Socio-Economic
Reality of
Instructor: Christine R. Schrage
Office: CBB 261
Telephone: 273-2126
Email: schragec@uni.edu
Course description: This experiential course explores the
socio-economic realities of
Course level: 100 level (Junior or higher) The two credit course is limited to 14 students.
Course objectives:
1)
Gain
an understanding of dimensions upon which a culture might be defined.
2)
Gain
an understanding of the impact of culture on the work environment.
3)
Gain
general knowledge about the economic situation of a Central American country.
4)
Apply
knowledge of cultural dimensions to a specific culture to acquire a deeper
understanding of that culture and its social norms.
5)
Explore
the ethical and social responsibilities of companies operating in less
developed countries.
·
Skills:
1)
Utilize
oral and written communication skills acquired through the liberal
arts core.
2)
Use
critical thinking skills to identify and evaluate the specific cultural
dimensions that enhance or hinder the economic development of a specific
country.
3)
Gain
new language skills or enhance foreign language competency through immersion in
a Spanish speaking environment.
Course resources:
1)
o The
Class System of Latin America, Chris Junker, 1994
2)
Nicaragua
o
US Intervention in
o CIA
Fact Sheet
o
Beloved
Enemies: Race & Nationalism in Nicaragua, Juliet
Hooker, Latin American Research Review, Fall
2005, 40:3
3)
Globalization
Challenges
o
The
Global Compact’s Nine Principles, The Journal Corporate Citizenship, Autumn
2003
4)
Ethics
and social Responsibility
o Progress Against Corruption, Dan
Johnson, The Futurist, March/April
2002
Graded Components:
Pre-trip Paper 50 points
Participation 50 points
Journal 50 points
Presentation 50 points
Final Paper 100 points
Your final grade will be
based on the percentage of total points earned.
Grade |
Percentage |
Points |
|
A |
94-100 |
282 |
|
A- |
90-94 |
270 |
|
B+ |
87-89 |
261 |
|
B |
83-86 |
249 |
|
B- |
80-82 |
240 |
|
C+ |
77-79 |
231 |
|
C |
73-76 |
219 |
|
C- |
70-72 |
210 |
|
D+ |
67-69 |
201 |
|
D |
63-66 |
189 |
|
D- |
60-62 |
180 |
|
F |
lower
than 59.9 |
|
Each student shall
choose one of the following subject areas to research. A five page
double-spaced document is due at the April 16th orientation session.
A topic must be chosen by the March 26th orientation session. Each student will lead an informal discussion
on the chosen topic during the in-country trip.
(No more than two students can choose the same topic area.)
·
Economic situation of
·
Social challenges of
·
Central American Free Trade Association
(CAFTA) and its potential
impact on the region
·
Role of religion in Central American
society
·
Economic and social impact of maquillas and Free Trade Zones in
·
U.S. Foreign Policy relative to
·
Economic challenges of
·
Social-Entrepreneurship and its impact on
solving social and economic problems in
During the orientation
on April 22, each student will share the essence of the pre-trip research paper
and lead a group discussion. Grading
will include grammar/readability, quality of the written paper and information
shared on the topic during the trip during planned discussion.
This paper should
be focused on the key points necessary for an executive or negotiator to learn
issues and concepts that are critical knowledge for building a solid foundation
for business in a particular region or nation.
Consider this paper to be a CNN Headline Report instead of a full-scale
documentary project on the subject. During
the trip, each student will be the team “expert” on this particular topic and
seek to increase the overall knowledge of the team by pointing out the
relationships between the events/activities of the trip to the topic area.
Journal -50 points
Students will need
a notebook for recording information and ideas generated from the speakers,
discussions, and interactions with others.
The journals will be collected at the end of the trip and will be scored.
The journals will be returned for students to utilize the material for the
final written assignment.
Grading criteria:
·
Quality
of writing and organization of journal 10
points
·
Summary
of knowledge gained from speakers and reflections upon the perspectives of the
speaker 15 points
·
Summary
of team discussions and reflections on the global, community, and personal
impact of the issues discussed 10 points
·
Summary
of daily activities and observations as to the relationship between culture,
work environment, and the community 15 points
Participation - 50 points
During quiet
periods in the village and during travel time the group will have discussions
concerning personal observations and issues from the day’s activities. The participation grade is also based on the
contribution of not only the planned discussions with speakers, but at the work
site, during meals, and activities.
Final Paper (due May 31) 100 points
Global Perspective 20 pts
In what ways are countries affected by the various
cultural dimensions studied in this course?
What organizational challenges are evident due to
the frequent need for organizations/people to operate within a multi-cultural
environment?
Local Perspective 25 pts
Consider the Trompenaar
and Hons cultural dimensions revealed in the textbook
and discuss how the community’s culture aligns with each one.
What aspects of the culture impact the economic
development of the community or region visited?
Can communities like the one visited respond to
the rapid changes of the global economy?
Why or why not?
Personal Perspective 30 pts
How will you utilize the exposure to the cultural
dimensions studied in this course into the workplace and non-work activities?
In what ways might your personal values and
approaches to decision making positively or negatively impact your ability to
operate in a multi-cultural environment?
In developing countries such as
Grammar/Readability:
25 pts
This paper must be a well-written, well-organized
paper. Grammar errors (more than 6 per
page) will significantly and negatively impact the score.
Presentation 50 points
Each student will present and lead a discussion on one chapter from the
textbook, Riding the Waves of Culture.
The concept chosen for discussion must be related to the cultural
environment of the municipalities and villages the team visited during the
in-country experience. Students will be
scored based on the organizational quality, completeness, depth, and
professionalism of the 10 minute oral presentation and discussion following
each presentation.
Activities
Schedule:
February
25– 3 to 5
p.m. class meets for initial orientation. Immunizations need to start early.
Students need to have passports at this time.
March
25– 3 to 5 p.m. class
meets for orientation and completing all the necessary documentation. Pre-class
topic must be chosen and provided to the instructor. Discuss materials from
supplement, start discussions on chapters 1 to 5 from the book
April 15– 3 to 5 p.m. Pre-trip assignments due,
informal discussion on the topics.
May
6 – 9 to noon, make
final preparations for the trip. Final orientation.
May
9 to 21 – trip to Nicaragua
·
Work
on development projects with citizens;
·
Learn
from speakers involved economic development in the
·
Learn
from speakers as to how the political past has affected the cultural
development of the country;
·
Learn
from and enjoy the experience of living and working in a developing country.
May 29 approximately– a minimum three hour session with the
time to be determined later. Students MUST
attend and be prepared to make their final presentation.
Travel expenses: