The assessment for this module is a 90 minute exam at the end of the semester in January. The exam is made up of one essay question. Five questions will be on the exam sheet from which you can choose one.
To prepare for the final exam, look to four sources of information while revising:
• Your lecture notes
• The textbook
• Material which you can find from news sources like the BBC, New York Times, Washington Post and other media.
• Sources which are referenced in the lecture notes (e.g. the Global Compact webpage).
In your essay, you should present a clear argument backed up by evidence, examples and, so far as possible, the ideas of key thinkers (both academic and those in the wider media. Your essay should be well structured- I would advise you to have three main ideas bracketed by an introduction and conclusion.
The textbook refers to many economists, sociologists, business experts and others who are well known for their views on globalisation (e.g. Susan Strange, John Ruggie, John Wilkinson) and I have referred to some in my lectures (e.g. Joseph Stiglitz, Naomi Klein, Paul Krugman, Tom Friedman). Quoting some key thinkers (not verbatim, but referring to the gist of their arguments) will boost your grade.
Because this is a final exam, I cannot give you the actual questions which are to be asked, but I can give you the broad topics. This will give you the opportunity to gather material and develop your own views on the topic. The topics for the exam will be:
1) Economic development in developing countries and the strengths and weaknesses of export orientation as a strategy
2) The influence of an international institutions (ILO, UN, WTO, World Bank or IMF) on global trade
3) The mechanics, purpose and outcomes of either the EU or NAFTA as a regional trade body
4) The utility of CSR as a system for influencing business practices of multi-nationals
5) The effectiveness of either the UN Global Compact or Ethical Trading