SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 387-4

(SPECIAL TOPICS)

GLOBALIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS

Prerequisite:

60 credit hours, including at least two upper level CMNS courses or permission of instructor/advisor.

Overview:

Unprecedented advances in communications technology have been the basis for dramatic changes in the economy and society described by the corporate media as leading toward and “Information Economy” and an “Information Society”. On the international level the new communications technologies have allowed trans-national corporations to extend their control over the production and distribution of goods and services to every corner of the globe. This phenomena, “Globalization”, is described by its proponents as an inevitable consequence of technological change to which we all must conform and as a necessary readjustment of the international economic order that will provide substantial benefits to all of the inhabitants of our “Global Village”.

However the benefits of “Globalization” have turned out to be quite unevenly distributed and movements opposition to the new policies being imposed by the supranational institutions of corporate control, the WTO, NAFTA, the World Bank and the IMF, have emerged across the globe. These widely diverse movements of opposition have also taken advantage of the new communications technologies to begin to forge the first truly global movement to oppose corporate power. This course will examine the growing conflict between these two forces and their use of the media and the new communications technologies in this struggle. It will trace the development of “globalization” and the opposition to corporate control and examine possible resolutions to these conflicts in a “post-corporate society”.

Required Texts:

Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.) THE CASE AGAINST THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
Jeremy Brecher, Tim Costello and Brendan Smith, GLOBALIZATION FROM BELOW

In addition, there will be required readings on reserve.

Course Grading:

Three take home essay examinations at 10% each 30%
Research Paper 50%
Tutorial participation 10%
Presentation of research 10%

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will also follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current calendar, General Regulations Section).