Download Globalization and Social Change Initiative

The Globalization and Social
Change Initiative
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Began as College 2020 Initiative, led
by Barbara Malt
Launched in Fall 2006
One of numerous global and
international programs gathering
under “Global Lehigh”
Interdisciplinary – participants now
from all four colleges
The Globalization and Social
Change Initiative
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Supports research on globalization
Faculty seminars and lunches
Spring symposium
Offers Global Studies undergraduate
major
Will support current graduate programs
and create new graduate program
Partner with Area Studies programs,
Lehigh-UN, Global Citizenship and others
Areas of Focus For Research and Teaching
in Globalization and Social Change
Global Communication
Culture &
Identity
Politics &
Social Structures
Global Communication
What are the historical dimensions and future directions – in legal, political and
economic arenas – of the globalization of communication? Topics include:
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The historical and continuing role of communication in
globalization
Corporate control of global communication and
transnational media conglomerates
International and national communication policies
Defining the architecture of global communication
Intellectual property and copyright
Governance of cyberspace
Futures of the mass media and journalism
Growth of new media in non-democratic societies, such as
China
Access to communication technology and the digital divide
International broadcasting rights
Global advertising, marketing practices and national policies
Information revolutions and challenges to state power
Global Communication
What are the varying roles of communication in approaches to global
conflicts and crises? Topics include the roles of communication in:
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Global conflict and resolution
Terrorism and responses to terrorism
Disasters and international responses
International approaches to HIV and AIDS
Global debates on environmental risk and risk perception
International development, population control
Information, agriculture and nutrition in the Third World
Public understanding of biotechnology and genetically
modified foods
Success and failure of United Nations and NGO initiatives
Culture and Identity
In what ways does globalization shape – and get shaped by – culture?
Topics include:
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Influences of globalization on traditional languages and cultures
Cultural imperialism
Resistance to globalization among cultures
Migration and population movements
Diasporic communities
Global virtual communities
Negotiation among cultures
Globalization and religion
Comparative religion study
The growing role of Global Islam
Transformation of the international workforce
The local in a globalized world – “glocalization”
The globalization of sport
The cultural implications of the Olympics, Super Bowl, and World Cup
Transformation of the university and education
Culture and Identity
How are individual understandings of identity influenced by
globalization? Topics include:
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Changing nature of race and ethnicity in a globalized world
Gender studies in an age of globalization
Technology, global interactions and identity
Identity and citizenship in the context of globalization
Influences of immigration and migration on identity and
culture
Human interaction with technology
Youth culture and advances in technology
Technology, games and identity
Immigration, migration and border studies
Co-ethnic identities
Changing identity pathways
Politics and Social Structures
What are the varying influences of globalization on national and
international political systems? Topics include:
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Global governance
The changing role of the United Nations
International non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
NGOs and humanitarian relief
Backlash and protests against globalization
Resistance and transformative politics
Critiques of empire and modernity
Globalization, poverty and inequality
Peace-keeping and armed intervention
Terrorism and responses to terrorism
Colonialism, post colonialism
International law and diplomacy
State sovereignty and global relations
The changing nature of nation-states
Politics and Social Structures
In what ways does globalization influence and alter societal
structures? Topics include:
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Sustainable development
Population growth and population control
Global resource management
Global economic governance
International environmental law
Ideologies of globalization
Globalization and patterns of economic growth
Income and inequality
The World Trade Organization and the World Bank
Global capitalism
International political economy
International emergency response systems to health epidemics
The making of a global civil society
Major in Global Studies
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Shaped by faculty research
Drawn from all three undergraduate colleges
Requires:
interdisciplinary core coursework
intermediate language proficiency
study abroad
a global studies research project
a day-long seminar and visit to the United
Nations
A minor will be offered, with special consideration
for the needs of engineering and business
students.