Lesson Report:
**Title:**
**Researching Globalization: Investigating Puzzles, Problems, and Research Questions**
**Synopsis:**
This class focused on expanding students’ understanding of globalization by delving into key issues such as why some countries derive more benefits from globalization than others and how globalization influences political ideologies. Using political science research methods, the class emphasized constructing research questions, hypotheses, and analyzing scholarly readings to study globalization-related phenomena. This methodological approach was further explored with reference to assigned readings by Kumar and Milner, with class discussions highlighting complex political and economic relationships associated with globalization.
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**Attendance:**
– No absences mentioned. Class size: 15 students.
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**Topics Covered:**
1. **Administrative Announcements and Recap**
– **Midterm Feedback:**
– A quarter of the midterm essay grades have been returned. Remaining grades will be completed in increments (10 per night) and finalized by Saturday.
– **Final Exam Overview:**
– Scheduled for **Tuesday, the 17th**.
– Format: One in-class essay question; no multiple-choice or short-answer questions.
– Final topics will align closely with midterm content. Students are advised to review definitions and focus on explaining relationships between concepts (e.g., nationalism and division, monopoly on violence vs. coercion).
– **End-of-Semester Party:**
– Scheduled for **Thursday, the 19th**, as a celebratory “You Survived Party.”
2. **Recap of Globalization and Central Discussion Question**
– **Definitions:**
– Globalization involves the increasing interdependency of countries through trade, communication, and technological advances, though not a new concept, it has grown rapidly in the last 100 years.
– It is a divisive topic, with both benefits (e.g., economic growth) and disadvantages (e.g., inequality), positioning it as a gray area in political science.
– **Critical Question:**
– “Why do some countries benefit more from globalization than others?â€�
– **Key Factors Identified:**
– Geographical location.
– Economic strength.
– Political structures.
– Education levels.
3. **Key Political Science Research Concepts**
– **Puzzles, Problems, and Research Questions:**
– **Puzzle:** A phenomenon that cannot easily be explained. Example: Unequal globalization benefits between countries.
– **Problem:** A puzzle with negative implications (e.g., countries being “left behindâ€� or global inequality).
– **Research Question Construction:** Using factors such as geography and economic strength to frame specific studyable relationships (e.g., “Do countries with stronger economies and geographical advantages benefit more from globalization than those without?â€�).
4. **Graphing Relationships and Hypotheses Formation**
– **Visualizing Relationships:**
– Used a graph to illustrate how stronger economies are expected to receive greater globalization benefits. For example, the U.S. benefits more due to economic strength, while weaker economies (e.g., Vietnam, Guyana) benefit less.
– **Hypotheses:**
– Hypothesis is the proposed answer to the research question and must maintain consistency with the variables in the question. Example: “Yes, countries with stronger economies and advantageous geography benefit more from globalization.â€�
5. **Readings Analysis: Kumar and Milner Articles**
– Group Activity: Students divided into four groups of three to analyze the **Milner article’s first section**.
– **Milner Article Discussion:**
– Puzzle and Problem: Globalization’s effect on political ideologies, particularly the rise of right-wing politics in democratic systems.
– Example Insights:
– Globalization seems to increase populist, anti-internationalist, and nationalist tendencies in higher-globalization democracies.
– Notable ideological contrasts: Right-wing ideologies (e.g., nationalism, conservatism) vs. left-wing ideologies (e.g., communism, socialism).
– Research Question: “Does globalization lead parties to adopt more anti-internationalist and populist positions?â€�
– Hypothesis Construction: Framed as a potential answer to the research question (e.g., “Yes, globalization leads to an increase in anti-internationalist and populist positions in democratic systems.â€�).
6. **Sub-Research Questions and Future Research Approaches**
– Discussed how sub-research questions narrow down broader questions (e.g., “Does economic strength drive globalization benefits, or vice versa?â€�).
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**Actionable Items:**
1. **For Next Class:**
– Students should revisit **Kumar and Milner’s readings** in preparation for further discussion. Milner’s next section will focus on verifying hypotheses using research data.
2. **Final Exam Preparation:**
– Focus on understanding key definitions (e.g., nationalism, monopoly on violence, coercion).
– Practice explaining relationships between concepts to strengthen essay responses.
– Review midterm study materials and feedback for areas to improve.
3. **Instructor Tasks:**
– Finalize midterm essay grading by Saturday.
– Prepare follow-up questions for Kumar and Milner readings to deepen analysis.
– Plan logistics for the end-of-semester party on **Thursday, the 19th** (e.g., location, materials).
4. **Classroom Follow-Up:**
– Revisit visualization techniques (charts/graphs) for illustrating relationships in political science research.
– Reinforce how to frame hypotheses in line with research questions during future classwork or tutorials.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK
Justification: Based on the transcript, there are no explicit mentions of a homework assignment being given, nor any instructions or directives indicating that students are required to complete a specific task outside of class. The lesson focused on discussing course topics, reviewing the Milner reading in groups during class, and constructing research questions/hypotheses, but no further obligations were set for students beyond this.