The University of Hong Kong

Department of Politics and Public Administration

POLI3078/0078 - Humanity in Globalization


Credits: 6
Level: Advanced
Semester and Academic Year: First semester, 2013-14
Time: Wednesdays, 16.30-18.20
Location: CPD-2.58 (Centennial Campus)

Tutorial Times:
Thursdays
10.30-11.20 (CPD-LG.35)
11.30-12.20,12.30-13.20, 13.30-14.20 (CPD-2.41)
Fridays
10.30-11.20, 11.30-12.20, 12.30-13.20, 13.30-14.20 (CPD-2.41)

Tutorial sign-up will open at noon on Thursday, 12 September, at 10.00. Please
go to the Politics and Public Administration Departments website at
http://signup.ppa.hku.hk/. Tutorials will start in the week of 16 September.

Instructor: Mr Alejandro Reyes (@ProfReyes, @ProfReyesHKU, @areyeshk)
Contact: email reyes@hku.hk, tel. 3917-8337
Office Hours: by appointment, C965 (Room 965, Jockey Club Tower)

Tutor: Ms Jennifer M. Ang
Contact: email jang@hku.hk, tel. 3917-5565
Office Hours: by appointment, C967 (Room 967, Jockey Club Tower)

Course blog: humanityinglobalization2013.wordpress.com
Twitter feed: @ProfReyesHKU

Description
At core, this is a course on human security. It explores the phenomenon of
globalization and the complex and multiple dimensions of common problems we
all have to confront as global citizens by assessing both the opportunities and
challenges confronting an international community in the face of unprecedented
levels of global interdependency. While the study of globalization can occur at
many different levels of analysis, such as at the system level (which may focus
on interactions between states), this course will emphasize the study of
globalization at the population level, especially communities, societies, cultures,
or nations. The class will address the issues at stake for populations with special
references to global security and war, democratization and liberalization, poverty,
human rights, the environment and humanitarian intervention. The course aims
to provide students with the intellectual tools necessary to critically evaluate
many of our most pressing global problems and their proposed solutions.

What I would like to do over the next three months is to explore with you how
globalization affects people you, me, your family, friends, the person on the
street, the villager in Cambodia, the netizen in New York. The scope may seem
rather broad and it is. But what I hope to do is focus on current global issues
and challenges and have a conversation with you about their impact. I also
intend to bring to you, either in person or through a video link, people who have
firsthand practical experience in dealing with these problems or are thought
leaders or experts on the issues. Finally, as a project for the semester, I would
like each of you to focus on a global issue that interests you and examine its
impact in depth. At the end of the semester, I hope that we will all learn about a
range of pressing challenges that are somehow related to globalization and that
we begin to think about what we as global citizens can do to address them.

The issues I am currently planning on focusing on during the semester are:
human security and the responsibility to protect (R2P), modern-day slavery,
water scarcity and management, food security and genetically modified
organisms, climate change, financial inclusion, gender parity and womens
education and empowerment, corporate social responsibility, and global
governance. Please note that the topics may change as the semester progresses
due to current events or the availability of speakers.

I would like this course to be more of a seminar than a formal lecture. While I will
deliver a lecture or have a guest speaker at most meetings, I will try to ensure
that a good part of each class is reserved for discussion. The tutorial sessions
will be entirely taken up by discussion, with the focus on debating issues that
have arisen in class. In addition, each student will make a short presentation on
his or her semester project during the tutorials.

Learning Outcomes
While this is an advanced course offered by the Department of Politics and
Public Administration, students from outside the department or the Faculty of
Social Sciences are welcome. The course material is drawn from various
disciplines politics, economics, business, the sciences, and the arts.

These are the learning outcomes for the course
Understand key theories relevant to international relations and the discussion
of globalization, including realism, liberalism, constructivism, etc.
Understand the major characteristics of the global political system, including
its defining traits and institutions, and the roles of peoples, societies,
individuals, and the state
Understand prominent issues in globalization, including international security,
democratization, human rights, poverty, and the environment
Understand and analyze the key ethical questions relevant to the discussion
of globalization and its challenges
Develop skills in analytical reasoning, textual analysis, verbal discussion and
written argumentative skills, and research
Learn how political science and ethical evaluations are done in general,
though coursework, classroom discussion, and examinations
Demonstrate a high level of competency in presenting and communicating
concepts and ideas in intellectual discourse during tutorial sections

These are the learning outcomes identified by the Faculty of Social Sciences that
pertain most to this course:
Acquire and critically evaluate underlying theories and concepts through
independent research in social science disciplines
Apply social science theories and methods in analyzing complex problems in
a globalizing world
Demonstrate an awareness of current social issues and problems and be
prepared to act as advocates for social change

This course is aligned with the following University Learning Aims:
Critical intellectual inquiry, creativity and life-long learning
Tackling novel situations and ill-defined problems and creative thinking
Communication and collaboration
Leadership and advocacy for the improvement of the human condition

To achieve the goals and learning outcomes of this course, students are
expected to:
Attend all sessions and interact with instructors, speakers and fellow students
Complete suggested readings and come to class with an understanding of
their key arguments
Be prepared to discuss the issues to be taken up in class and to pose
trenchant questions to guest speakers
Actively participate in discussions and conversations with speakers
Contribute insightful comments in response to postings on the course blog
Prepare a complete semester project proposal, deliver a clear and
understandable presentation of the proposal in tutorial, and actively
participate in discussions of project proposals
Carry out research for their semester project by using relevant sources,
carefully assessing the usefulness and value of the available data
Prepare and submit on deadline a semester project that reflects an insightful
and thoughtful use and intelligent assessment of the various sources of
information used in their research
Critically reflect on what they have learned from these different sources of
information and the learning activities of the course
Comply with University regulations regarding academic conduct and leave of
absence.

Teaching and Assessment Methods
This course consists of a series of interactive lectures, often with an invited
speaker, and concurrent discussion sections led by a tutor.

Assessment for this course will be entirely based on coursework:
10% course blog contributions
10% semester project proposal and presentation
30% semester project
50% class and tutorial participation

There is no final exam.

Assessment Criteria
Grading, in my view, is more of (dark) art than science, though some educators
argue otherwise. Certainly, however, students do have the right to be informed of
the grading criteria and should have as clear an understanding as possible of
what is required to achieve specific grades. I am always prepared to discuss
expectations and performance in detail with students during officer hours.

Here is a grading rubric for your guidance:

A+, A, A-
To achieve this level of performance, students must:
Attend and actively participate in all classes and tutorials, unless they present
a valid excuse for missing a session
Be fully engaged in the discussions in classes and tutorials, frequently
responding to and asking relevant and informed questions
Contribute at least three insightful blog comments and participate actively,
consistently and thoughtfully in the online debate, always contributing
informed comments
Deliver an effective and succinct semester project proposal presentation that
clearly outlines the issue to be examined, a feasible method of research, an
appropriate analytical framework, all the relevant sources to be used and the
possible conclusions
Be well able to respond with clarity, confidence and thoughtfulness to the
constructive criticism and questions posed after their presentations
Submit a semester project that puts forward an appropriately and precisely
framed thesis question, is extensively researched, has a clear line of
argument and logical organization, tells a clear analytical narrative, and is
thoroughly documented, with proper citations as necessary. Non-written
semester projects should be completed to similar standards, depending on
the nature of the project.

B+, B, B-
To achieve this level of performance, students must:
Attend and actively participate in most classes and tutorials
Be engaged in the discussions in classes and tutorials, regularly responding
to and asking relevant and informed questions
Contribute at least three insightful blog comments and participate regularly in
the online debate
Deliver an effective semester project proposal presentation that outlines with
clarity the issue to be examined, the method of research, the analytical
framework, the sources to be used and the possible conclusions
Be able to respond with clarity, confidence and thoughtfulness to the
constructive criticism and questions posed after their presentations
Submit a semester project that answers a thesis question, is well researched,
has a clear line of argument and logical organization, and is appropriately
documented, with proper citations as necessary. Non-written semester
projects should be completed to similar standards, depending on the nature of
the project.

C+, C, C-
To achieve this level of performance, students must:
Attend and participate in most classes and tutorials
Engage in the discussions in classes and tutorials, responding to and asking
questions
Contribute at least three insightful blog comments
Deliver a semester project proposal presentation that outlines the issue to be
examined, the method of research, the analytical framework, the sources to
be used and the possible conclusions
Be able to respond to the constructive criticism and questions posed after
their presentations
Submit a semester project that answers a thesis question, is adequately
researched, has a line of argument and reasonable organization, and is
documented, with proper citations as necessary. Non-written semester
projects should be completed to similar standards, depending on the nature of
the project.

Conduct
Academic Misconduct:
The Department of Politics & Public Administration expects that all students work
will conform to the highest standards of academic integrity. Submissions by all
students will be scrutinized for academic misconduct, which includes plagiarism
of others words and ideas, falsification, fabrication, and misuse of data.
Student submissions will be scrutinized for plagiarism using the Turnitin service
(http://lib.hku.hk/turnitin/turnitin.html; www.turnitin.com). The instructor will
discuss with a student any submission that appears to be plagiarized. The
Department does not tolerate plagiarism. Acts of plagiarism could result in heavy
penalties, including disciplinary action. For more information about the policy on
plagiarism at The University of Hong Kong, please visit:
http://www.hku.hk/plagiarism.

Use of Internet Encyclopedias:
Students may NOT use Internet encyclopedias as sources for any material
submitted in this course. Internet encyclopedias include Wikipedia, Encarta, The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and other such sites. If a student is unsure
about an Internet source, he or she should ask the instructor for permission to
cite this source. Points may be deducted from the grade of any submission that
uses these sources.

Late Submissions:
Deadlines should always be respected. Failure to meet them without prior
instructor approval will result in a deduction of five points from the assignment
mark calculation per day late. No submission will be accepted five days beyond
the deadline, unless an extension is granted.

Civility:
Some of the issues addressed in this course are sensitive. In addition, we will
have a number of speakers who have generously agreed to share their views
with us. Please respect them and your fellow students. Discussions during
lecture or tutorials should be conducted in a civil manner. Anybody causing a
disruption may be asked to leave the room.

No mobile phones may be on during lecture or tutorial periods. Personal music
players should not be used. Please refrain from texting, talking on the phone or
surfing the Internet during class (unless doing so is related to the discussion).
Laptop computers are only for taking notes. Please do not chat among
yourselves during lectures or tutorials. Anybody not adhering to these rules may
be asked to leave the room.

Outline
Lectures, Tutorials and Guests:
Lecture attendance is mandatory. Attendance is especially important when we
have guest speakers.

I will advise the class when guest speakers are scheduled to participate and will
brief you in advance on their background and experience. It is critical that
students come to lectures on time and prepared to pose relevant and informed
questions to our speakers. Please feel free to challenge speakers and their ideas
but always politely, as they are our guests and not hostile witnesses.

PLEASE NOTE THAT UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, AS A COURTESY
TO OUR GUESTS, CLASSES WITH AN INVITED SPEAKER ARE OFF THE
RECORD. PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN OFF OR SILENCE YOUR MOBILE
PHONES DURING A LECTURE.

Tutorial attendance is also mandatory. The tutorial meetings are to be conducted
as seminars to discuss issues brought up during the lectures and to debate
pertinent questions. The discussion will also flow from the comments posted on
the course blog.

For some tutorial sessions, the tutor and I may post on the blog a question or set
of questions for discussion. We may ask that students to come to their tutorial
with a one paragraph statement in response to the question. In the tutorial, the
discussion will begin with students reading their statement. Other tutorial
sessions may start with the tutor posing a question of set of questions for
discussion. Students will be divided into three or four groups to discuss their
response. After 10 minutes or so, one member of each group will report to the
entire class what their group discussed and the conclusion they reached. Once
all groups have reported, then the entire class will debate the issue.

The hope is that by participating in such discussions and exchanging views we
will all benefit. Your tutor and I will be assessing the quantity and quality of your
participation throughout the semester.

Each of us comes to this course with different backgrounds and personalities.
Some students will have to overcome their fears of speaking up in class. Other
students will have to learn not to dominate the discussion. Regardless of where
you are coming from, we all have something to learn from each other. There is
no such thing as a stupid question and there is no ideological or partisan line to
tow. We all will have to abide by principles of mutual respect (no whispering or
running commentaries please and DEFINITELY NO MOBILE PHONE USE) to
maximize our ability to have interesting and informative classes and tutorial
sessions. Attendance, evidence of class and tutorial preparation, engagement of
guest speakers, willingness to volunteer ideas, and thoughtful responses to
questions or comments will ensure that your assessment is strong in this area.

Course Blog:
All students will be required to participate in online discussions through the
course blog at humanityinglobalization2013.wordpress.com. This will involve
responding to any questions, articles or comments that are posted on the blog.
The blog is intended to stimulate discussion in class and in tutorials and to allow
discussion and debate on issues that we may not take up in class or tutorials. It
is the main conduit between the instructor and the students, though I will also
make any important announcements through Moodle. Each student should plan
on posting on the blog at least three times during the semester, with at least one
contribution before the start of the Reading Week break, i.e. 13 October. You
may post more than three times, if you wish. Your blog postings will be assessed
according to their quality but frequency will also be rewarded.

Excellent blog postings will:
Refer to readings, the lectures and what guest speakers said in previous
classes
Demonstrate critical thinking, personal reflection, and good writing
Show respect for others
Clearly articulate ideas and relate them to the issues at hand and to current
events.

A blog is supposed to encourage spontaneous reactions to postings. You are
welcome to craft long comments, but it is NOT necessary to do so. Short and
pithy replies are fine so long as they are respectful and further the debate.

Twitter Feed:
I will run a voluntary Twitter feed for this course: @ProfReyesHKU. It will mainly
reflect the content of the blog but may also include additional information,
including thoughts and ideas that the instructor might wish to raise. Those who
chose not to subscribe to the Twitter feed will not be disadvantaged in any way.
No essential course material will be made available solely on Twitter. I also have
a personal Twitter account @areyeshk which you are also welcome to follow.

Semester Project:
Each student must undertake a semester project that would entail conducting
research of some kind. This will account for 30% of your final mark. The project
may be a traditional research paper or policy analysis report of about 3,000 to
4,000 words on a specific topic relating to the human impact of globalization.
Some of you may wish to do something other than a research paper. I am open
to any creative project so long as it would involve research of some kind such as
a survey, a documentary video or a multimedia presentation that focuses on an
issue relating to the impact of globalization.

Each student should submit to turnitin.com a 2-3-page written project proposal
a description of the project and how you will go about it by the end of Friday, 11
October 2013. Students may work in groups. But if students decide to work with
colleagues, all members of the group will receive the same mark for their
semester project.

In tutorials after the Reading Week break, each student or group will make a
short (5-10 minutes) presentation on his project. Performance in the presentation
will account for 10% of your semester mark. Your tutor and I will brief students on
what will be expected in the presentation. After each presentation, other students
will be invited to comment on the issue raised and how the student will approach
his chosen subject. The tutor will also pose questions and provide constructive
criticism. Presenters will respond to the criticism and questions posed.

Please take these presentations seriously. The aim is to allow collegial
discussion of various topics relating to globalization and its impact, many of
which we may not have time to discuss in class. Collaboration is the hallmark of
most academic research these days. In a limited way, the presentations during
the tutorials and the discussions of the topics will give you a flavour of what
participation in a graduate research workshop is like.

The assessment of your semester project will be based solely on the quality of
the submission.

Semester projects must be submitted through turnitin.com for papers or through
the counter staff at the Politics and Public Administration Department (Jockey
Club Tower 9.63) for any projects that cannot be accommodated by turnitin.com.
The deadline is Thursday, 12 December 2013. Please note the penalty for late
submission indicated above.

Readings:
There is a textbook for this course:

John Baylis, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, eds., The Globalization of World
Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 5th edition, Oxford University
Press, 2011.

Copies are available in the University Bookstore. Because the stock is limited,
please consider sharing a copy with colleagues.

Textbook readings are noted in the schedule below. Additional weekly readings
(or references to them) will be posted on the course blog or uploaded on Moodle
as far in advance as possible.

Schedule:

WEEK I: 4 SEPTEMBER

Lecture 1: Course introduction Global Governance (G20)

No tutorials


WEEK II: 11 SEPTEMBER

Lecture 2: Abridged course introduction and introduction to tutorials

Documentary screening: Ghosts of Rwanda

No tutorials

Textbook: Introduction, Chapters 1-4, 12


WEEK III: 18 SEPTEMBER

Lecture 3: Human Security and the Responsibility to Protect Syria

TUTORIAL #1

Textbook: Chapters 29-31


WEEK IV: 25 SEPTEMBER

Lecture 4: Gender Parity and Educating Girls Violence Against Women

The class will end early to allow students (up to 30 who sign up on a first-
come-first-served basis) to attend the 19.00 screening at the Asia Society
Hong Kong Center of the documentary Girl Rising and a discussion with
Erin Ganju, Co-Founder and CEO of Room to Read.

http://asiasociety.org/hong-kong/events/girl-rising

TUTORIAL #2

Textbook: Chapter 16


WEEK V: 2 OCTOBER

Lecture 5: Water Security Climate Change Sustainability

TUTORIAL #3

Textbook: Chapter 21


WEEK VI: 9 OCTOBER

Lecture 6: Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery

TUTORIAL #4


READING WEEK: NO CLASS ON 16 OCTOBER

No tutorials


WEEK VII: 23 OCTOBER

Lecture 7: Technology and Globalization: Cyber Security Privacy and Big
Data Social Media

TUTORIAL #5: Presentations


WEEK IX: 30 OCTOBER

Lecture 8: Video Conference with the American University in Cairo
Political Reform and Social Transformation: The Experiences of China and
the Middle East

TUTORIAL #6: Presentations

Textbook: Chapters 24-26, 32, 33


WEEK X: 6 NOVEMBER

Lecture 9: Financial Inclusion

TUTORIAL #7: Presentations

Textbook: Chapters 15, 27


WEEK XI: 13 NOVEMBER

Lecture 10: Global and Regional Governance Mapping Risks and
Transformations

TUTORIAL #8: Presentations

Textbook: Chapters 17-20


WEEK XII: 20 NOVEMBER

Lecture 11: Documentary screening: Bitter Seeds

TUTORIAL #9: Presentations IF NECESSARY

Textbook: Chapter 28


WEEK XIII: 27 NOVEMBER

Lecture 12: Food Security and GMOs Wrap-up

TUTORIAL #10: Presentations IF NECESSARY Wrap-up