CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Globalization is contentious, supported by some and criticized by others.

CONTENT SPECIFICATION: Students will compare and contrast arguments supporting and criticizing globalization
by examining concerns including:
• free market, export-oriented economies vs. localized, sustainable activities
• development of a mixed economy in China and China’s role in the global
economy
• multinational corporations and cartels (e.g., Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries)
• roles of the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund, and microfinance institutions
• economic growth and economic downturns (e.g., recession, depression) on a
national and a global scale
• economic development and inequality (e.g., access to water, food, education,
health care, energy)
• migration and labor
• ethnic diversity vs. homogenization (e.g., shopping malls, fast food
franchises, language, popular culture)