1.5: Organization of the Book

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Develop a plan on how to read this OER textbook

Introduction

This OER textbook, Introduction to Global Studies, consists of twelve chapters. A team of seven scholars, consisting of six political scientists and one geographer at six different community colleges in California co-authored this Open Educational Resource, while a historian at a seventh served as the general editor. Each chapter is structured to include the following seven elements: Chapter Outline, Chapter Sections, Key Terms/Glossary, Summary of each Chapter Section, Review Questions, Critical Thinking Questions, and Suggestions for Further Study. The Chapter Outline furnishes a compilation of the chapter's segments. By clicking on a section's name, you can navigate directly to it. This outline holds significance as it swiftly and succinctly offers you a chapter overview, granting a lucid understanding of its contents.

The Chapter Sections are the body of the chapter because they collectively include most of the substantive content. Chapters Two through Eleven will be structured similarly, each with the following sections: Introduction/Definitions, Background/History, Theories, and an At Home and Abroad. Chapter One and Twelve serve as ‘bookends’, introducing and concluding the textbook respectively. Each At Home and Abroad section will tackle real global issues that affect our students at home. We will use examples from the U.S., and in particular California, and discuss them in their global context. The goal is to make global studies more accessible to California Community College students and help to develop their global competency.

The Key Terms/Glossary functions as a collection of explanations for important terms utilized across the chapter sections. These terms are organized alphabetically. The Summary segment within the chapter offers a concise, one-paragraph overview of each section. The aim is to condense each section into an easily digestible format for quick reference. Each synopsis underscores a primary concept of the section and serves as a point of reference. It's important to note that these summaries do not substitute for reading the actual chapter sections. The Review Questions encompass a minimum of 5 queries designed for purposes like pop quizzes, clicker interactions, self-assessment by students, or as components within a question pool for comprehensive evaluations like midterms or finals. Likewise, the Critical Thinking Questions comprise a minimum of 3 prompts suitable for short or extended essay responses in-class or for assessments conducted either in-person or remotely. Lastly, the Recommendations for Additional Study comprise a reference list to journal articles and books and hyperlinks to websites pertinent to the chapter's subject matter. The aim is to construct a comprehensive collection of resources accessible to both students and faculty for exploration. While we strive to include OER and open access materials, it's important to acknowledge that certain resources might not be freely accessible at present. As the textbook evolves, this section will expand over time.

It is advised to follow the chapters in sequence. By reading this textbook in a linear way, students will be given a progressively wider understanding of the broad scope of topics and issues within Global Studies, as much of the content builds upon the previous sections and chapter. However, we acknowledge and support the fact that certain faculty may opt to assign particular chapters to supplement an already adopted textbook. We anticipate that post-adoption and usage, input from both faculty and students will assist us in enhancing the content of each chapter and the arrangement of materials.

Organization of the Book

This book is divided into four major sections, with Part One outlining an introduction to the discipline of global studies and a thorough discussion of the history of globalization Following is Part Two: Dimensions of Globalization, which address the three traditional dimensions within Global Studies: economic, political, and cultural. In Global Studies, scholars often start with the economic dimension of globalization as it is the discipline that has been the most utilized to understand the processes of connectivity, interdependence, and integration. This is followed by a discussion of political perspectives of globalization, including the role of international organizations in global governance. Part Two concludes with a look into cultural globalization and the flows of people, ideas, and information that affect how people view themselves, their societies, and cultures.

Part Three: The Experiences of Globalization, will introduce additional areas of interest for inquiry, beginning with global inequality, which will provide a foundation for comprehending global insecurity, global hunger and global health disparities. Part Three begins by examining how inequalities in the global systems have fueled conflicts across the world. It then looks at how high levels of inequality, both within societies and between societies, have left some individuals and peoples vulnerable to global food disruptions. This section ends with the impact of global inequalities on the health of global communities, particularly on how COVID-19 affected peoples of color. Part Four: Future Challenges of Globalization focuses on some of the potential contests that will come from globalization. The first two chapters of this section are best read together as new flows of global energy and global environmental challenges are interrelated. Whereas the concluding chapter will look at the future of globalization and whether we have entered a phase of deglobalization and decoupling, which has been suggested by some scholars. We end the book with a discussion on careers in Global Studies, which readers of this book may find useful for future professions.

Part One: Introduction to Global Studies and Globalization

• Chapter One: Introduction to Global Studies and Globalization
• Chapter Two: History of Globalization

Part Two: Dimensions of Globalization

• Chapter Three: Economic Globalization
• Chapter Four: Politics of Globalization
• Chapter Five: Cultural Globalization

Part Three: The Experiences of Globalization

• Chapter Six: Global Inequality
• Chapter Seven: Global Insecurity & Conflict
• Chapter Eight: Global Food Disruptions & Hunger
• Chapter Nine: Global Health Disparities

Part Four: Future Challenges of Globalization

• Chapter Ten: Global Energy
• Chapter Eleven: Global Environmental Challenges
• Chapter Twelve: The Future of Globalization?