How the World Really Works: Busting the Myths of Globalisation (11147.1)

For decades, scholars, politicians, entrepreneurs, and futurists have heralded 'globalization' as an inevitable, irreversible force for good that would bridge cultural differences, create and spread wealth, and in doing so bring the world closer together. But after decades of globalization the world remains in a paradox: never before have humans been more interconnected, and yet humanity is riven by widening divisions. Some scholars suggest that this paradox is a new thing. A closer examination suggests that it is not.
In this unit, we seek out the answer to a central question that is at the heart of most debates around globalization: has the world been coming together, or has it actually been falling apart? We begin our investigation in 1945, when the world counted its losses at the end of the Second World War and when it seemed like there was a chance for the world to come closer together. Over the course of the semester, we will understand how we got to where we are today. We will examine the origins of some of the most important political, military, cultural, and economic conflicts around the world. We will map the key forces and events that have shaped our world, and how their legacies continue to define our societies, our institutions, and our ways of thinking. Most importantly of all, we will see how the world since 1945 has been, as the political theorist Benjamin Barber put it, "falling precipitately apart AND coming reluctantly together at the very same moment."

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Explain key global processes and their historical context;
2. Critically analyse claims made about 'globalisation' and its impacts; and
3. Interrogate the nature of contemporary events, by contextualising them in relation to relevant global processes.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures

Skills development

 

 

How the world really works: Busting the myths of globalisation

For decades, scholars, politicians, entrepreneurs, and futurists heralded 'globalisation' as an inevitable and irreversible force that would bridge cultural differences, create and spread wealth, and in doing so bring the world closer together. But as we enter the third decade of the 21st century, the world seems to be in a paradox: never before have humans been more interconnected, and yet humanity is riven by widening divisions. Some scholars suggest that this paradox is a new thing. A closer examination suggests that it is not.

For a brief moment in 1945, as the world counted its losses at the end of the Second World War, it seemed like there was a chance for the world to come closer together - politically, economically, and even culturally. But things went terribly wrong, and opportunities were spurned.

In this unit, we seek out the answer to a central question that is at the heart of most debates around globalisation: is the world coming together, or is it actually falling apart?

Over the course of the semester, we will understand how we got to where we are today. We will examine the origins of some of the most important political, military, cultural, and economic conflicts around the world. We will map the key forces and events that have shaped our world, and how their legacies continue to define our societies, our institutions, and our ways of thinking. Most importantly of all, we will see how the world since 1945 has been, as the political theorist Benjamin Barber put it in his article Jihad vs McWorld, "falling precipitantly apart AND coming reluctantly together at the very same moment."  

Prerequisites

Students must have passed 24 credit points.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

Basic understanding of issues related to cultural diversity.