Global Issues in the 21st Century

“Global Issues” is the foundation course in the Global Studies major and enrolls both majors and non-majors. True to the names, we examine globalization and ask why has it developed into its current form(s)? In order to explore these questions, we look at some of the key historical developments that led the world to this current condition, the evolution of nation-states and state authority, the development of markets and a global economy, and a variety of cultural transformations. We consider the impact of globalization and its associated processes on the political, cultural, social, and economic lives of people, by covering the following specific topics: migration and border regimes, rapid urbanization and the growth of slums, global health, changing gender roles and women’s rights, and the globalization of social movements. The approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on literature and methods from the fields of history, anthropology, geography, and political science, as well as from other areas of the social sciences and humanities.