Full Description
This book raises students' awareness and understanding of global trends, forces, and events by showing them how to think about the world systematically. Based on more than a decade of teaching about global issues to university undergraduates, the book focuses on understanding globalization and its effects on our lives. The book's seven chapters cover important principles and concepts from the systems perspective, such as what a system is, what global systems are, how and why systems grow and decline, what makes global systems invisible, how global issues are addressed as political questions, and others. Seven case studies apply these principles to global issues, such as the AIDS pandemic, endangered species and endangered languages, global energy systems and gasoline prices, contaminated food, and the consequences of the terrorist attacks of 9-11. The book includes two appendices: a glossary of important global system terms, and a description of global systems and cyberspace, including the structure and governance of the Internet.
Contents
Chapter 1: Thinking about the World as a Single Place Chapter 2 Case Study 1: Thinking about the AIDS Pandemic Chapter 3 Chapter 2: Global Awareness Chapter 4 Case Study 2: Making Connections in the News: Endangered Species and Endangered Languages Chapter 5 Chapter 3: Systems Chapter 6 Case Study 3: What Determines the Price of Gasoline? The Global Energy System Chapter 7 Chapter 4: Changing Systems Chapter 8 Case Study 4: The Lake Victoria Disaster Chapter 9 Chapter 5: Global Systems Chapter 10 Case Study 5: Global Systems and September 11, 2001 Chapter 11 Chapter 6: Invisible Systems Chapter 12 Case Study 6: Mexican Strawberries and Michigan School Children Chapter 13 Chapter 7: Globalization and Nation-State Politics Chapter 14 Case Study 7: American Labor Unions and the Cargo Container Revolution Chapter 15 Appendix 1: A Glossary of Selected Terms Chapter 16 Appendix 2: Global Systems and the Structure of Cyberspace
