The Global Economy
Driving Question: How have our economic networks and systems of production and distribution been affected by the era of intense globalization?
Globalization has knitted our world together in a single global economy. Many of things we use or eat are made and grown in totally different parts of the world, by people we will never meet. Does this global supply chain and interconnected economy create a world of economic opportunity or inequality? In this lesson, you’ll explore this question as you follow goods across the world.
- Analyze globalization using the production and distribution frame.
- Evaluate how globalization has impacted inequality around the world.
- Use a graphic biography as a microhistory to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives of this period.
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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 do cheap labor and unregulated workplaces influence global trade?
- How has the American economy changed in recent years as manufacturing jobs are lost to automation or moved to countries with lower labor costs?
- Besides the extremely high costs that would probably be required to manufacture iPhones in the United States, Apple CEO Tim Cook also notes the lack of skilled workers in the United States as a reason for moving manufacturing to China. Why does this lack exist?
- What are “conflict minerals” and what are some examples?
- Why is it difficult to know what products have achieved certification and met ethical standards, such as being “ethically sourced” or “Fairtrade”?
- What kind of complaints against Starbucks are mentioned in this essay, and what are some examples of the company’s responses?
Evaluate
- Use evidence from this article to explain how and why globalization changed labor and culture over time.
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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
- What does Thomas Friedman argue in his book?
- What are the “dynamic forces” that have driven Friedman’s described stages of globalization?
- How did Richard Florida critique Friedman’s book?
- How does Richard Florida use urbanization as evidence to support his argument?
- What is Dr. Vandana Shiva’s critique of Friedman?
Evaluate
- The idea of a “flat” and “spiky” world can be hard to understand. So, let’s make it more local. What are some ways that the distribution of power (or authority) in your school is flat or spiky?
- Richard Florida and Dr. Shiva both argue that globalization has made inequality worse than ever before. Do you agree or disagree and why? Can you think of any historical examples of when inequality was worse?
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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 for Graphic Bios – Introduction activity.
Observe
Skim the full comic, paying attention to things like prominent colors, shapes, and types of text and fonts. How do you know where to start and which direction to read? What’s in the gutters (the space between panels)? Who is the focus of the comic? What big questions do you have?
Understand
- Where did Grace and Aminah come from, and why were they seeking work in the United Arab Emirates?
- How did Grace and Aminah get permits to travel?
- How were Grace and Aminah’s experiences in the UAE different?
- How did the Ugandan government react to the experiences of its citizens like Aminah?
- How did the artist use art and design to show the different experiences of Grace and Aminah?
Connect
- How does this biography of Ugandan Migrants to the UAE support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about how different communities have experienced globalization in the contemporary era?
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
- What were some of the important developments in the economy of the People’s Republic of China in the years shortly after its 1949 founding?
- What led to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution and what were some of the results?
- What were some of the important aspects of the post-Mao policies under Deng Xiaoping?
- Alongside the increasing national wealth of the People’s Republic of China, what are some of the downsides of this economic growth?
Evaluate
- Deng Xiaoping referred to post-Mao reforms as “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Based on the evidence in this reading, is this just capitalism under one-party rule? Why or why not?
As you read the primary source excerpts in this collection, use the accompanying Quick-Sourcing Tool to guide your analysis.
