Topics in Globalization Studies I

This course will expand the discussion of why globalization should be the focus of interdisciplinary inquiry giving particular attention to an identified key issue area in the field. For each of these areas, readings will be drawn from the social sciences and the humanities. The emergence of globalization has led many to rethink the possibilities for cultural engagement, social affiliations, and forms of connectivity that exceed the nation-state. This course will introduce students to some of the lively contemporary debates that address the intersection of globalization and culture. Topics to be consider may include the relationship between culture, modernity, and capitalism; the tension between the homogenization and hybridization of global cultures; new forms of cultural creativity, including the role of technologies and new media; cultural conflicts; the everyday enactment of global cultures; and global youth cultures.