Heather Hindman

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including the northern hills of India, (briefly) sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Tibet but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for exoticism by the Occident (as the Shangri-la phenomenon), development politics, the environment, mountaineering and tourism as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies.

This class explores alternative research methods and spatialities, in an attempt to produce new understandings of how people live in an increasingly mobile world. While mobility is a desire for many, it is also restricted and dangerous for others. This class will take movement as an object of study, rather than a particular space or identity. An introduction to the developing field of mobilities research will begin the class, including key thinkers like John Urry, Pal Nyiri, Tim Cresswell and Noel Salazar. The central portion of the course will examine how this new approach to movement allows scholars to rethink simplistic ideas of migration and to see process of circular and impermanent movement. In particular, we will be looking at topics often neglected in migration theory, such as educational migration, infrastructural and legal barriers to mobility, transnational borders and identity in situations of mobility. Cases will be drawn from movements within Asia, those between Asia and elsewhere, and those with an Asian imaginary.

This course will examine the production, distribution, and consumption of East Asian popular culture. Specific topics include Hong Kong cinema, Japanese animation, Japanese trendy dramas, Korean television dramas, and K-po music. Noting the “globalization” phenomenon, this course will address what has caused the increasing visibility of East Asian Cultural products outside of the region. The growing recognition of East Asian pop culture around the globe, however, has also accompanied by more vibrant circulations of the cultural products and interactions among recipients within the region. Therefore, this course will take the globalization of popular culture as an analytical lens through which to reflect modernity, tensions of (trans)nationalism, urbanization gender politics, and identity formations in East Asia.

Class Participation; 20%

Reading Responses: 20%

Student Presentation: 20%

Midterm and Final Paper: 40%

This graduate seminar is designed to familiarize students with recent literature discussing transnational Asia and the Asian diaspora.  Students will be expected to be researching related material and the research interests of the students will in part shape the course context.  The class will consider topics including the role of diasporas in shaping national imaginaries, the popularity and transformation of Asian medias and the importance of off-shored manufacturing and knowledge work.

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including the northern hills of India, (briefly) sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Tibet but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for exoticism by the Occident (as the Shangri-la phenomenon), development politics, the environment, mountaineering and tourism as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies.

Course Description

This class approaches particular aspects of the contemporary state of international aid and development. While people have been seeking better methods of doing good in hopes of improving their own lives and those of their community for a long time, this isn’t development, at least as we will discuss it in this class. In the post-colonial era (thus after about 1950), nation-states have created new methods and logics behind their support of/by other nation-states. While governments were long central to the operation of international aid, businesses and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have gained prominence in recent years, and it can often be difficult in the present era to disentangle public/private or governmental/non-governmental dimensions. Increasingly (and perhaps especially because of the critique of colonialism), individuals and groups wonder if development is even a good idea, and instead promote ideas of social entrepreneurship or other forms of revenue-generating “aid programs.” The result is an extremely complex landscape behind even the most basic goal of aid - “fewer people starving, suffering and dying.” Beyond this goal, there is little agreement. Rather than approaching the unreasonable goal of deciding what good aid and bad aid is (read this twice - we will not be solving the problem of the right way to do development), we will be looking at two particular aspects of aid: the imbrication of aid into nation-state goals and development as a distinctive type of industry. At the conclusion of the class, students will have a better idea about the decision making that takes place within the development industry and the scope of aid as a economic and social force in the contemporary world.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including Northeast India, sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Tibet, but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for negotiating identity (caste and indigeneity), development politics, the environment, tourism, diasporas as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies.

The goal of this course is to consider a historical, conceptual, and theoretical genealogy of the commonalities of Asian Studies as a field/method/discipline. It does not attempt an introduction to the content of different Asian literary traditions, national histories, or the like, except in passing. Rather, the course seeks to provide a graduate-level introduction to the history, central issues, and past and present conceptual frameworks of the academic study of South and East Asia. It begins with a brief look at scholarship in premodern history that reads Asian pasts against the grain of received teleologies. We then turn  to the formation of the philological enterprise in the interaction between East and West. We will examine 19th and 20th century social and cultural theory both as theory that continues to inform contemporary studies and for the issue of its image and figuration of Asia. For example, we will examine Edward Said’s Orientalism—one of the most formative texts of the last four decades, and one of the most controversial—along with some debates it engendered. Orientalism, among other works, placed on the table an interrelated set of questions that remains salient to almost all “wings” of the study of Asia—bluntly, to what extent were colonialism and nationalism epistemologically transformative of understandings of Asian pasts, presents, and futures (and what should we do about it)? The course then turns to historicize the particular form and claims that “Asian Studies” represents as a development of the Cold War United States, and considers both critiques of and important scholarly attempts to supersede this form. The question of the future of Asian Studies in the academy—and of the academy itself—will also be a part of our discussion. Finally, during the course there are several “guest sessions” where faculty from the Department of Asian Studies and beyond will come in to discuss the state of their respective fields. In addition, we will engage in several assignments and activities that will help to familiarize students with some of the expectations of academic life.

This class approaches some particular aspects of the contemporary state of international aid and development.  While it may be the case that people have been seeking other better methods of doing things in hopes of improving their lives and those of their community for a long time - this isn’t development, at least as we will discuss it in this class.  In the post-colonial era (thus after about 1950), nation-states have created new methods and logics behind their support of/by other nation-states.  While governments have been central to the operation of international aid, businesses and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have gained prominence in recent years, and it can often be difficult in the present era to disentangle public/private or governmental/non-governmental dimensions. Increasingly (and perhaps especially because of the critique of colonialism) individuals and groups wonder if development is even a good idea - promoting ideas of social entrepreneurship or other forms of revenue-generating “aid programs.”  The result is an extremely complex landscape of approaches to that most basic idea behind aid - “it’s good if fewer people starve, suffer and die.”  Yet beyond this, there is little agreement.  Rather than approaching the unreasonable goal of deciding what good aid and bad aid is (read this twice - we will not be solving the problem of the right way to do development), we will be looking at two particular aspects of aid: the imbrication of aid into nation-state goals and development as a distinctive type of industry.  At the conclusion of the class, students will have a better idea about the decision making that takes place within the development industry and the scope of aid as a economic and social force in the contemporary world.

TEXT:

Crewe, Emma and Richard Axelby. 2013. Anthropology and Development: Culture, Morality and Politics in a Globalised World. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Alexander, Jessica. 2013. Chasing Chaos: My Decade in and out of Humanitarian Aid. New York: Broadway Books.

Bornstein, Erica. 2012. Disquieting Gifts: Humanitarianism in New Delhi. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

GRADING:

Participation/Attendance 15%

Book Review               15%

NGO Analysis              15%

Project Proposal          25%

Midterm                      10%

Final                            20%

 European and American electronic waste is shipped to China for extraction of valuable elements while those without market value leak into the water stream

- Workers in Bangladesh’s “Shipgraveyard” disassemble some of the world’s largest tankers for reuse of the steel frames, with flip flops as their main safety equipment.

- Homeless people in San Francisco’s “Albany Bulb” seek to defend their homes, which are on a former landfill, through turning California’s unwanted goods into art and thus a tourist attraction

- Nepali residents of areas hit hard by the 2015 earthquake give up on government support and instead turn condemned (but still habitated) buildings into stenciled street art masterpieces.

​Waiting for infrastructure has its own frustrations, as Delhi’s long-needed water and sewage infrastructure, which has long been acknowledged as inadequate for growing populations, has absorbed millions of World Bank dollars, yet has shown little change in everyday life in the city.  The United States is not immune from infrastructural procrastination or needed improvements to transportation becoming politicized.

Thus, why hope?  In many of these situations, such as Albany Bulb, residents have found ways to turn waste into resources, to turn ugliness into beauty, to find workarounds for dire situations.  This class explores the ambiguity of waste - one person’s waste is another’s treasure - and how humans find hope in a world that often seems devoid of it.  

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including Northeast India, sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Tibet, but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for negotiating identity (caste and indigeneity), development politics, the environment, tourism, diasporas as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies.

Study of various subjects with Asian studies-related content.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Some topics are offered on the letter-grade basis only; these are identified in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including Northeast India, (briefly) sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Tibet but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for negotiating identity (caste and indigeneity), development politics, the environment, tourism, diasporas as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies

The goal of this course is to consider a historical, conceptual, and theoretical genealogy of the commonalities of Asian Studies as a field/method/discipline. It does not attempt an introduction to the content of different Asian literary traditions, national histories, or the like, except in passing. Rather, the course seeks to provide a graduate-level introduction to the history, central issues, and past and present conceptual frameworks of the academic study of South and East Asia. It begins with a brief look at scholarship in premodern history that reads Asian pasts against the grain of received teleologies. We then turn  to the formation of the philological enterprise in the interaction between East and West. We will examine 19th and 20th century social and cultural theory both as theory that continues to inform contemporary studies and for the issue of its image and figuration of Asia. For example, we will examine Edward Said’s Orientalism—one of the most formative texts of the last four decades, and one of the most controversial—along with some debates it engendered. Orientalism, among other works, placed on the table an interrelated set of questions that remains salient to almost all “wings” of the study of Asia—bluntly, to what extent were colonialism and nationalism epistemologically transformative of understandings of Asian pasts, presents, and futures (and what should we do about it)? The course then turns to historicize the particular form and claims that “Asian Studies” represents as a development of the Cold War United States, and considers both critiques of and important scholarly attempts to supersede this form. The question of the future of Asian Studies in the academy—and of the academy itself—will also be a part of our discussion. Finally, during the course there are several “guest sessions” where faculty from the Department of Asian Studies and beyond will come in to discuss the state of their respective fields. In addition, we will engage in several assignments and activities that will help to familiarize students with some of the expectations of academic life.

Flags: Global Cultures and Writing

Selected topics in south and east Asian anthropology, economics, history, geography, government, art, music, and philosophy.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Asian Studies 320 and 361 may not both be counted unless the topics vary.  Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.

This graduate seminar is designed to familiarize students with recent ethnographic writing on transnational Asia and the Asian diaspora.  Students will be expected to be researching related material and the research interests of the students will in part shape the course context.  The class will consider topics including the history of globalization, the effect of transnational movements on sexuality and the local character of global finance.  Alongside reading ethnographies, the class will also explore the problems of doing multisited transnational ethnography and ethical and funding challenges particular to such research. 

This course will consider how international development practices emerged from post-World War II policies of reconstruction and Cold War strategies of gaining alliances through aid. Looking particularly at Asia and the Global South, the course will consider how the needs of donor countries in the mid-20th Century were made to align with (or not) the needs of new nations and recently decolonized territories. 

With this historical field as a background, the class will examine various trends in international development practice since the 1980s, including sustainable development, women in development (WID), social entrepreneurship, microfinance and the recent rise of voluntourism. We will examine these practices both from the metropole and from their on-the-ground implementation sites.

Although a look at development economics and statistics will be a part of the class, albeit mainly from a critical perspective, the course will take a more ethnographic approach, examining case studies of development saturated sites and locations where large projects were put in place.

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including Northeast India, (briefly) sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Tibet but especially Nepal. Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region. The Himalayas have been the site of a great deal of anthropological attention and as such we will be simultaneously be exploring several key theoretical, historical and methodological issues within the discipline of anthropology as we learn about places and people in the region. Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for negotiating identity (caste and indigeneity), development politics, the environment, tourism, diasporas as well as the current political tensions in the region. At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world and an appreciation of concepts such as ritual theory, social movements, modernity and gender studies.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.  Prerequisite: For Asian studies and Asian cultures and languages majors, twelve semester hours of upper-division coursework in Asian studies or Asian languages; for others, upper-division standing.

Please check back for updates.

     The goal of this course is to consider a historical, conceptual, and theoretical genealogy of the commonalities of our current practice.  It does not attempt an introduction to the content of different Asian literary traditions, national histories, or the like, except occasionally in passing.  Rather, the course seeks to provide a graduate-level introduction to the history, central issues, and past and present conceptual frameworks of the academic study of South and East Asia.  It begins with a brief look at work in premodern history that has read Asian pasts against the grain of received teleologies.  We then turn, quickly, to the formation of the philological enterprise in the West.  We read 19th and 20th century social and cultural theory both as theory that continues to inform contemporary studies and for the issue of its image and figuration of Asia.  This arc culminates in a consideration of Edward Said’s Orientalism—one of the most formative texts of the last four decades, and one of the most controversial—along with some debates it engendered.  Orientalism, among other works, placed on the table an interrelated set of questions that remains salient to almost all “wings” of the study of Asia—bluntly, to what extent were colonialism and nationalism epistemologically transformative of understandings of Asian pasts, presents, and futures (and what should we do about it)?  The course then turns to historicize the particular form and claims that “Asian studies” represents as a development of the Cold War United States, and considers both critiques of and important scholarly attempts to supersede this form.  The question of the future of Asian studies in the academy—and of the academy—occupies the last week.  Finally, during the course there are several “guest sessions” where faculty from the Department of Asian Studies and beyond will come in to discuss the state of their respective fields.

            Globalization is an emergent field, yet to define its canon.  This lack of a defined and stable set of key themes and authors can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for the understanding of global phenomena.  The amorphousness of globalization and its lack of defined boundaries allows scholars to observe bundles of practices that are obscured as a result of the limits of pre-existent disciplines.  When nation-states are naturalized as units of analysis and economics and society are divided into distinct departments, much of what is happening in the contemporary world is invisible.  This class begins with some of the key authors who have bridged divides in the social sciences and provided historical analysis that allows readers to see across presumed divides.  We will then examine some loose categories in which global phenomena appear.  The class will then look at several important anthropological articles written that use ethnography to explore transnational practices, and a monograph.

Texts include:

The Anthropology of Globalization Reader - Inda and Rosoldo

Coca-Globalization - Robert Foster

This graduate seminar is designed to familiarize students with recent literature discussing transnational Asia and the Asian diaspora.  Students will be expected to be researching related material and the research interests of the students will in part shape the course context.  The class will consider topics including the role of diasporas in shaping national imaginaries, the popularity and transformation of Asian medias and the importance of off-shored manufacturing and knowledge work.

Tentative Required Texts

Neoliberalism as Exception

Cheap Meat

Appropriately Indian

Anxieties of Mobility

Grading Rubric

Class Participation 15%

Discussion leadership 20%

Final Paper 65%

(This grade will include the proposal, annotated bibliography and presentation done as preliminary work to the final paper.)

Please check back for updates.

This course looks at the history and culture of the Himalayan region, including the northern hills of India, sections of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Tibet, Bhutan, but especially Nepal.  Some understanding of Asian history, politics and religion will be helpful (but not necessary) as our attempt will not be a comprehensive survey of the region but instead a selection of key issues.  Particular attention will be paid to the area as a site for exoticism by the Occident (such as the depiction of the region as "Shangri-la"), development politics, the environment, media about the region, mountaineering and tourism as well as the current political tensions in Nepal.  At the conclusion of the class, students should have a stronger idea of the important role this area has played in the political, religious and social imagination of the world. 

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Globalization… the word is everywhere, but seems to actually mean less and less each year. Casual
observation suggests that there is something new happening -- new flows of people, goods, money and ideas
that didn’t exist before. In this course, students will seek to understand what is and isn’t new about these
flows and how various transnational exchanges relate to one another. For example, how does the
hypermobility of vast sums of transnational capital through Wall Street relate to the popularity of anime and
Bollywood in the United States? Throughout the course, students will seek to master an understanding of the
language and institutions of global capital and governance (for example the IMF, structural adjustment and the
“bubble economy”) but also learn to connect these to their effects on local populations. Rejecting the idea of
globalization as an inevitable imposition on local cultures, readings examine the unexpected local responses to
transnational flows. In the class, the novelty of transnational connections will be challenged through an
examination of past moments of global trade; ones which often saw little participation by for “the West.”
Readings on contemporary instantiations of globalization will examine the rise of off-shore factory labor in
Asia, the “chain of love” which has become apart of the globalization of care work, and local responses to the
arrival of transnational corporations such as McDonalds and Mattel.

TEXTS:

Ellwood, Wayne. 2006. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization.
Mintz, Sidney. 1995. Sweetness and Power.
Watson, James. 2006. Golden Arches East.
Inda and Rosaldo, eds. 2007. The Anthropology of Globalization: A Reader.

GRADING:

Class Participation 15%
In-class exercises 5%
Midterm 15%
Discussion Questions 20%
Discussion Leadership 15%
Final Exam 30%

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Description
            The changes that take place as a result of worldwide movements for work extend far beyond the life of the worker.  This class examines a number of recent labor flows to and through Asia and the impact they have had and are having on families and gender dynamics.  New technologies in communication and transportation have, in part, enabled the world to become one unified labor market – although these same technologies are also being deployed in the process of regulating flows of people, money and ideas.  Students in the course will investigate phenomena such as the global feminization of labor, the family dynamics of diaspora, the emergence of a transnational care work marketplace and the effects of these population movements on those left behind, both geographically and economically.  From the recent downturn in demand for young male workers from South and Southeast Asia in Gulf countries to the global recruiting of English-speaking nurses and teachers, the class will think about the cultural, economic and political effects of the movement of people in and through Asia for work.
 
Tentative Required Texts
Maid to Order in Hong Kong
Flexible Citizenship
Global Women
 
Grading Rubric
Discussion leadership (x2)                                    20
Online Project                                                              5
Midterm                                                             20
Class Participation                                                15
Final Paper                                                            40

This graduate seminar is designed to familiarize students with recent literature discussing transnational Asia and the Asian diaspora.  Students will be expected to be researching related material and the research interests of the students will in part shape the course context.  The class will consider topics including the role of diasporas in shaping national imaginaries, the popularity and transformation of Asian medias and the importance of off-shored manufacturing and knowledge work.

Tentative Required Texts

The Nation’s Tortured Bodies

Millennial Monsters

Buddha is Hiding

Global Body Shopping

Grading Rubric

Class Participation 15%

Discussion leadership 20%

Final Paper 65%

(This grade will include the proposal, annotated bibliography and presentation done as preliminary work to the final paper.)

Please check back for updates.

Global Markets Local Cultures  31143     ANS 372 

University of Texas at Austin – Fall 2009 

Garrison - GAR 1.126 

Monday and Wednesday 3 – 4:30   

Heather Hindman 

Office: WCH 5.103 – Phone: 471-1667 

E-mail: h.hindman@mail.utexas.edu (preferred contact) 

Office Hours: Monday 4:30 – 5:30, Wednesday 1:30 – 3  -- Other times by appointment 

Course Description 

 Globalization… the word is everywhere, but seems to actually mean less and less each 

year.  Casual observation suggests that there is something new happening -- new flows of people, 

goods, money and ideas that didn’t exist before.  In this course, students will seek to understand 

what is and isn’t new about these flows and how various transnational exchanges relate to one 

another.  For example, how does the hypermobility of vast sums of transnational capital through 

Wall Street relate to the popularity of anime and Bollywood in the United States?  Throughout the 

course, students will seek to master an understanding of the language and institutions of global 

capital and governance (for example the IMF, structural adjustment and the “bubble economy”) 

but also learn to connect these to their effects on local populations.  Rejecting the idea of 

globalization as an inevitable imposition on local cultures, readings examine the unexpected local 

responses to transnational flows.  In the class, the novelty of transnational connections will be 

challenged through an examination of past moments of global trade; ones which often saw little 

participation by for “the West.”  Readings on contemporary instantiations of globalization will 

examine the rise of off-shore factory labor in Asia, the “chain of love” which has become apart of 

the globalization of care work, and local responses to the arrival of transnational corporations 

such as McDonalds and Mattel.  

Required texts 

The one book you must purchase is our first major text, The No-Nonsense Guide to 

Globalization.  This is a very short introduction to economic globalization designed for a general 

readership.  It will introduce us to institutions and ideas (such as the IMF, FDI, WTO, GATT) 

that we will use for the entire term.  The book is available at the bookstore or you may order it 

from any on-line outlet (it is very short and less than $10). 

Our other readings are from assorted journals, books and edited collections.  These will 

be found in “Course Documents” on our class Blackboard page.  In addition, books we read 

selections from are available at the library reserve. 

Our final “text” is the news.  You should keep up with current events during the course of 

this class.  This might mean reading a newspaper, watching the nightly news or looking at an on- 

line source.  Whatever sources you use, think about them critically, examining the biases and 

limits not only of the material presented but the way it is presented.  We will discuss international 

events of significance to globalization in the class as well as via Blackboard. (NB – I give 

significant value to class participation – contributing to the discussion on Blackboard is a great 

way to improve your participation grade for those uncomfortable participating in class 

discussion.) 

Please check Blackboard regularly – syllabus updates and additional information will 

often be posted there.  You should bring the relevant text to class each day as we will be 

discussing the texts in class and that will be helped by you having something to remember the 

ideas.   

Assignments 

There are seven components to how your performance in this class will be evaluated.   

(#1)  Class participation in this course is highly valued.  Participation is more than ‘talking a lot’ 

– instead it is being an enthusiastic, prepared and considerate member of a learning community.  

Given that not everyone feels comfortable, initially, speaking in class, there are other ways you 

can participate.  If you wish to contribute, but feel more comfortable writing, please feel free to 

send me an email with your thoughts on recent reading or to post a note on Blackboard in our 

Discussion Board.  In addition to the assigned readings, I expect all students to be looking for 

global flows in the world around them.  Reading a daily paper is an excellent way to keep on top 

of this requirement.  Discussing current events will be a part of class participation and things we 

discuss in class will be a part of exams.  This is a situation where more is not better – quality 

over quantity.  In addition, in this class we will be talking about divisive, controversial and 

important issues – sex, religion, race, etc. – I expect students to show respect to themselves and 

other members of the learning community in these discussions.  Please be considerate of one 

another.  All opinions are welcome in this course if presented with civility and scholarly rigor.   

(#2) There will be several in-class exercises throughout the term, some announced, some not.  

These are an opportunity to collect your thoughts on particularly difficult readings, lectures or 

films as well as an opportunity to see how well you understand the material (and if you are 

attending class).  These can only be made up if you have informed me in advance of your absence 

and if you send me a similar exercise soon after the missed class.  I will collect these and if 

appropriate give a few comments, but in general if you write something related to the material, 

you will receive credit.   

(#3) Several weeks into the term we will look more closely at how globalization is depicted in the 

media.  Students will be asked to bring in an example of such a discussion and contextualize the 

example in relation to our readings and critical media literacy.  An assignment sheet will be 

provided.  As you are reading newspaper articles, you may wish to save one for this assignment. 

(#4) Your midterm will be a short paper examining a specific example of past moments of 

globalization and how our perceptions of this event are shaped by both current thinking and 

nation-state bound logics.  I will provide guidance (an assignment sheet as well as individual 

meetings) on this paper, but the choice of examples will be your own. 

(#5) The second portion of the class will focus on two different kinds of global flows, the flows 

of people and flows of things (aka commodities).  For two class periods, students will be 

responsible for bringing additional information to the other members of the group about these 

flows and how they relate.  Group members may assign (short) additional reading for these days 

and should be prepared to present both on the additional material and on the concepts presented in 

this unit of the class. 

(#6) Each student will be responsible for leading discussion for one reading during the semester.  

This should consist of a formal presentation (I recommend AGAINST powerpoint for reasons we 

can discuss) and be ready to generate discussion on the reading.   

(#7) Rather than a final exam, students will be asked to write a cumulative paper of between 10- 

12 pages in length.  I will provide a list of potential topics, or by negotiation students may select a 

topic of their choice.  This paper will combine some outside reading and research with the 

materials presented in class.   

The numbers… 

Class Participation 15%  

In-class exercises   5% 

Globalization in Media 10% 

Midterm Assignment 15% 

Flows Presentation 15% 

Discussion Leadership   15% 

Final Guided Paper 25% 

An insight into the mind of your professor – 

I dislike the grading aspect of teaching and 

am far more enthusiastic about talking about 

how you are doing in the course than 

arguing over letters and numbers.  Having a 

conversation before an assignment is due 

about the learning process and how each 

individual can improve has proven more 

useful for students seeking to do well in the 

course than looking at “A”, “B” or “C” at 

the top of your paper.  

My Policies 

 ABSENCES 

 I expect students to come to class regularly, on-time and prepared.  If you do not do this, 

not only will your grade be negatively affected, but it disrupts the learning process of your fellow 

students as well as showing a lack of respect for the course.  This is admittedly one of my pet 

peeves.  If you must miss a class, make arrangements with your fellow students to make up the 

material.  There are no ‘free absences’ in the class outside of legitimate and documented needs. 

Attending class means showing up on time, prepared and ready to learn.  If you are not prepared – 

which I don’t anticipate will ever happen – come to class anyway.   

 ACADEMIC HONESTY  

 Similarly, I expect student to conduct their research and writing honestly and to correctly 

reference any sources consulted.  Plagiarism is theft and a particular heinous crime to those 

whose life is writing and research.  Any dishonest academic practice will be referred to the 

administration for investigation.  I encourage collaboration among students, which is different 

from copying or paper trading. One can never be accused of academic dishonesty if you 

acknowledge where your ideas came from.  Learning how to master a combination of direct 

citation, paraphrase and idea acknowledgement takes time and practice.  In the meantime, CITE 

EVERYTHING.  If in doubt about the ethics of a situation, contact me – do not guess.   

 COMMUNICATION 

 I enjoy meeting with students in office hours and exchanging email with students.  YET, 

I do not check email every 10 minutes.  I am very eager to answer student questions by email, 

discuss points of the reading or relevant outside materials, but please think before you write.  

Show respect in your communication with me and with one another.  I rarely use my office phone, 

you are more likely to get a response from me by email. 

 MISCELANOUS 

- Turn off your cell phone when you get to class. 

- I RELUCTANTLY allow laptops in class.  If I find they are being used for email, games or 

websurfing rather than taking notes, then I will revoke this privilege. 

- You may eat and drink in class, if it is subtle and not distracting to you or other students.  A cup 

of coffee – great – a roast chicken dinner – wait until after class. 

University Notices and Policy 

University of Texas Honor Code 

The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual 

opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, 

honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. 

Use of E-Mail for Official Correspondence to Students 

Email is recognized as an official mode of university correspondence; therefore, you are responsible for reading your 

email for university and course-related information and announcements. You are responsible to keep the university 

informed about changes to your e-mail address. You should check your e-mail regularly and frequently to stay current 

with university-related communications, some of which may be time-critical. You can find UT Austin’s policies and 

instructions for updating your e-mail address at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.php. 

Documented Disability Statement 

The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students 

with disabilities. If you require special accommodations, you will need to obtain a letter that documents your disability 

from Services for Studies with Disabilities.  Present the letter to me at the beginning of the semester so we can discuss 

the accommodations you need.  No later than five business days before an exam, you should remind me of any testing 

accommodations you will need.  For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 

(voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd. 

Religious Holidays 

By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance 

of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a 

religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the 

absence.  

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) 

If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss 

by phone your concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the 

Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program 

(EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit 

http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.  

Emergency Evacuation Policy 

Occupants of buildings on the UT Austin campus are required to evacuate and assemble outside when a fire alarm is 

activated or an announcement is made.  Please be aware of the following policies regarding evacuation: 

? Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of the classroom and the building. Remember that the nearest 

exit door may not be the one you used when you entered the building. 

? If you require assistance to evacuate, inform me in writing during the first week of class. 

? In the event of an evacuation, follow my instructions or those of class instructors. 

Do not re-enter a building unless you’re given instructions by the Austin Fire Department, the UT Austin Police 

Department, or the Fire Prevention Services office 

SYLLABUS POLICY SUMMARY – If in doubt, ask. I am much happier discussing 

potential problems and concerns than dealing with events in the past or problems 

that have been allowed to grow over time.   

Assignments 

August 26th     Introduction to the Class – review of syllabus –  

Film: Global Village or Global Pillage 

(Geyer and Bright – World History in a Global Age) 

 31st  “Mangalore” from In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh, pp. 241-288. 

September 2nd  “Introduction” from Europe and the People without History 

  “The Three Worlds Theory” - Pletch 

 7th  Labor Day 

 9th “The World System in the 13th Century” – Abu-Lughod 

  “Maps of the Mind and the Mobility of Asia” - Ludden 

 14th “The Age of Gunpowder Empires, 1450-1800” – McNeill 

Film: Mardi Gras: Made in China 

 16th Globalization in the Media Assignment Due 

   Barber/Stiglitz/Friedman 

 21st No-nonsense Guide to Globalization – Introduction and Ch 1,2,3 

 23rd No-nonsense Guide to Globalization – Ch. 4,5 

   Film: Life and Debt 

 28th No-nonsense Guide to Globalization – Ch. 6,7 

 30th Anderson  Imagined Communities 5-8, 9-12, 31-36, 163-185 

October 5th  Hobsbawm, Ranger, Cohn  

   Invention of Tradition 1-14, 165-209 

 7th MIDTERM ASSINGMENT DUE –Start of class 

Time-Space Compression 

   David Harvey on “Time-Space Compression” 

   Originally in The Condition of Postmodernity Ch. 17 

   Selections from Global Transformations Reader 

 12th Global Cities 

   Introduction to The Global City – Sassen 

   Chapters 1, 7,8 from Cities in a World Economy – Sassen 

 14th Commodity Flow I 

Arjun Appadurai 

“Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy” 

 “Social Life of Things” 

 19th  Commodity Flow II  

   “Designing Women” – Freeman 

   Film: T-shirt Travels  

 21st  Commodity Flow III 

   “Traveling Barbie” – Grewal 

   (“Enchanted Commodities” – Allison in Millennial Monsters) 

   Film: The Big Sell Out or Bamako 

 26th  Commodity Flow IV  

 Selections from Golden Arches East Asia 

 28th  Commodity Flow V 

    “Very Bombay” – William Mazzarella 

November 2nd Commodity Flow PRESENTATION  

 4th People Flow I  

   “The Pacific Shuttle” – Aihwa Ong 

 9th People Flow II 

   “At Home but Not at Home” – Constable 

   Film: Chain of Love 

 11th People Flow III 

   “Introduction” to Global “Body Shopping” –Xiang 

   “Mexican Migration and the Social Space of Postmodernism”  

   Film: A Day without a Mexican 

 16th  People Flow IV  

   A. Allison – Selections from Nightwork 

   Selections from Sites of Desire, Economies of Pleasure 

   (Selections – What’s Love got to Do with it? – Brennan) 

 18th People Flow V 

   Shukula – South Asian Diaspora 

   Selections – American Karma 

   Selections – The Expanding Landscape 

 23rd People Flow PRESENTATION 

 25th  Wednesday before Thanksgiving 

   Discuss Globalization with Dinner Guests! 

 30th “Cosmopolitan Codifications” or TBA 

December 2nd Final Papers Due 

   Class Summary