Lesson Report:
# Lesson Report
## Title: Globalization and Nationalism: Interactions, Consequences, and Contemporary Challenges
### Synopsis
In this session, students explored the relationship between globalization and nationalism, focusing on how globalization affects national identities, economies, cultures, and governance. The class examined theoretical perspectives on globalization, tracing shifts from early optimistic theories to contemporary critiques emphasizing defensive nationalism. The discussion also highlighted the paradoxical role of globalization in both dissolving and reinforcing national and ethnic identities.
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## Attendance
– No students were explicitly marked absent.
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## Topics Covered
### 1. Introduction and Class Overview
– Brief discussion of last week’s debate on nationalism.
– Announcement that the planned student presentation would be rescheduled.
– Overview of the planned lesson: wrapping up the topic of nationalism by discussing globalization before transitioning into ethnic politics next session.
### 2. Defining Globalization
– Class discussion on key terms associated with globalization: interconnectedness, engagement, exchange, integration, interdependence.
– Differentiation between historical trade and modern globalization using examples from ancient trade routes.
– Instructor poses a question: Is globalization primarily about economics, culture, political systems, or technology?
### 3. Group Activity: Identifying Dimensions of Globalization
– Students worked in pairs to analyze the key components of globalization.
– Discussion of different aspects of globalization, breaking concepts into categories:
– **Economic:** Global trade, financial integration, multinational corporations.
– **Political:** Supranational organizations, global governance, political standardization.
– **Cultural:** Media, food, fashion, hybrid identities (e.g., influence of global streetwear on local ethnic fashion).
– **Technological:** E-finance, communication, transportation infrastructure.
– Class discussion on “McDonaldization” and the standardization of global products and institutions.
### 4. Challenges in Defining Globalization
– Review of Osterhammel’s reading and the complexity of defining globalization.
– Key difficulties:
– Different fields (political science, sociology, economics) define globalization differently.
– Globalization occurs at different speeds in different regions.
– Globalization is both a process and an outcome, making it hard to pinpoint when a country is fully globalized.
### 5. Globalization vs. Nationalism: Theoretical Perspectives
– Discussion of early globalization theories (post-WWII optimism about economic and political integration reducing nationalism).
– The failure of these early theories to predict nationalism’s persistence.
– Transition to modern theories: nationalism as an adaptive response to globalization rather than its opposite.
### 6. The Dark Side of Globalization
– Class brainstorm on globalization’s unintended consequences:
– **Economic:** Job loss due to outsourcing, economic disparities, dependence on foreign goods.
– **Political:** Loss of sovereignty, supranational organizations influencing local governance.
– **Cultural:** Fears of cultural erosion, loss of native languages.
– **Security:** Terrorism, global pandemics (COVID-19 as an example).
### 7. Defensive Nationalism
– Introduction to defensive nationalism as a reaction against globalization.
– Case studies comparing positive (e.g., national identity through cultural exports like K-pop) and negative (e.g., anti-immigration rhetoric in the U.S.) forms of defensive nationalism.
– Closing discussion: How ethnic nationalism relates to globalization—setting up for next session’s focus on ethnic politics.
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## Actionable Items
### **For Next Class:**
– **Transition to Ethnic Politics**
– Begin discussing how ethnic identities intersect with nationalism and globalization.
– Relate theories from today’s class to ethnic conflict and identity politics.
### **Student Presentations**
– Mehrona’s postponed presentation needs to be rescheduled.
– Students previously assigned presentations should ensure they upload their presentations in the required format (PowerPoint without excessive text).
– Some students still need to finalize and submit their chosen academic articles for review.
### **Instructor Follow-Ups**
– Provide feedback to students on their presentation structures, especially the importance of clarity and brevity in PowerPoint slides.
– Confirm submission guidelines for e-course uploads and notify students about multiple-file submission options.
– Ensure that upcoming ethnic politics readings align with today’s discussions on defensive nationalism.
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This report should provide a comprehensive overview of the session while maintaining clarity and organization for future reference.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK. No explicit homework assignments were mentioned during the lesson; the class primarily focused on in-class discussions and theoretical explorations of globalization and nationalism without any directives for independent assignments.