Writing
There will be four significant writing assignments: two 5-page essays (due in Weeks 5 and 9), and a 7-8 page final project due on the last day of class. You will have a choice of essay topics, or with the approval of the instructor, they may be developed from the issues raised in the weekly discussions. I am happy to look at preliminary drafts of papers, but except for unusual circumstances, I do not accept rewrites. I would also encourage people to make use of the Writing Center as it is an excellent resource.
Diamond argues that the conquest of the Americas resulted from dramatic differences in the power of Europeans over people less endowed with guns, germs, and steel. In the articles assigned from Media Worlds, we see examples of the periphery attempting to use media to confront certain contemporary differences in cultural, political, and economic power. When do such efforts seem to work best and why? Write a short commentary suggesting one (or at most two) things that seem to make a difference in using media to promote political, economic, or cultural goals. Week 2: A Pre-History of Globalization: Guns, Germs, and Steel Reading Due Greider, William. "The Real Cancun: WTO Heads Nowhere." In The Nation. Sept. 22, 2003. Pp. 11-20. (please read related articles in the packet too). Diamond, Jared. "Preface: Why is World History Like an Onion?" In Guns, Germs, and Steel. Pp. 9-11. (Handout in Class) . "Prologue: Yali's Question." In Guns, Germs, and Steel. Pp. 13-32. . "Collision at Cajamarca." Chapter 3 in Guns, Germs, and Steel. Pp. 67-81. . "Hemisphere's Colliding." Chapter 18 in Guns, Germs, and Steel. Pp. 354 375. Beynon, Dunkerley. "General Introduction." In Globalization: The Reader. NY: Routledge, 2000. (Handout) Film: Trobriand Cricket (50 min.) and Discussion.