Globalization is one of the defining features of the contemporary world, but there is considerable controversy regarding its nature, impact, and future trends. This course will seek to integrate debates about globalization and development. The analytical approach will be to study globalization through the lens of diverse global industries as well as global regions. The course addresses comparative development issues by looking at the range of institutional factors that affect how nations in various parts of the world rise or fall in the global economy, and how national development issues are profoundly shaped by powerful international organizations (like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization), transnational corporations, and technological change. The course critically examine the meaning of development, the impact of globalization on the quality of life, and the interplay between the strategies of global, national, and local actors.
