion.  It is your responsibility just as much as it is mine to make this class work.  Everyone should feel free to participate openly in class.  There are no taboo ideas or subjects, even if they may be labeled un-PC outside of the class.  The classroom is a forum for open discussion and debate.  Everyone should help to support an atmosphere where diverging and conflicting ideas from within the class can be heard and considered.  There are few “right” answers or theories concerning the material that we are discussing.  As we will see, educated academics disagree on many of the underlying assumptions of development and globalization issues, not to mention more specific hot topics.  My goal in this course is not to dish out a set of facts to you, but to provide you with various perspectives (including my own at times) on globalization and development and stimulate open discussion and debate on complex issues and processes. 

 

Required Texts:

1.      J. Timmons Roberts and Amy Hite  2000  From Modernization to Globalization:  Perspectives on Development and Social Change.  Blackwell Publishers.

2.      Arturo Escobar  1995  Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World.  Princeton University Press.

3.      David C. Korten  1996  When Corporations Rule the World.  Kumarian Press

4.      Marc Edelman  1999  Peasants Against Globalization: Rural Social Movements in Costa Rica.  Stanford University Press.

5.      Luiz C. Barbosa  2000  The Brazilian Amazon Rainforest:  Global Ecopolitics, Development and Democracy.  University Press of America.

6.      Recommended: F. Lechner and J. Boli (eds) 2000  The Globalization Reader.  Blackwell Publishers.

 

Reserved Readings

Copies of “reserved readings” and “additional materials” will be available in the student project room on the 3rd floor of Goodnow Hall.  I will provide links to materials available on-line.  More readings will be available than will be required.

 
Course Requirements

1.      Daily reading notes: (10%) Students are required to turn a total of 20 1-2 page responses to the readings.  This might include a summary of the readings, ideas or questions raised during the readings, a response to the argument of the various authors, quotes or data that you found particularly useful or interesting, etc.  The only required element to these papers are that you include at least a brief consideration of how the articles relate or might be useful (or not useful) to your own primary interests and/or your final paper.  Also, you must include at least 2 questions at the end.  (Note: if you take good notes on the readings as we go, your exams will practically be written.)

2.      Debates: (2 at 15% each – 30% total) We will have three structured policy debates in this class.  Each student will participate in two of these.  The topics and nature of the debates will be decided upon in class.

3.      Final Paper  (30%) Each of you will write a final paper on a topic that you will choose in consultation with me.  You will be required to decide on your topic early in course, and meet with me several times to discuss the evolution of your paper.

4.      Participation:  (30%) (See discussion of participation in course description and goals above.)

5.      Attendance:  Attendance is required.  Students will loose 1% off their final grade for each unexcused absence.  Any exam or in-class assignment that is missed because of an unexcused absence will receive a zero.  Excused absences include illness (substantiated by visit to health center or hospital), death in the family, or prior approval of instructor.

 

 

Preliminary Course Outline and Readings

 

Jan 21: Course Overview: The goals and nature of this course

 

Part I:  Ideas About Development and Social Change

I.A.  The Nature of Development

 

Jan 23:            What is “Development”, and is it Really Necessary?

Required Readings:

·         United Nations Development Program (2000). Human Development Report 2000: Human Rights and Human Development.  Oxford U. Press.  Read: “Overview” pp.1-18

·         Gerald M. Meier  1995  Leading Issues in Economic Development.  Oxford University Press.  Read: I.A. What is Economic Development? – Note pp. 7-12.  Look Over: I.B. Measures of Development.  Pp: 13-32.

·         Jan Knippers Black.  1999  Development in Theory and Practice: Paradigms and Paradoxes.  Westview Press.  Read Ch.2 Defining Development and its Nemesis.  Pp: 15-22.

·         Vijayan K. Pillai and Lyle W. Shannon (eds.)  1995  Developing Areas: A Book of Readings and Research.  Berg.  Read: Chapter 1.  Definition and Distribution of Developing Areas: Introduction.  Pp: 1-13.

 

Jan 28:  Theories of Development, Underdevelopment and Social Change I: Formative Ideas

Readings:

·         From Modernization to Globalization reader Introduction.

·         From Modernization to Globalization reader Part I: “Formative Ideas on the Transition to Modern Society.”

·         K. Marx and F. Engels.  Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848) and Alienated Labor (1844)

·         E. Durkheim.  The Division of Labor in Society (1893)

·         M. Weber.  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905); The Characteristics of Bureaucracy (1920); and Science as a Vocation (1919)

 

Jan 30:  Theories of Development, Underdevelopment and Social change II: Modernization and the roots of the “development project”

Readings: 

·         Modernization to Globalization Reader Part II: “How Does Development Change People?  Modernization Theories and the Intellectual Roots of the Development Project.”

·         T. Parsons.  Evolutionary Universals in Society (1964)

·         W.W. Rostow.  The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Comunist Manifesto (1960)

·         O. Lewis.  A Study of Slum Culture: Backgrounds for La Vida (1968)

·         D. Lerner.  The Passing of Traditional Society (1958)

·         A. Inkeles.  Making Men Modern: On the Causes and Consequences of Individual Change in Six Developing Countries (1969)

·         S. Huntington. The Change to Change: Modernization, Development, and Politics (1971) and Political Order in Changing Societies (1968)

 

Feb 4:  Theories of Development, Underdevelopment and Social change III: Dependency

and World Systems.

Readings:

·         Part III: “Blaming the Victim?  Dependency and World-Systems Theories Respond.”

·         A.G. Frank. The Development of Underdevelopment (1969)

·         F.H. Cardoso.  Dependency and Development in Latin America (1972)

·         A. de Janvry and C. Garramón.  The Dynamics of Rural Poverty in Latin America (1977)

·         I. Wallerstein.  The Rise and Future Demise of the World Capitalist System: Concepts for Comparative Analysis (1979)

·         C. Chase-Dunn.  The Effects of International Economic Dependence on Development and Inequality: A Cross-National Study (1975)

·         G. Gereffi.  Rethinking Development Theory: Insights from East Asia and Latin America (1994)

 

Feb 6: Theories of Development, Underdevelopment and Social change III: The State and

Neoliberal Assumptions

Readings:

·         Robert H. Bates  1993  “Governments and Agricultural Markets in Africa.” In M. Seligson and J. Passé-Smith (eds.), Development & Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Inequality.  Pp:333-346.

·         Michael Lipton  1993  “Urban Bias and Inequality.” In M. Seligson and J. Passé-Smith (eds.), Development & Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Inequality.  Pp:371-376.

·         Larry Sirowy and Alex Inkeles  1993 “The Effects of Democracy on Economic Growth and Inequality.”  In M. Seligson and J. Passé-Smith (eds.), Development & Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Inequality.  Pp:389-405.

 

I.B. The Nature of Globalization

 

Feb 11:  What is Globalization?

Readings:  The Globalization Reader Part II.

·         9.  E.J. Bobsbawn.  The World Unified

·         11.  Leslie Sklair.  Sociology of the Global System

·         12.  Saskia Sassen.  Whose City is it?  Globalization and the Formation of New Claims.

·         13.  Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye.  Realism and Complex Interdependence.

·         14.  J. Meyer et al.  World Society and the Nation-State

·         15.  Roland Robertson and JaAnn Chirico.  Humanity, Globalization, and Worldwide Religious Resurgence.

·         16.  Jan Nederveen Pieterse.  Globalization as Hybridization.

 

Feb 13:  Experiencing Globalization

Readings: The Globalization Reader Part III.

·         17.  Pico Iyer.  Bali: On Prospero’s Isle/The Philippines: Born in the USA.

·         18.  Martin Albrow.  Travelling Beyond Local Cultures

·         19.  Bruce Fuller.  Strong States, Strong Teachers?

·         20.  David Harvey.  Time-Space Compression and the Rise of Modernism as a Cultural Force.

 

Feb 18:  Globalization, Good or Bad?

Readings: The Globalization Reader Part I.

·         Martin Wolf.  Why this Hatred of the Market?

·         Peter Martin.  The Moral Case for Globalization.

·         Bernard Cassen.  To Save Society.

·         Serge Halimi.  When Market Journalism Invades the World.

·         Benjamin Barber.  Jihad vs. McWorld.

·         Samuel P. Huntington.  The Clash of Civilizations.

·         Josua Karliner.  Grassroots Globalization: Reclaiming the Blue Planet.

·         Hans Kung.  A Global Ethic as a Foundation for Global Society.

 

 

Part II:

The Engine of Modern Global “Development”: Development Aid and Capitalism

 

Feb 20, 25, 27:            Development Aid

Readings:

·         Arturo Escobar. Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World

·         Website review:  World bank http://www.worldbank.org, IMF websites Http://www.imf.org, United Nations (http://www.un.org), World Trade Organization (http://www.wto.org)

 

Additional Materials:

·         Jan Bennett  Aid: The Poisoned Gift?”

·         Website review:  50 Years is Enough Organization Website http://50years.org/ (critiques of the Bretton Woods Institutions)

·         World Trade Organization  2000  “Seven Common Misunderstandings about the WTO.” In, F. Lechner and J. Boli (eds.), The Globalization Reader.  Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.  Pp:236-239.

·         C. Roe Goddard and Melissa H. Birch  1996  “The International Monetary Fund.”  In C.R. Goddard, J.T. Passé-Smith, and J.G. Conklin (eds.), International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in the Changing Global Order.  Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.  Pp:215-235.

·         Manuel Pastor, Jr.  1996  The Effects of IMF Programs in the Third World: Debate and Evidence From Latin America.”  In C.R. Goddard, J.T. Passé-Smith, and J.G. Conklin (eds.), International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in the Changing Global Order.  Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.  Pp:247-271.

·         Bruce Rich  1996  “World Bank/IMF: 50 Years is Enough.” In C.R. Goddard, J.T. Passé-Smith, and J.G. Conklin (eds.), International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in the Changing Global Order.  Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.  Pp:305-313.

·         Hilary French  1994  “Rebuilding the World Bank.”  In, State of the World 1994: A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society.  NY: W.W. Norton & Company.  Pp:156-176.

 

March 4  Development Aid Debate (Ann, Yana, Courtney, Emily)

Readings: TBA

 

March 6:  Visit by Werner Fornos of the Population Institute

Readings:

·         Review Escobar’s ideas on population

·         Norman Myers and Julian Simon  1994  Scarcity or Abundance: A Debate on the Environment.  Ch.2. Simon: Population Growth is Not Bad for Humanity; and Ch3 Myers: The Population Factor.

·         State of the World 2002. Chapter 6.  B. Engelman, B. Halweil and D. Nierenberg.  “Rethinking Population, Improving Lives”

·         G. Daily and P. Ehrlich, “Population, Sustainability, and Earth’s Carrying Capacity”

·         R. Ridker, “Population Issue”

 

(March 4-10: Film Viewing.  Commanding Heights.  The Battle for the World Economy.)

 

March 10, 13, April 1:  Corporations, Capitalism and Development

Readings:

·         Korten, When Corporations Rule the World

·         NGO Taskforce on Business & Industry  1997  “Minding Our Business:  The Role of Corporate Accountability in Sustainable Development.”

·         Rhys Jenkins  1996  “Theoretical Perspectives on the Transnational Corporation.” In C.R. Goddard, J.T. Passé-Smith, and J.G. Conklin (eds.), International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in the Changing Global Order.  Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.  Pp:439-459.

 

Film: Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy

 

Additional Materials:

·      From Modernization to Globalization Reader:

·         F. Frobel, J. Heinrichs, and O. Kreye. The New International Division of Labor in the World Economy (1980)

·         P. McMichael.  Globalization: Myths and Realities (1996)

·         D. Harvey.  Capitialism: The Factory of Fragmentation (1992)

·         Dani Rodrik.  Has Globalization Gone Too Far? (1997)

·         From The Globalization Reader: Part IV.  Economic Globalization

·         William Greider.  Wawasan 2020

·         Miguel Korzeniewicz  2000  “Commodity Chains and Marketing Strategies: Nike and the Global Athletic Footwear Industry.”

·         Ted C. Fishman  2000  “The Joys of Global Investment.”

·         Amnesty International 2000  AI on Human Rights and Labor Rights.” In, F. Lechner and J. Boli (eds.), The Globalization Reader.  Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.  Pp:187-190.

·         Film: Hungry For Profit

 

April 3:  Corporations and Development Debate (Emily, Yana, Sam, Mayra)

Readings: TBA

 

(Spring Break 3/14 – 3/30)

 

Part III: Culture and Globalization

 

 

April 8-10:      Globalization and Culture (Topics to be oriented around Rosenfield Symposium)            

·         Globalization Reader.  Chapters TBA

(Likely will look at some material on Globalization, Indigenous Peoples and the Environmental Movement)

 

April 15:  Debate on Globalization and Culture (Courtney, Ann, Sam, Mayra)

·         Readings TBA

 

Part IV:  Case Studies and Responses to Globalization

 

April 17:  Globalization and Women

Readings:

·         Review Escobar on Women.

·         The Globalization Reader #24.  Lourdes Beneria and Savitri Bisnath.  Gender and Poverty: An Analysis for Action.

·         From Modernization to Globalization Reader #20.  Kathryn Ward and Jean Larson Pyle.  Gender, Industrialization, Transnational Corporations and Development: An Overview of Trends and Patterns

·         Victoria Lockwood, “The Impact of Development on Women: The Interplay of Material Conditions and Gender Ideology”.  (In Brettell and Sargent, Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective)

 

April 22, 24:  Case Study: Brazilian Amazon

Readings:

·         Barbosa, The Brazilian Amazon

 

April 29, May1, 6:     Social Movements (Case Study: Costa Rica)

Readings:

§         Edelman, Peasants Against Globalization

·         Reader Ch 22 “Social Movements and Global Capitalism”

·         Roper et al.  “Introduction: Indigenous Transformational Movements in Latin America

 

Additional Materials

·         The Globalization Reader:

·         John Tomlinson.  “Cultural Imperialism.”

·         Ulf Hannerz.  “Scenarios for Peripheral Cultures.”

·         Frank Lechner.  “Global Fundamentalism.”

·         The Globalization Reader Part IX:  Changing World Society:  Environmentalism and the Globalization of Social Problems.

 

May 8: Wrap up and discussion of research papers.