Exploring imperialist capitalism though the life history of a favorite item

• In Event: 20461 - Teaching and Learning Symposium Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 11: Exploring Assignments

Abstract

For this presentation, we will be sharing an assignment called "The life history of a favorite item" that we use in an upper-level community college class called "Globalization & Social Change." This project requires students to construct a "life history" of a favorite
item of theirs. This might be a piece of clothing, a favorite food, jewelry, a car, etc… Students then explore its production at multiple levels asking: how is it made (it might have multiple production sites), who made your item (there is probably more than one person), where do they live, how do they live, etc.. Lastly, students address: where in the practice of globalization does your item reside? What piece of the story of globalization does it fill in? Our presentation will include the various ways we ask students to present their final work, our successes and growth areas, and the importance of such an assignment for getting students to see "capitalism-at-play" in their everyday lives.

Authors

• Sarah M Pitcher, San Diego City College

• Amy Alsup, San Diego Miramar College