REFLECTIONS ON THE BLOG

Please post your reflections on the use of the blog in this class. What did you like about it? How did it help you in your learning process? What did it add to the class experience? Any suggestions on how to get more out of the blog?

A FATWA AGAINST FATWAS?

"Nothing they say seems to affect menfolk. It is undemocratic, beyond reforms. What we really need is a fatwa against all fatwas." ... To read the entire story Ayotallahs All by saba naqvi Bhaumik click here.

Is US Strategy Working in Afghanistan?

It is four years since the fall of the Taleban regime. The United States has spent billions of dollars on its operations in Afghanistan - but what does it have to show for it? Click to read.

Also read about Afghanistan's Parliament. Click here.

See Time Magazine's Afghanistan Today. Click here.

Mr. Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan (2002)

Please post your reviews of the Jinnah documentary here. Film reviews are worth 10% of the grade. Those of you who have not seen either Dev or Jinnah must visit the library and see one of the two and psot a review on the blog.

BTW, HAPPY THANKS GIVING!

The Millennium Development Goals

Read about the MDGs and review each of the eight goals. What do you think of this initiative? Do you think we will be able to achieve these gaols by 2015? Read the 2005 report on the MDG and assess the progress of the intitiative.

India the Emerging Management Giant

India’s low investment high yield educational strategy is paying off big as a result of globalization. Indians armed with English, educational degrees and a strong desire to excel are exploiting every global opportunity. They easily edge out people from most of the developing world by being more education conscious and compete favorably with the first world by providing adequate services at significantly low cost. The growth of India’s economy is making more resources available to institutions and they are working to improve the quality of education thus making their graduates compete favorably with those produced in the best Universities of the World. India’s digital revolution is giving its economy a much-needed kick-start, but it is its management revolution that makes it sustainable. To read the entire article click here:

A Review of the Movie DEV

Dev is a film that treads a familiar path. Religion and politics resulting in communal violence, the inherently corrupt nature of the government or the power of politics is not a new subject, nor has it been ignored in the past.

However Nihalani’s film seeks to thread the story of politicians trying to manipulate and indeed corrupt constitutional institutions like the judiciary and the Police which are supposed to be independent and totally non-partisan. Therefore, even if Dev treads familiar ground, it is actually dealing with contemporary issues and Nihalani ends up with a devastating critique on India which commands your attention and demands to be seen. To read the entire review click here...

Film reviews are worth 10% of your grade, please post them here by November 20th.

The Women of India

Sania Mirza is not the only Indian woman who is making global waves. Arundhati Roy won a booker award for her work The God of Small Things, and has become a renowned critic of the Bush adminsitration. Aishwarya Rai according to Julia Roberts has the most beautiful face in the world. A former Miss Universe she has an interesting persona -- a mix of West and East indicative of India's rapid Westernization even as it makes a distinct mark on the globalization bandwagon.

Read about them here: Aishwarya Rai, Arundhati Roy.

Can She Change the World?

It is difficult to believe that a slender, 18-year-old Muslim tennis player from India has the potential to change the world, but it is equally difficult to overestimate the effect Sania Mirza is having on millions of young men and women, and especially women, in the world's second most populous country....To read more click here.

Sania Mirza is from my home town and I am very proud of her achievements.

US Policy in the Middle East

US Policy in the Middle East

This is an interview of Dr. Khan by Marty Moss-Coane on the NPR-Philly show called Radio Times. Feel free to register your thoughts and reflections.

To listen to the show using mp3 player click here.

Culture/Social Impact of High Connectivity

South Korea is the most wired nation in the World with over 70% of the population having access to broadband internet access. Read and reflect on one of the negative consequences of high connectivity. Is this an aspect of the emerging global digital culture? I have more to comment, but I want to post this blog quickly so that I can return to the cricket pc game that I started a couple of hours ago :)

CHINA

The presentation on China was information rich. I understand that organizing so much information and presenting it in such a short period must be a challenge to all of you. But keep up the good work.

The Chinese presentation was excellent in many areas but a bit weak on the political structure of China. The key areas that must be covered in country presentations are, political structure, economy, culture, foreign affairs and the impact of globalization. You are welcome to cover other issues but the above fove must be covered. I recognize that my photography is not on par, but I promise to improve as we go along.

Cultural Diversity or Global Monoculture

The presentation has sparked an interesting and compelling debate on what we mean by "global culture". It is interesting to note that many of you are contrasting diversity, multiple identities and the intermingling of cultures with a monochromatic [single color] view of culture.

Try to imagine global culture not as a singular set of values, but as a set of multiple values, a composite of multiple identities. It maybe fair to argue that global multiculturalism is global culture and when we are in global cities like NY, LA, Cairo, London, Bombay, HK, Singapore, Sydney, Paris etc.. we get a sense that the age of global cultures has arrived.

This interesting article by Kenneth Keniston contrasts cultural diversity with monoculture and sheds light on the ongoing discussions on this blog. Read the article and revisit the issues already discussed on global culture.

Presentation on Global Culture

The group made an excellent presentation. I was pleased with the way they were able to enagage the class and elicted so many questions. I thought thatthey could have done more in terms of conveying their message through use of pictures and graphics, but they did have a systematic approach to the subject. Several of you could not ask questions or make comments in class. This is your opportunity to make your point either on the presentation itself or on the topic of global culture. Also I am curious, how many of you agree with the presenters observation that we are perhaps 100 years away from realizing global citizenship?

Community: A Refuge from Global Culture

Do you agree with Lysack's assertion that .. "Anxiety in contemporary society has not diminished. In fact, the pressures of global culture are increasing - arguably driving (and explaining) our search for or return to community..... the idea of community, envisioned in its traditional sense, functions to alleviate the anxiety and stress associated with the penetration of global culture in post-modern times.

Global Norms, Global Networks, and Global Society

The potential for a more participatory and democratic system of global governance lies today more in the future evolution of these expanding networks of people and institutions — rather than in blueprints for world government or institutional re-engineering. To read the entire article click here: Also compare the idea in this article with Hans Kung's article -- A Global Ethic as a Foundation for a Global Society (Ch. 6). Include what was discussed in the class on 09.15.05 in your deliberations as you reflect on the subject.

Clash of Civilizations

Do the attacks on the US on 9/11 and the "war on terror" vindicate Huntington's thesis? Has the clash of civilizations begun? Can it be preempted? Do you have an alternate explanation of current geopolitics?

Comments on the 09.08.05 lecture on Globalization

If you have comments or observations to make about last week's lecture, you can make them here.

Important Guidelines for Posting

1. Make sure you use your first and lastname in the post so that we can make sure we are giving the right person the grade they deserve.

2. Remember to include the date when you post. End the posts with name, and date, like in this post.

3. Do not engage in discussion and do not make fresh comments on posts after they have been on the blog for ten days. If you are desperate to continue a conversation, continue it in the comments section of a newer post.

4. BTW do not make comments on this post :).

-- Dr. Muqtedar Khan, 09/07/05

Levels of Analysis

Levels of Analysis is an important methodological component that deserves close attention. Discuss your reflections and post questions if any that you have on the class discussion on this topic.

21st Century Demographics: Highs and Lows

Based on the analysis of expected population changes and transfers discussed in the article, make one, just one, prediction of how our lives will be different 50 years from now.

Asian Values

Here is a link to a quick review of the idea of Asian values. Remember treat Wikipedia as a helpful, quick and dirty reference, do not take it as gospel.

Eastern Philosophy

You got a taste of eastern philosophy? What is your immediate response to the ideas and values that inform Hinduism and Buddhism? Have you heard of arguments that China and East Asia have been developing so steadily because of Confuscian or Asian values. Do you think that there maybe a link between cultural values and economic and political development?

Defining Globalization

What do you think of the 3 Ps of Globalization?

The United States of Globalization

How do you respond to this article? To what extent does the US influence globalization?

Global Development Network

The Global Development Network (GDN) is a global network of research and policy institutes working together to address the problems of national and regional development.

enotes on Developing Nations

This is a very useful study guide and can serve as a good starting point for research.

These are links to Globalization and the Developing World

World Bank on Globalization.

YaleGlobal: Provides useful articles on globalization and the developing world. Read atleast three articles from this source.

WTO's Report Card on Globalization and Developing Countries.

Defining the Third World/Developing World

This is a good discussion of the characteristics of the Developing World.

Brief History of India

Not very accurate, a little biased but quite adequate for a qucik review. To read click..