SP 16 SYLLABUS
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This course examines major global trends shaping political issues today, focusing on the interaction between people power and established powers. It will review issues of economic globalization and America's declining role to analyze the shifting fate of nations and the rise of social movements in defining the new world order. The course has no prerequisites and uses online modules instead of a textbook. Students will participate in weekly discussions, give current events presentations, and complete a midterm and final take-home exam assessing their understanding of key concepts and ability to analyze examples of people power.
SP 16 SYLLABUS
- 1. 1 HHD 2052R 21st CENTURY HISTORY II: THE POWER OF CITIZENS AND NATIONS Molly Schultz Hafid, Instructor mshafid@sva.edu Spring 2016 Course Description: This course will review issues of economic globalization and America's declining superpower role to focus on two major trends: the shifting fate of nations and the rise of people power in defining the new world order. We will look at how national and corporate powers are emerging around technology, energy and the environment. We will also look at the growing role of people power and social movements, in conflict with both established power systems and traditional hierarchies based on race, gender, class, religion and nationality. Note: This course has no prerequisite, and is linked to HHD-2051, 21st-Century History I: Globalization and the New World Order. Objective: To understand the major global trends shaping today’s political issues and choices. We will focus on the interaction of people power with state power, corporate power and nature in creating pathways for change that expand democracy and advance human rights, economic and social equality, and a sustainable environment. Canvas: Use of Canvas is central to this course. Assignments must be submitted via Canvas. You are responsible for confirming an assignment was properly uploaded and received by the instructor. Problems submitting assignments via Canvas will not be accepted as an excuse for a late submission. If you are not sure you have successfully uploaded an assignment, you are encouraged to email it to mshafid@sva.edu. The assignments and additional resources will be posted to Canvas throughout the term. It is an important resource for this class and students should check it for announcements before coming to class each week. Please note, the default setting for Canvas is to email your New School email address. If you do not use or check this email, you are encouraged to log in to Canvas and update your setting to a different email address. Required Texts: In place of a textbook there is a module in Canvas for each week. The readings include: resource articles available as .pdf files, selected chapters from longer texts, and timely news articles via web links. It is your responsibility to read the materials each week. Please note that I can monitor Canvas activity and will be looking to see who has accessed the readings. Weekly Trends Discussion: Each class will begin with a discussion of global trends. Complete instructions are available on the course website. The assignment is required. GRADING AND EXPECTATIONS Class Participation (15%): All students are expected to come to class having read and watched the assigned materials. You should be prepared to discuss and comment on the assignments and their relevance to the course themes.
- 2. 2 Weekly Presentations (15%): Each session will begin with a discussion of current events related to our topics. Each week 2-3 students will be assigned to present to the class a story from the week’s news. Exams & Writing Requirements (70%): There will be a take-home mid-term that will ask you to define key concepts and explore a current event demonstrating people power (30%). There will be one final take-home exam due at the last class, which can be done in essay format, or as an annotated visual presentation (40%). Learning Disabled Students: There are no timed tests in this class, all required materials are take-home, with at least two weeks advance notice. If LD students have special needs, they must advise me at least two weeks in advance of any assignment deadline. See endnote on registering as an LD student. Attendance: Regular attendance, discussion and participation are very important. Excused absences will require my approval and make-up assignments. More than four unexcused absences will result in automatic withdrawal from the course. Contact Me: If you need to contact me about assignments, absences, resources, questions, my SVA email is: mshafid@sva.edu. Please do not leave notes in my Humanities mailbox as I will not receive them. COURSE OUTLINE JAN 13: ORIGINS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Reading on-line: Home, the film (2009), Yann Arthus-Bertrand, www.homeproject.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU JAN 20: THE RISE OF CORPORATE POWER AND ORIGINS OF NEO-LIBERALISM Video: The Corporation Reading: Martinez and Garcia, What is ‘Neo-liberalism’ http://www.globalexchange.org/resources/econ101/neoliberalismdefined JAN 27: THE NEW WORLD ORDER: CORPORATE-STATE POWER SHIFTS Video: Paddy Ashdown, The Global Power Shift http://www.ted.com/talks/paddy_ashdown_the_global_power_shift Video: Zoned for Slavery Reading: New Powers & 2025 Report (PDF) FEB 3: GLOBALIZATION AND PEOPLE POWER Video and Worksheet: Showdown in Seattle Reading: Stiglitz, Globalization & Its Discontents, Ch. 1 (PDF)
- 3. 3 FEB 10: THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Video: Story of Stuff, www.storyofstuff.org Reading: Ellwood, The Corporate Century (PDF) Preview for the Next Week: Video TheRules.org: “Wealth Inequality in America” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM And “Global Wealth Inequality” www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSxzjyMNpU FEB 17: THE WEALTH GAP Video: The End of Poverty? Think Again Readings: Noah, The Great Divergence (PDF excerpts) Guardian, “Income Gap Poses Biggest Threat 2014” http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/16/income-gap- biggest-risk-global-community-world-economic-forum And http://www.globalpost.com/special-reports/global-income- inequality-great-divide-globalpost FEB 24: THE DEMOCRACY GAP Video: Fault Lines: Occupy Wall Street http://louisianajusticeinstitute.blogspot.com/2012/03/two-new-documentaries- explore-occupy.html Readings: Stiglitz, The Price of Inequality & The 99% Rise Up (PDFs) MIDTERM DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS MAR 2: PEOPLE POWER AND RACIAL JUSTICE Video: Eyes on the Prize Excerpts Reading: Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow (Chapters 1 and 3) MOVEMENT PIECE – TBD – Something from Colorlines or #BlackLivesMatter MIDTERM DUE IN CLASS MAR 9: SPRING BREAK MAR 16: PEOPLE POWER I01 Video: Milk Readings: Tools for Radical Democracy (PDF) MAR 23: HIERARCHIES OF RACE, NATIONALITY AND STATUS Video: Documented Readings: Julia Spiegel and Ed McCarthy, Immigration and History: A Brief Timeline of Key Events (.pdf)
- 4. 4 Aviva Chomsky, “They Take Our Jobs!” and 20 other myths about immigration (.pdf) MAR 30: PEOPLE POWER & CLIMATE CHANGE Video: A Fierce Green Fire Readings: Klare Surviving Climate Change (PDF) Emailed links to Our Power and APEN videos on the Edge Website APR 6: PEOPLE POWER & GENDER Video: The Veerni Project Readings: FactSheet: Girls and Young Women (.pdf) NYTimes Article: UN Report Says Progress for Women is Unequal APR 13: PEOPLE POWER & PLACE Videos: We Are Wisconsin, David vs. Goliath Video: Eric Liu, Why Ordinary People Need to Understand Power http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_why_ordinary_people_need_to_und erstand_power?language=en Reading: Transcript of Bill Moyers Interview with Richard Wolff (.pdf) or watch the interview online at: http://billmoyers.com/segment/richard-wolff-on- fighting-for-economic-justice-and-fair-wages/ FINAL TAKE-HOME EXAM/PROJECTS distributed in class APR 20: PEOPLE POWER & ART Video: “Waste Land” Reading: TBD APR 27: FINAL EXAM/PROJECTS DUE IN CLASS The SVA Policy on Academic Integrity applies to the midterm and final exams, and all presentations in class: Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Students found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty will fail the assignment for which an infraction is suspected and substantiated. More serious violations will be handled through the process enumerated in the SVA Handbook (p.8). Put simply, make sure your work is your own. Especially note: When you quote, paraphrase or summarize ideas – whether from a periodical, book, interview or from non-print or electronic sources—you must cite the source. Use in-text citation (in parentheses) after the quotation, summary or paraphrase, giving the last name of the author and the page(s), or one word from the title of the work and the page(s). On the final page of your own paper, include a bibliography that lists all sources you have used. Include the
- 5. 5 author’s name, the title of the work, and the publication information (publisher’s name; place and date of publication). For more information consult your instructor or an MLA guide. Students with Disabilities In order to receive academic accommodations due to a disability, a student must first register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Students approved for accommodations will be given an ODS Accommodation Letter to submit to their instructors. If a student does not provide an ODS Accommodation Letter to their instructor, they will not be eligible to receive accommodations in that course. All instructors are required to adhere to SVA's policies regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. Students who have a need for academic accommodations, or suspect they may have a disability, should contact the ODS via telephone: (212) 592-2282, or visit the office: 23 Lexington Avenue, Mezzanine, in the George Washington Residence, or email: disabilityservices@sva.edu