Course Overview
This course explores the complex and historical relationship between globalization and social change. In a time where we are supposed to be seeing the ‘end of globalization’ and Western powers taking a protectionist turn, what can we learn from the historical processes of globalization, why it has been resisted, and what have been its most significant consequences? We will analyze how globalization has influenced social structures, global conflict, cultural dynamics, economic systems and supply chains, and political processes. Students will engage with this material through academic and journalistic articles, policy briefs, relevant book chapters (provided by the instructor), video material, and two guest speakers. Theoretical principles of modernization, world systems, and global hegemony will be taught through group and individual analysis of different case studies.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University credit or noncredit transcript.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students should have an understanding of:
- The critical policies, international organizations, and architects of globalization and transnational capitalism
- The roles of technology and trade in a globalized world
- How globalization has impacted social issues related to inequality, the climate crisis, protracted conflicts, migration, and human rights.
Students will be able to use this knowledge to critically analyze the dynamics impacting geopolitics and be able to discuss the roles of social movements in shaping perspectives of globalization over time up to the present.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: SOC 200 / SCN TBD
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school high school sophomore* junior, or senior status – or a 2025 high school graduate. *Rising sophomores are only eligible for the noncredit version of this course.
Rising seniors and recent graduates strongly encouraged to enroll as topics require some background in global history and government courses.
Credit: 3 credits or Noncredit
Grading:
- Credit: A-F
- Noncredit: Pass/Fail
Cost:
3 Credits:
- Residential: $4,895
- Commuter: $3,919
Noncredit:
- Residential: $4,295
- Commuter: $3,318
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 2-Week Session II: Sunday, July 20 – Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 | MTWThF; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | 3 credits or Noncredit |
To see if this course is ‘open,’ refer to the full course catalog.
Required Materials
There are no required supplies or textbooks for this course.
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
9 – 9:20 a.m.: Daily Writing Exercise based on readings
9:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.: Lecture 1 and Discussion
12:20 – 1:20 p.m.: Lunch Break
1:20 – 3:00 p.m.: Lecture 2 (Time slot for film/ guest speaker/Group Activity/Exercise)
3 – 4 p.m.: Student time to work on researching their final project with help from the professor
When class is over, and on weekends, students can look forward to various Summer College – On Campus activities to meet and connect with other students! Check out our On Campus Experience page for more information!
Faculty Bio
Alexandra Scrivner
Alexandra Scrivner (she/her) holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and global studies from Azusa Pacific University and a master’s in peace and conflict studies from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. She has a working background in international development, transitional justice programs, and community organizing within the U.S. and Southeast Asia regions, respectively.
Since attending Syracuse University, she has researched secessionist movements, domestic far-right extremist groups, peacekeeping interventions, and climate transition frameworks. She has established herself as a mixed-methods researcher and is currently working as a TA for the Maxwell course Quantitative Methods for Social Science (MAX201).
Having previously traveled/worked/studied in over 20 countries worldwide, her dissection of ongoing transitional justice (TJ) debates and interventions do so from both a global and environmental framework; asking what stake TJ has in redefining needed global wealth redistribution and just climate solutions. Her current dissertation project focuses on definitions of justice formed in deindustrialized U.S. and European regions, which are claimed as future “climate havens.”