Honors 4000: Global Perspectives

Honors 4000: Global Perspectives Spring, 2016 Wednesday 2:00-4:50 pm, Hickory 252

Instructor: Dr. Tom Miles Email: [email protected] Office: Sage 229D Office Hours: M,W,F 10-2; T, Th 11-2, and by appointment. Alternate Office Hours: Saturday 9-12—Jupiter House on the Square

Course Description/Objectives:

What is globalization, and what are its consequences? Is it necessarily good? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Is globalization inherently exploitative? This class will focus on the intersection of these issues, drawing upon insights from history, social psychology, ecology, geography, sociology, law, etc.

This course will be similar to a graduate seminar. Class meetings will be discussion driven and centered on the assigned readings. The course is structured and taught so that by the end of the semester students will:

1) Understand the social, economic, and political origins of violence and poverty.

2) Be able to utilize different theories and approaches to understand and explain these problems

3) Critique these theories and approaches through use of the scientific method so that students can see where knowledge has advanced and how knowledge has been applied

4) Devise new approaches and solutions to confront these problems.

Course Materials:

o All readings, videos, and web links will be posted on Blackboard.

All honors courses have the following general objectives: 1. Honors courses emphasize development of analytical and evaluative skills through readings from primary sources, journal articles and other supplementary materials. 2. Honors courses encourage students to engage in high-level thinking and learning through activities such as intensive discussion; writing in small, collaborative learning settings; and intensive research papers and projects. 3. Honors courses promote independent thinking by making students accountable for important aspects of their learning. 4. Honors courses place material in a conceptual context that illustrates its importance and relationship to other knowledge. 5. Honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for students to develop research skills and produce independent, original research or creative products as part of the course requirements. 6. Honors courses include innovative approaches to course content and teaching so that honors courses can serve as campus-wide prototypes.

Blackboard: A Blackboard conference is maintained for this course. Students are responsible for checking Blackboard for assignments and notices. You should check Blackboard frequently to ensure that you are up to date on all class-related information. Readings, slides, and supplemental materials will be found there. All assignments will be submitted via Blackboard and grades will be posted there as well.

Grading:

Final Paper (40% of course grade): You will be asked to write a paper, of around 15 pages detailing your proposal for dealing with a major global issue. You are asked to detail the origins of this problem/issue; investigate theories for dealing with it effectively, and devise an approach for dealing with it.

Response Papers (30% of course grade; 2 * 15% each): As is frequently required in graduate courses, you will be asked to write 2 critical essays on readings of your choice.

Attendance/Participation (20%): This course will also be graded “holistically,” with a portion of your grade coming from the quality and quantity of your participation in classroom discussions. You are asked to come to class with a basic understanding of the reading(s) and few notes to guide discussion. Please come ready to talk!

Discussion Leader (10%) You will pick one week in which you will be asked to facilitate discussion. Bring notes on the assigned reading and questions to stimulate discussion.

General Class Expectations:

Acceptable Student Behavior: Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, etc.

Academic Integrity: The instructor will adhere to and enforce UNT’s policy on academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and sabotage). Violations of academic integrity in this course will be addressed in compliance with the procedures laid out in this policy.

o The complete UNT Code of Student Conduct can be found at: https://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/18.1.11_Code%20of%20Student %20Conduct%20and%20Discipline.pdf Accommodations: If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Office of Disability Accommodation in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. Full information can be found at: www.disability.unt.edu

Course Outline: The following represents an approximate calendar of class discussions. Every attempt will be made to adhere to this schedule. Departures from the schedule may occasionally occur. However, assignment dates should be considered firm.

Week 1 (January 20): Topic: Introduction No Reading.

Week 2 (January 27): Topic: Global Progress Reading: Excerpt from Gardner, The Science of Fear.

Week 3 (February 3): Topic: Topic: Global Health Challenges Reading: UN Hidden Cities Report.

Week 4 (February 10): Topic: Global Heath and Chronic Disease Reading: Excerpt from Campbell, The China Study.

Week 5 (February 17): Topic: Women, Human Rights and Slavery/Trafficking Readings: UN Global Trafficking Report (select sections).

Week 6 (February 24): Topic: Global poverty Readings: Excerpt from Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty.

Week 7 (March 2): Topic: NGOs, aid, and the cycle of dependency Reading: Excerpt from Dambisa Moyo, Dead Aid.

Week 8 (March 9): Movie Day No Reading.

**No Class March 16, Spring Break**

Week 10 (March 23): Topic: War Reading: Excerpt from Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature.

Week 11 (March 30): Topic: Origins of Global Conflict Reading: Excerpt from Byman, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement. Week 12 (April 6): Topic: Global Religious Extremism Reading: Excerpt from Reza Aslan, How to Win a Cosmic War.

Week 13 (April 13): Topic: Terror Reading: Excerpt from Mark Juergensmeyer, Terror in the Mind of God.

Week 14 (April 20): Topic: Energy and the Environment Reading: Excerpt from Michael T. Klare, The Race for What’s Left.

Week 15 (April 27): Topic: What’s next/what does the future look like? Reading: Excerpt from Rifkin, The Zero Marginal Cost Society.

Week 15 (May 4): Office time; come see me for help with the final paper.

**Final Paper due no later than 5 pm, May 13**