Overview

GLST 483 International Political Economy: The Politics of Globalization is a senior-level, three-credit course in Political Economy and Global Studies. The course introduces highly contested issues and contradictory positions concerning the meaning and significance of globalization. Students will situate current global processes within the historical development of the world economy and learn to view these changes through a variety of theoretical lenses. The course materials critically engage the structural changes occurring between world regions, among international financial institutions—such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank—as well as multinational business corporations. Finally, students will be engaged with questions concerning the “developing world” and globalization and the “anti-globalization backlash” that appears to be growing in size and momentum.

Outline

The course consists of the following ten units.

Evaluation

To receive credit for GLST 483, you must achieve a minimum of “D” per cent on the final assignment and a minimum composite course grade of “D” (50 per cent). The chart below summarizes the course activities and the credit weight associated with each. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Cohn, Theodore H. 2005. Global political economy: Theory and practice. 3d ed. New York: Pearson Longman.

Hirst, Paul, and Grahame Thompson. 1999. Globalization in question. 2d ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Reich, Robert B. 1992. The work of nations. New York: Vintage Books.

Stubbs, Richard, and Geoffrey R. D. Underhill, eds. 2006. Political economy and the changing world order. 3d ed. Don Mills: Oxford University Press.

Other Materials

The course materials include student manual and a study guide.