This course examines major global trends shaping political issues today, focusing on the interaction between people power and established powers. It will review issues of economic globalization and America's declining role to analyze the shifting fate of nations and the rise of social movements in defining the new world order. The course has no prerequisites and uses online modules instead of a textbook. Students will participate in weekly discussions, give current events presentations, and complete a midterm and final take-home exam assessing their understanding of key concepts and ability to analyze examples of people power.

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HHD 2052R 21st CENTURY HISTORY II: THE POWER OF CITIZENS AND NATIONS
Molly Schultz Hafid, Instructor mshafid@sva.edu Spring 2016
Course Description: This course will review issues of economic globalization and America's
declining superpower role to focus on two major trends: the shifting fate of nations and the rise
of people power in defining the new world order. We will look at how national and corporate
powers are emerging around technology, energy and the environment. We will also look at the
growing role of people power and social movements, in conflict with both established power
systems and traditional hierarchies based on race, gender, class, religion and nationality. Note:
This course has no prerequisite, and is linked to HHD-2051, 21st-Century History I: Globalization
and the New World Order.
Objective: To understand the major global trends shaping today’s political issues and choices.
We will focus on the interaction of people power with state power, corporate power and
nature in creating pathways for change that expand democracy and advance human rights,
economic and social equality, and a sustainable environment.
Canvas: Use of Canvas is central to this course. Assignments must be submitted via Canvas.
You are responsible for confirming an assignment was properly uploaded and received by the
instructor. Problems submitting assignments via Canvas will not be accepted as an excuse for a
late submission. If you are not sure you have successfully uploaded an assignment, you are
encouraged to email it to mshafid@sva.edu. The assignments and additional resources will be
posted to Canvas throughout the term. It is an important resource for this class and students
should check it for announcements before coming to class each week. Please note, the default
setting for Canvas is to email your New School email address. If you do not use or check this
email, you are encouraged to log in to Canvas and update your setting to a different email
address.
Required Texts: In place of a textbook there is a module in Canvas for each week. The readings
include: resource articles available as .pdf files, selected chapters from longer texts, and timely
news articles via web links. It is your responsibility to read the materials each week. Please
note that I can monitor Canvas activity and will be looking to see who has accessed the
readings.
Weekly Trends Discussion: Each class will begin with a discussion of global trends. Complete
instructions are available on the course website. The assignment is required.
GRADING AND EXPECTATIONS
Class Participation (15%): All students are expected to come to class having read and watched
the assigned materials. You should be prepared to discuss and comment on the assignments
and their relevance to the course themes.

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Weekly Presentations (15%): Each session will begin with a discussion of current events related
to our topics. Each week 2-3 students will be assigned to present to the class a story from the
week’s news.
Exams & Writing Requirements (70%): There will be a take-home mid-term that will ask you to
define key concepts and explore a current event demonstrating people power (30%). There will
be one final take-home exam due at the last class, which can be done in essay format, or as an
annotated visual presentation (40%).
Learning Disabled Students: There are no timed tests in this class, all required materials are
take-home, with at least two weeks advance notice. If LD students have special needs, they
must advise me at least two weeks in advance of any assignment deadline. See endnote on
registering as an LD student.
Attendance: Regular attendance, discussion and participation are very important. Excused
absences will require my approval and make-up assignments. More than four unexcused
absences will result in automatic withdrawal from the course.
Contact Me: If you need to contact me about assignments, absences, resources, questions, my
SVA email is: mshafid@sva.edu. Please do not leave notes in my Humanities mailbox as I will
not receive them.
COURSE OUTLINE
JAN 13: ORIGINS OF THE 21ST
CENTURY
Reading on-line: Home, the film (2009),
Yann Arthus-Bertrand, www.homeproject.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
JAN 20: THE RISE OF CORPORATE POWER AND ORIGINS OF NEO-LIBERALISM
Video: The Corporation
Reading: Martinez and Garcia, What is ‘Neo-liberalism’
http://www.globalexchange.org/resources/econ101/neoliberalismdefined
JAN 27: THE NEW WORLD ORDER: CORPORATE-STATE POWER SHIFTS
Video: Paddy Ashdown, The Global Power Shift
http://www.ted.com/talks/paddy_ashdown_the_global_power_shift
Video: Zoned for Slavery
Reading: New Powers & 2025 Report (PDF)
FEB 3: GLOBALIZATION AND PEOPLE POWER
Video and Worksheet: Showdown in Seattle
Reading: Stiglitz, Globalization & Its Discontents, Ch. 1 (PDF)

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FEB 10: THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
Video: Story of Stuff, www.storyofstuff.org
Reading: Ellwood, The Corporate Century (PDF)
Preview for the Next Week:
Video TheRules.org: “Wealth Inequality in America”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM
And “Global Wealth Inequality”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSxzjyMNpU
FEB 17: THE WEALTH GAP
Video: The End of Poverty? Think Again
Readings: Noah, The Great Divergence (PDF excerpts)
Guardian, “Income Gap Poses Biggest Threat 2014”
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/16/income-gap-
biggest-risk-global-community-world-economic-forum
And http://www.globalpost.com/special-reports/global-income-
inequality-great-divide-globalpost
FEB 24: THE DEMOCRACY GAP
Video: Fault Lines: Occupy Wall Street
http://louisianajusticeinstitute.blogspot.com/2012/03/two-new-documentaries-
explore-occupy.html
Readings: Stiglitz, The Price of Inequality & The 99% Rise Up (PDFs)
MIDTERM DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS
MAR 2: PEOPLE POWER AND RACIAL JUSTICE
Video: Eyes on the Prize Excerpts
Reading: Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow (Chapters 1 and 3)
MOVEMENT PIECE – TBD – Something from Colorlines or #BlackLivesMatter
MIDTERM DUE IN CLASS
MAR 9: SPRING BREAK
MAR 16: PEOPLE POWER I01
Video: Milk
Readings: Tools for Radical Democracy (PDF)
MAR 23: HIERARCHIES OF RACE, NATIONALITY AND STATUS
Video: Documented
Readings: Julia Spiegel and Ed McCarthy, Immigration and History: A Brief
Timeline of Key Events (.pdf)

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Aviva Chomsky, “They Take Our Jobs!” and 20 other myths about immigration
(.pdf)
MAR 30: PEOPLE POWER & CLIMATE CHANGE
Video: A Fierce Green Fire
Readings: Klare Surviving Climate Change (PDF)
Emailed links to Our Power and APEN videos on the Edge Website
APR 6: PEOPLE POWER & GENDER
Video: The Veerni Project
Readings: FactSheet: Girls and Young Women (.pdf)
NYTimes Article: UN Report Says Progress for Women is Unequal
APR 13: PEOPLE POWER & PLACE
Videos: We Are Wisconsin, David vs. Goliath
Video: Eric Liu, Why Ordinary People Need to Understand Power
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_why_ordinary_people_need_to_und
erstand_power?language=en
Reading: Transcript of Bill Moyers Interview with Richard Wolff (.pdf) or watch
the interview online at: http://billmoyers.com/segment/richard-wolff-on-
fighting-for-economic-justice-and-fair-wages/
FINAL TAKE-HOME EXAM/PROJECTS distributed in class
APR 20: PEOPLE POWER & ART
Video: “Waste Land”
Reading: TBD
APR 27: FINAL EXAM/PROJECTS DUE IN CLASS
The SVA Policy on Academic Integrity applies to the midterm and final exams, and all
presentations in class:
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Students found to have
committed an act of academic dishonesty will fail the assignment for which an infraction is
suspected and substantiated. More serious violations will be handled through the process
enumerated in the SVA Handbook (p.8). Put simply, make sure your work is your own.
Especially note: When you quote, paraphrase or summarize ideas – whether from a periodical,
book, interview or from non-print or electronic sources—you must cite the source. Use in-text
citation (in parentheses) after the quotation, summary or paraphrase, giving the last name of
the author and the page(s), or one word from the title of the work and the page(s). On the final
page of your own paper, include a bibliography that lists all sources you have used. Include the

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author’s name, the title of the work, and the publication information (publisher’s name; place
and date of publication). For more information consult your instructor or an MLA guide.
Students with Disabilities
In order to receive academic accommodations due to a disability, a student must first register
with the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Students approved for accommodations will be
given an ODS Accommodation Letter to submit to their instructors. If a student does not
provide an ODS Accommodation Letter to their instructor, they will not be eligible to receive
accommodations in that course. All instructors are required to adhere to SVA's policies
regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. Students who have a need for
academic accommodations, or suspect they may have a disability, should contact the ODS via
telephone: (212) 592-2282, or visit the office: 23 Lexington Avenue, Mezzanine, in the George
Washington Residence, or email: disabilityservices@sva.edu