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About the course
This course highlights contemporary issues, benefits, and problems associated with regional and global economic integration. Regional variations and disparities in economic growth, demographics, and development are analyzed and policy implications discussed. Topic areas include contemporary debates on globalization, issues underlying uneven economic development, and the parallel growth of the legitimate global marketplace and the global criminal economy. The course considers both the developed and the developing world. Students are also encouraged to share their thoughts on the course blog.
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Blog Archive
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2009
(13)
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November
(8)
- Diamond Production and the ipod Generation
- Pirates versus Weapons Dealers
- Clips shown in lecture on illicit drugs
- Trade in Human Fat
- Some interesting representations of the world
- Africa's first narco-state
- The video clips we saw in class, plus more.
- Evidence that social norms can change in interesti...
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November
(8)
Wow, that was really interesting! Annie Leonard really covered in detail aspects of production, distribution, and consumption that most people don't even realize are a part of the process.
ReplyDeleteA really well put-together video from a woman with a very naive point of view. I understand the idea of everybody doing their part (which I agree with), but there are a lot more things in the world that push goods through the chain than the government and corporate greed.
ReplyDeleteI thought this video was helpful in explaining how the economic process is a highly complex system and that having a somewhat linear model on a planet with finite resources cannot last indefinitely. However, I feel the way Annie Leonard portrays the consumer as a mindless, helpless being at the hands of multinational corporations is way off base. Also I believe that she is wrong in stating that the government is no longer worried about the people and is only interested in satisfying the needs of corporations. Granted the government does often go out of its way to help these businesses but that is because they provide jobs and fuel or economy which in turn usually raises people’s standard of living.
ReplyDeleteFor all it has done to progress our society and bring many innovations that have helped people, capitalism has caused a lot of problems as well, starting with changing our entire mentality into generally very consumption-oriented. I think the average consumer is often driven by the trends and fads made popular by multinational corporations- whether it is the latest stiletto heel or jumping on the 'green' bandwagon. And while I would like to believe that the government is motivated entirely on the genuine advancement of its citizens, I am certain that individuals within the government are making decisions based on their own individual benefit and which companies will be able to contribute the most to their re-election campaign. Our nation looks at other systems as horrible evils- but capitalism has certainly presented alot of problems itself.
ReplyDeleteI think the random Bush bash was slightly unnecessary...
ReplyDeleteI think the state of our economy is slightly unnecessary...
ReplyDelete