Course Outline for Sociology 22
Sociology of Globalization

Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:
Catalog Description:

SOCI 22 - Sociology of Globalization

3.00 Units

An introduction to the sociology of globalization. An in-depth analysis of globalization’s causes, consequent problems and opportunities, and one’s relationship to a global social and cultural economy. As communities and nations become more interconnected, what were once local issues are becoming globalized. Issues associated with this increasing interconnectivity, such as social and economic inequality, migration, identity, trafficking, and consumption will be a focus of this class. This course also examines the economic, political, military, cultural, technological, and environmental aspects of globalization; history of globalization, European colonialism and decolonization processes; impact of multinational corporations and global political and financial institutions, and social movements from cross-cultural and global perspectives.
2208.00 - Sociology
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. describe the meaning of cultural identities and gendered subjects in contemporary societies;
  2. explain colonialism and postcolonial theory;
  3. describe sociological perspectives on modernity and globalization;
  4. learn to place contemporary developments in cultural, historical, environmental, and spatial contexts;
  5. identify and analyze processes of social change and social continuity, the role of human agency in those social processes, and the forces that engender social cohesion and fragmentation;
  6. analyze current global problems from a sociological perspective.
Course Content:
  1. Globalization
    1. Definitions of globalization
    2. Globalization- past and present  
    3. Drivers of and barriers to globalization
    4. Resistance to globalization
  2. Processes Related to Globalization
    1. Imperialism, colonialism, and decolonization
    2. Development
    3. Westernization, Easternization, and Americanization
  3. Neoliberalism
    1. Multinational corporations
    2. Principles and criticisms of neoliberalism
    3. Neo-Marxism
    4. The precaria/gig economy
    5. Neoliberalism and authoritarianism
  4. Globalization and Politics
    1. Emergence of the nation-state
    2. Changes in global-state relations
    3. The rise of nationalist populism
    4. Global and regional political structures
    5. Global governance and INGOs
  5. Global Economy
    1. Economic development post WWII
    2. The WTO, The IMF, The World Bank and Critiques
    3. Free Trade
  6. Global Production & Consumption
    1. Global Value chains
    2. Increasing demand and competition for commodities
    3. Oil wealth and political dominance/instability
    4. Race to the bottom in the Global South
    5. Outsourcing and offshoring
    6. Financial globalization- the Great Recession
    7. Corporations, people, and ideas- homogenization and consumption
  7. Global Culture
    1. Cultural differentiation
    2. Cultural hybridization
    3. Cultural convergence- cultural imperialism, McDonaldization, World culture
  8. High-Tech & Globalization 
    1. Technology and Time-space compression
    2. Mass media
    3. Internet and social media
  9. Global Flows of People
    1. Migration
    2. Remittances
    3. Diaspora
    4. Brain drain
    5. Human trafficking
    6. Tourism
  10. The Environment
    1. Global Climate change
    2. Other Environmental Problems
    3. Resistance
    4. Sustainable development
    5. Effects of inequality
    6. Environmentalism and opposition to environmentalism
  11. Disease, Terrorism, and War
    1. Borderless diseases (HIV/AIDS, COVID-19)
    2. Global military structures, cyber attacks, information war
    3. Impact on individuals
  12. Economic Inequality
    1. Increasing inequality
    2. Social mobility in a global perspective
    3. Inequality in health and health care
    4. Global digital divide
    5. Global cities
  13. Race & Gender Inequality
    1. The international women’s movement
    2. Sexuality and human rights
    3. Global care chains and motherhood
    4. Gender and sexuality
      1. Gender and the economy
    5. Race and ethnicity
      1. Global apartheid
      2. Globalization and race relations in the U.S. and Europe
      3. Race relations and white privilege
      4. Ethnic conflict and genocide
    6. Power and inequality
      1. The social construction of race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, intersectionality
  14. Future of Globalization
    1. Dealing with the global economy, politics, and health issues
    2. Resisting globalization



 

Methods of Instruction:
  1. Research Report
  2. Presentation
  3. Distance Education
  4. Lectures
  5. Textbook reading assignments
  6. Class and group discussions
  7. Presentation of audio-visual materials
  8. Research project
  9. Field Trips
  10. Guest speakers
  11. Online Assignments
  12. Written assignments
  13. Lecture/Discussion
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Complete an annotated bibliography on a topic related to globalization.
  2. Read articles on IMF and World Bank structural adjustment policies and assess to what extent these policies harm or help poor countries.
  3. Write a short paper on what neocolonialism is, how foreign countries are exploiting Africa, and the impact of neocolonialism on the African continent.
  1. Assigned activities
  2. Exams/Tests
  3. Final Examination or Project
  4. Midterm Examination
  5. Online Assignments
  6. Research Projects
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge of key sociological theories of globalization and global systems.
  2. Explain various manifestations of global inequalities as they arise in different parts of the world.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of current social issues which are global in their impacts and solutions, including food security, gender inequality, migration, and the natural environment.
  4. Examine and critique current policies which affect global social problems.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Luke Martell (2016). The Sociology of Globalization (2nd). Polity .
  2. Edited by Keri E. Iyall Smith (2019). Sociology of Globalization: Cultures, Economies, and Politics (1st). Routledge.
  3. Ritzer, George & Dean, Paul (2022). Globalization: A Basic Text (3rd). John Wiley & Sons.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
An in-depth analysis of globalization’s causes, consequent problems and opportunities, and one’s relationship to a global social and cultural economy. As communities and nations become more interconnected, what were once local issues are becoming globalized. Issues associated with this increasing interconnectivity, such as social and economic inequality, migration, identity, trafficking, and consumption will be a focus of this class.
Discipline:
Sociology*