POL 295B: Globalization: the View from London

(Stephen Crowley) 4 credits, prerequisite: none. Enrollment cap: 20. This course will examine globalization as the increasingly global nature of capitalism. Since England was the birthplace of industrial capitalism, and Britain was the world's largest modern empire (with London as its cosmopolitan center) London offers an ideal setting for such a course. We will begin with an exploration of competing theoretical perspectives on globalization, and investigate controversies over a number of issues - such as globalization's impact on labor, the environment, state sovereignty and culture - from the viewpoint of British society. We will make use of local resources such as the City of London (London's financial center and long the linchpin of Britain's global role); London's many postcolonial diasporas and the cultural hybrids they have created; and even the English Premier (soccer) League as the world's most internationalized sports league.