Unit
4: Our Common Global Future(s)
Instructor's Guide to Activities |
Goals
The goal of this last unit of activities is to consider alternatives
to the homogenization of the world exclusively through technology and the
market.
Learning Outcomes
Students are encouraged to:
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envision futures by extending ongoing trends and to think of “alternative
futures”;
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acknowledge assumptions and biases behind these visions of the future;
and
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discuss implications of these possible futures for other people and area
around the world.
Choice of Activities
It is neither necessary nor feasible in most cases to complete all
activities in each unit. Select those that are most appropriate
for your classroom setting and that cover a range of activity types, skills,
genres of reading materials, writing assignments, and other activity outcomes.
This unit contains the following activities:
Suggested Readings
The following readings accompany the activities for this unit.
Choose those readings most appropriate for the activities you select and
those most adequate for the skill level of your students.
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Background Information to Unit 4 (all students should read)
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French, H. 1995. Forging a new global partnership. In
S. Schmidt, ed. The state of the world. London: Earthscan,
pp. 170-189.
If this reading has not already been assigned (see Unit 3), this is
another good occasion. French reflects on the role of multinational corporations
in bringing about a global community.
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Gaudiani, Claire L. 1995. Global social development: Higher education’s
next moral commitment. Educational Record 76(1): 7-13.
This article touches on several of the themes of this module, including
global human rights, a global constitution, what unites and what separates
us in a global community, and the role of education in the forming of such
a community. Stimulating reading!
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Kaplan, R. 1994. The coming anarchy. The Atlantic
Monthly (February): 44-76.
A provocative article, if a bit long. While the class might be divided
over how realistic his future vision is, Kaplan stimulates thinking about
the environmental basis of social conflict.
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Kaslow, A. and G. Moffett. 1995. Refugees without a refuge:
US starts to pull up drawbridge. The Christian Science Monitor
(March 1): 1 and 10-11.
A critical look at the situation of current asylum seekers in the U.S.
An interesting topical companion article to Kaplan’s vision of the future.
Easy read, journalistic style.
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Strauss, W. 1991. Generations: The history of America’s
future (1584-2069). New York, NY: Quill.
An interesting way of looking at the past and toward the future --
time passing as a sequence of generational cycles. Makes for interesting
class discussions and may be one way to stimulate the envisioning of possible
futures. Take just an excerpt!
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Strieber, W. And J. Kunetka. 1986. Nature’s end. New
York, NY: Warner Books.
If you’d like to extend the range of readings used in this class, use
this science-fiction novel. The subtitle is a good hint: “The consequences
of the twentieth century.”
Excerpts of science fiction novels (e.g., Nature’s end) are also
recommended as “lighter” reading capable of provoking interesting discussions
and final papers.
Finally, you or your students could contact the World Future Society
in Washington, DC and request a list of its publications as an additional
source of interesting texts. Students may also -- as one possible activity
-- find out what the World Future Society’s mission is and who is involved
in it.
| Activity 4.1 Back to the
Future |
Goals
Students envision a future world and discuss what will have to happen
in order to realize such a future.
Skills
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creative brainstorming
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critical thinking
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identifying and acknowledging assumptions
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communicating
Material Requirements
Time Requirements
One class period (50 minutes)
Tasks
In this activity, students “dream up” a future, either in groups or
individually, after they have had some time to think and take brief notes.
As the discussion leader, do not place any restrictions on students’ visions
at this point. Allow students to think freely and to create options
of a future.
Subsequently, begin a class discussion of students’ visions. In
the discussion, students will have to demonstrate that they are using concepts
previously established and discussed in the course. In addition, they will
have to make their assumptions explicit by answering the questions below:
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How do we get there from here?
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What will have to have happened by next year, in three years, by 2005,
by 2020, by 2050 in order for the world to change toward the kind of world
you have envisioned the future?
The question can be adapted to be a vision for their block, their neighborhood,
their town, or the U.S. (should the nation as an entity be a part of their
future vision).
Alternatively, this activity can be changed to begin at some historical
date, say, 1900 or 1945, and to ask students to put themselves into the
shoes of Americans at that time.
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What were people’s dreams at that time?
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Could they have imagined x, y, or z to happen in 1950, 1970, 1995?
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In your opinion, what were the significant events and processes between
1900 (1945) and now that brought us to where we are today?
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So what do you believe will be the major hinges on which to rest the doors
to the future? What are the most significant processes that create our
future?
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What were the surprising (unpredictable, at the time unexpected) events
between 1900 (1945) and now? Imagine some future surprises!
Allow sufficient time for this class discussion. The task is not easy,
but there are no correct answers to the above questions, only creative
and more or less thoughtful ones, and the class could be very stimulating
to students, lasting beyond the hour.
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| Activity 4.2 Visions of
Our Environmental Future |
Goals
Students become aware of how images of the future in film, books, news
reports, and other media affect their own visions of the future.
Skills
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film comprehension
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interpretation of information
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critical discussion of movie
Material Requirements
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A film such as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Waterworld, Dune,
2010, Soylent Green, or others of this genre.
Time Requirements
One class period (50 minutes)
Tasks
Choose a film that depicts the world sometime in the future and select
a 10-15 minute clip from the film that illustrates this future well.
If time permits, you can show multiple clips from different movies or even
show one entire film. Students then break into groups of 2 or 3 and
answer and discuss the questions on the Student Worksheet. All of
the films suggested above should be available at a local movie rental store
or through interlibrary loan.
BACK
| Activity 4.3 Debate of
Visionaries |
Goals
Students represent various members of the global community and debate
their visions for the future. Students learn about various perspectives
on the future and how to reach a compromise in situations of diverse opinions.
Skills
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identification with a chosen role
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application of abstract concepts to a concrete local problem
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participation in group or panel discussion (arguing, leading, note-taking,
process evaluating)
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text comprehension
Material Requirements
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Suggested readings; select a few from: French (1995), Gaudiani (1995),
Kaplan (1994), Kaslow and Moffett (1995), Strauss (1986), and Strieber
and Kunetka (1986).
-
Excerpts of science fiction novels (e.g., Nature’s end) are also recommended
as “lighter” reading capable of provoking interesting discussions.
Time Requirements
One class period (50 minutes) assuming students have read the suggested
readings prior to class
Tasks
Students choose to represent one of the constituents of the global
community -- any of the parties discussed throughout this module (a local
resident, a national leader, a manager of a multinational corporation,
a representative of a non-governmental organization (NGO, environmental
or other), a civil rights fighter, a city mayor, etc.). You may want to
include silent representatives of future generations or of the environment
for demonstrative purposes. If the class is small, have each student take
one role and give students some time to sketch out their visions of the
future. If the class is larger, split it in groups with each group representing
one role. Give them a few minutes to discuss a common role-specific vision
they wish to put forth.
Next, representatives from each group get together to debate their visions
for the future. Allow about 20 minutes for that discussion. Alternatively,
instigate a panel discussion with representatives of each constituency.
For either format, assign individual students to the roles of panel/discussion
leader, reporter (taking notes of main arguments and the course of the
debate), and process observer (making sure that each panelist/representative
gets an adequate amount of time to speak). The instructor functions as
an external observer, facilitating only when necessary, and encouraging
students to look for commonalities, room for compromise, and concrete ways
of realizing a possible compromise vision of the future. A
short summary and debriefing at the end of the session with the entire
class is useful for gathering the major findings and highlighting points
of contention and convergence.
BACK
| Activity 4.4 Debate of Scales
Representatives |
Goals
Students represent various people from different scales of the global
community (i.e., global, national, regional, city, community, neighborhood).
Students learn about various perspectives on the future and how geographic
scale affects these perspectives.
Skills
-
identification with a chosen role
-
application of abstract concepts to a concrete local problem
-
participation in group or panel discussion (arguing, leading, note taking,
process evaluating)
-
text comprehension
Material Requirements
-
Suggested readings; select a few from: French (1995), Gaudiani (1995),
Kaplan (1994), Kaslow and Moffett (1995), Strauss (1986), and Strieber
and Kunetka (1986).
Time Requirements
One class period (50 minutes) assuming students have read the suggested
readings prior to class
Tasks
This activity is a variation on Activity 4.3 but this time the debate
takes place not with representatives of different constituents, but with
representatives of different scales (which will make a difference for the
types of perspectives and arguments brought forth in the discussion).
Students choose to represent one of the scales discussed in this module:
the city block, the neighborhood, the city, the region, the nation, a supranational
entity, or the global community. If the class is small, have each student
take one role and allow him/her to sketch his or her vision of the future
at that scale. If the class is larger, split it in groups with each group
representing one scale. Give them a few minutes to discuss a common scale-specific
vision they wish to put forth.
Next, representatives from each scale meet to debate their visions for
the future. Allow about 20 minutes for that discussion. Alternatively,
instigate a panel discussion with representatives of each constituency.
For either format, assign individual students to the roles of panel/discussion
leader, reporter (taking notes of main arguments and the course of the
debate), and process observer (making sure that each panelist/representative
gets an adequate amount of time to speak). The instructor functions as
an external observer, facilitating only when necessary, and encouraging
students to look for commonalities, room for compromise, and concrete ways
of how to realize a possible compromise vision of the future.
A short summary and debriefing at the end of the session with the entire
class is useful for gathering the major findings and highlighting points
of contention and convergence.
BACK
| Activity 4.5 Our Common Global Future(s)? |
Goals
Students write a short essay in which they synthesize the readings,
discussions, and activities associated with this unit.
Skills
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text comprehension and reflection
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organizing a sequence of arguments
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writing
Material Requirements
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Student Worksheet 4.5
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Suggested readings: French (1995), Gaudiani (1995), Kaplan (1994), Kaslow
and Moffett (1995), Strauss (1986), and Strieber and Kunetka (1986).
Time Requirements
2 weeks outside of class
Tasks
As a written homework assignment, after some class discussion or other
activities, students write a concluding deliberative essay (5-10 pages,
double-spaced) on one of the following topics:
(1) As the global economy spreads, will the world necessarily homogenize
(westernize)? What alternatives are available to communities to sustain
themselves in the face of globalization? In addition to drawing from
examples on local communities discussed in the previous units, you may
use other examples of which you are aware.
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(2) Use a futures text of your choice (science fiction story, scientific
projections, one of the suggested readings, etc.) and critically discuss
that vision of the future. Envision a community of your choice (local,
national, or global) in 50 to 100 years and assess the implications of
this fictional or scientific projection for that community.
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