UCLA Extension History XL 170C Olga M.

Lazin,
Ph.D.
Winter 2010 olazin@ucla.edu
Wednesdays January 8-March 26,
2010
6:30-9:30pm, 12 mtgs

Issues in Latin American History:

The Many Faces of Globalization since 1492

This course is designed to give students the depth and breadth

necessary to understand the process of globalization that is now
influencing all Latin American countries without exception. The
concept will be defined at the outset as used by various major
scholars and developed through analysis of its historical stages
(starting with the 1500s) and components as presented in the
course outline.

To help us analyze the many faces of Globalization, Guest

speakers include (among others depending on their arrival in Los
Angeles):

James W. Wilkie, UCLA Professor of History and

Chair, UCLA Program on Mexico

Alejandro Pelayo-Rangel, Cultural Attaché of Mexico in Los

Angeles

Steven J. Loza, UCLA Professor of Music

Judith Carney, UCLA Professor of Geography

 Lazin, History 170-C 2

Required Readings

The readings will be available in handouts and in a course reader

Entitled:

From Gradual Globalization to "Fast Track"

Globalization
and Resistance to the Globalization Process

By Olga Magdalena Lazin

In addition to the Lazin Chronology of Gradual and "Fast Track"

Globalization, articles will focus on

(a) the pre-1989 negative view that Globalization is led by

U.S. “imperialism” (as seen in selections from Edward H. Berman,
The Influence of Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller Foundations on
American Policy: The Ideology of Philanthropy, 1983), and

(b) the post-1989 positive view that Globalization involves

the emergence of networking which is based upon a new,
international civil society as well as upon global business (as seen
in selections from Sandra Braman and Annabelle Shreberny-
Mohhamadi, Globalization, Communication and Transnational
Civil Society, 1996).

Two articles representing the post-1989 positive view will

help student fathom the breadth of world change:

Richard Rosecrance, “The Rise of the Virtual State” (1996),

and
Olga M. Lazin, “NAFTA and the European Union Compared”
(2010).

Rosecrance and Lazin show how the role of the state has
declined in the face of globalizing world trade blocs, which have
helped citizens to organize internationally as statist social safety
nets have declined. Students are invited to bring in articles that
compare the positive and negative views of globalization.
 Lazin, History 170-C 3

Selections representing pessimism will be taken from two

recent critiques of Globalization:

Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations (1996),

and
Dani Roderik, Has Globalization Gone Too Far? (1997))

These authors (influenced by pre-1989 thinking) speak to the

concerns of many important analysts.

Discussion in class will focus on the readings, handouts, and upon

each student’s weekly reading in current newspapers and
magazines.

Course Project:

Students are required to read news about "Globalization" on

the internet, in magazines such as the Economist, and/or
newspapers. Each student must bring to each class 20 copies for
distribution two articles that he/she sees as contributing to the
understanding of globalization and/or the raising of questions
about the problems created by globalization. The term
"Globalization" should be
defined as broadly as possible.

Grading:

1. Class Participation (15%) This includes both verbal

contributions and active listening in class discussions.
Students are expected to come to class ready to discuss
the readings, including articles handed out by their peers
in the previous class session.

2. Midterm Exam (25%) This exam will be comprised of both

short
 Lazin, History 170-C 4

answer and essay questions. Blue books are required.

3. Project (25%) Students will compile their weekly articles

in a
booklet about which they will write a paper (8-10 pages)
analyzing the extent to which the articles help us to
understand and/or question the course outline and/or
challenge ideas presented in this course.

3. Final Exam (35%) The final exam will be comprised of

both short
answer and essay questions. Bring Blue Book.

Course Outline:

DATE ACTIVITIES & DISCUSSION Read

in Advance

January 8 Introduction to the Course.

Guests Alejandro Pelayo and James Wilkie
Film: 'De la Calle"--Does this 2001 film by
Mexican
Director Guillermo Tort portray the city
of
future under Globalization?

January 15 History of Gradual Globalization

January 22 Gradual Globalization Continued

January 29 Transition to "Fast-Track" Globalization

 Lazin, History 170-C 5

February 5 "Measuring" Social Change in Latin

America

February 12 Measuring Economic Change: Data on the

Widening Gap: all different measures of the GDP.

February 19 MIDTERM

February 26 The Anti-Globalization Movements: A History

March 5 Global Civil Society

March 12: Global Foundations and Corporations: GRUMA

Company goes global

March 19: Project Due in class

March 26 FINAL EXAM