Chapter 4 Student Activities

Globalization Brain Dump

Ask students to write down the first five words that come to mind when you say “globalization.” List as many of these terms on the board as you can and then ask them to study the list. Ask them if they see any patterns—words that refer to similar ideas or objects—and then discuss with them how these words and patterns relate to anthropological concepts of globalization presented in this chapter.

Your Globalized Household

Familiarity makes it easy to forget that most of our household possessions are manufactured in other countries. A survey of your home will reveal the extent of modern transnational commerce.

• For this exercise, choose items from around your household. The more, the better: clothes, furniture, electronics, books, food items, entertainment, toys, and so on. Then record their country of origin.
• Next, divide your list by country and item type (e.g., clothes) and create some simple bar graphs or pie charts presenting your data.
• Bring your data to class and discuss:
• What percentage of items are manufactured in your own country?
• Are there any recognizable patterns? Do certain types of goods seem to be made in certain countries? Why do you think this is?

Music and Everyday Resistance

Music can be a form of everyday resistance. Bring into class resistance music like reggae, hip-hop or Southwest US border corrido music, and analyze the lyrics to help students understand how oppressed groups use music to protest their conditions.

Developing the Anthropology of Development

As we saw in this chapter, the development of “underdeveloped” communities is controversial. Some think it is beneficial if done in a cooperative and culturally appropriate way. Others think development is inherently exploitative and patronizing. There are plenty of real-world examples to support both positions.

• Find two accounts of development projects anywhere in the world: one that, by your definition, could be considered a success and another that could be considered a failure.
• Briefly describe each development project. What were its aims? Were any social scientists involved in the planning? What specific factors led to the success or failure of these projects?
• If you were advising an international development organization, what advice would you give them based on your examples?

The Prime Directive

The idea of the “prime directive” from the television show Star Trek, which dictates that Starfleet officers should not interfere with other cultures or civilizations, is clearly borrowed from anthropology. Have students watch the episode “Symbiosis” from the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation and discuss how it relates to the “anthropology of development.”

Design a Multi-Sited Study

Ask students to develop a multi-sited research strategy to study transnational phenomena. You could draw from the following or come up with your own: the Olympic Games; the World Social Forum; MCI Telecommunications Company; the Walmart Corporation; the conservation organization Conservation International; the AIDS crisis in Africa.