Is Globalization Good or Bad?
Driving Question: What are the benefits and challenges of globalization?
The processes of globalization have affected everyone on Earth. These impacts influence our communities, our networks, and the ways we make and share stuff. Is globalization good or bad? Well, that depends on whom you ask. Different groups of people have experienced globalization in very different ways.
- Assess the impact of increased globalization as it relates to the production and distribution frame.
- Evaluate the relative benefits and drawbacks of globalization for different groups of people.
- Use claim-making skills to evaluate the pros and cons of globalization
Globalization I – The Upside: Crash Course World History #41
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- How does John Green define globalization?
- What are some factors that explain why the scale of global trade has increased?
- What are some of the advantages of globalization?
- How does John Green say your t-shirt is an indication of how globalization has made your life better?
- What are some of the radical changes brought by globalization?
After you watch
- This video is subtitled “the Upside”. But John Green still seems to give a lot of downsides to globalization. Do you think the advantages of globalization are “worth it”? How might your answer change if you lived somewhere else or in different circumstances?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- Who were the Zapatistas, and how did they react to globalization?
- What was the Zapatistas’ main complaint about NAFTA?
- What is direct action? What example does the article provide for direct action?
- What is austerity, and how it is an example of the downsides of globalization?
Evaluate
- The actions of the Zapatistas in Mexico and the “direct action” tactics of the WTO protesters in Seattle were extreme. These people were clearly pushed to a breaking point by the injustices of globalization. What would it take for you to engage in “direct action” and protest injustice in the streets?
Extension Materials
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- How did the historical background of the Colombian economy before and after World War II shape the later developments Crawford outlines in the flower trade?
- How does the celebration of Valentine’s Day in the US affect the Colombian economy?
- How has the recent boom in the Colombia floral trade and its exports to the US affected the US floral industry?
- What does Crawford mean by “the ugly” side of the flower industry in Colombia?
Evaluate
- After reading this essay, how would you weigh “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of this particular aspect of global trade? How do you evaluate these different factors in policy terms and social impact and determine whether this type of network is beneficial and for whom?