GLOBALISATION: THEORIES, DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module will explore the concept of globalisation. It aims to equip students with a thorough theoretical and historical grasp of processes of globalisation – economic, political, and cultural – and highlight how this knowledge can inform and improve their own professional practice and awareness of the presence of globalisation discourses in everyday life.

Theories and historical processes of globalisation will be presented and a wide range of relevant case studies (predominantly video-based and textual, drawing on journalistic and academic sources) will be critically examined through the lense of language. This will allow students to investigate how language relates to beliefs, values and ideologies of globalisation and to how language can be used to manipulate the public's views. Students will be asked to prepare some of these between seminars and group discussions will provide opportunities for feedback on this work.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

DIPPOLD Doris (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes:

* Introduction to globalisation

* Globalist, transformationalist and traditionalist positions towards globalisation

* Language and ideology

* Globalisation and Language

* Economic Globalisation

* Globalisation in Politics and Governance

* Globalisation in Higher Education

* Sustainability as a global concern

* The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

* Globalisation and Health

* Global Citizenship

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and theories of globalisation and to conduct a critical analysis of globalisation discourses. In addition, it allows them to apply their knowledge and skills creatively and critically to write a speech about globalisation.  

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

* Assessment 1: 1000 word essay (addresses learning outcomes 1, 2)
In this essay, students are asked to analyse a speech on an aspect of globalisation by a person of global prominence, using a critical language lens

* Assessment 2: 1000 word speech + 1500 word critical commentary (addresses learning outcomes 1, 3, 4)
In this assignment, students are asked to write a speech on behalf of a chosen entity (person or organisation) about globalisation. Students will then justify their choices (content, language) in a critical commentary.


Formative assessment / feedback

Students will receive feedback on assignment 1 through practical exercises in the weeks preceding submission. They will also get the opportunity to deliver parts of their speeches for assessment 2 in class before submission in order to get feedback from peers. Feedback and feed-forward from other modules, will be applicable to these assessment and students will be encouraged to cross-reference this.





 

Module aims

• introduce relevant theories of globalisation
• relate the concept of globalisation to specific professional situations and intercultural contexts
• survey key historical and contemporary manifestations of globalisation, e.g. economic globalisation, language, the internationalisation of higher education
• discuss how a language lens can help uncover ideologies of and positions towards globalisation

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to develop students’ understanding of core topics and concepts in globalisation through contemporary and historical texts and case studies. This allows students to consider what role globalisation plays in a context they are familiar with. It is also designed to develop students' ability to critically analyse texts through a language lense and extrapolate from texts positions towards and ideologies of globalisation. Moreover, the module provides students with the opportunity to develop professional skills in speech writing. 

The learning and teaching methods include:

Weekly seminar sessions: The seminar sessions include a mixture of lecture-type and interactive elements. In each session, theoretical concepts and analytical frameworks will be introduced by the tutor. Students are given the opportunity to apply these practical exercises and relate them to their own experiences.

Captured content: Captured content provided for each weekly session include the Pdf slides for the sessions as well as the Panopto-recorded lecture-elements for each class. The captured content aims to develop understanding of key concepts and theories. 

Guided learning: Students’ in-class learning is supported by a structured programme of guided learning activities to do at home. Students do practical analysis exercises, read relevant literature and find examples of their own which can be further discussed in class. Students are encouraged to post these examples on a Padlet to encourage further collaboration and learning from others’ ideas and contexts. 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CMCM057

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Global and Cultural Capabilities: Whilst the majority of the other modules which form this programme are practice-oriented, this module provides a birdseye / panoramic view of the global context in which international businesses operate, with a detailed look at political, economic and educational environments. In doing so, the module also develops students’ skills in analysing the wider discourses which have the potential to perpetuate global inequalities. Thus, the module develops students’ cultural and global capabilities by providing students with a more rounded view of the world than the more practice-oriented modules alone are able to provide.

Employability: Whilst this module promotes higher level critical thinking about global inequalities and their origins, this is best done not only through academic reflection, but through practical application to contexts students are familiar with. Thus, the 2^nd assessment will ask students to write a speech on issues of globalisation on behalf of a person or organisation they are familiar with, and comment on the content, structure and style of the speech. This allows students to draw on skills taught in other modules as well as develop skills in a new genre of writing / speaking (speeches) which has the potential to be directly or directly transferred to the professional world.

Sustainability: In 2020, the United Nations launched 17 Sustainable Development goals, to be met by 2030. These include for example, no poverty, zero hunger, reduced inequalities and decent work and economic growth. Through the topics discussed as part of the module (Education, Economic Development, Global Governance), these goals will be in focus throughout. Case studies, such as press articles, speeches etc. will be used through the module to discuss how individuals’ and larger entities’ actions contribute to or distract from these sustainable development goals. Students will be encouraged to contribute case studies and examples relating to contexts they are familiar with.  

Resourcefulness and resilience: The module will continuously engage students in considering how the issues discussed in the module relate to contexts and environments they know well. This will, at times, challenge students’ views of the world and of themselves. Students will be able to discuss these issues in a supportive small group environment and meet the tutor to debrief, if necessary. Engaging in these discussions will develop students resourcefulness and resilience.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.