Students discussion:2010/2011 student case studies

Hello everybody,

Good to have such interesting paragraphs for our future discussion and sharing ideas! There are few general comments: when I am running this course and have more time than this year (e.g. last year it was 5 credit course), we devote more time to disorganized brainstorming that should enhance your opinion-making process. That means I want YOU to realize what is important from YOUR perspective That could be easily combined with local perspective further on – writing a case study you always have to look at your problem through eyes of those who are really affected by it.

The other way around – start with the general problem and demonstrate it in local circumstances – is also possible but might be more difficult, and, sometimes, misleading. Economy has developed its own logic which needs our involvement in a very certain way – as consumers which are vulnerable to the manipulation by all kinds of advertisements (symbols of western civilization have a “missionary” function in many parts of the world). This logic might differ from logic of “individual” or “local” economy – individuals, families and regions think more about their long-term well being which is developed in harmony with community and nature.

From this local perspective, social issues (or aspects of the issues under consideration) might be also of some interest. Economy is not automatically translated into the well-being – what is important is that it should be combined with democracy and its mechanisms. Of course, recently this paradigm is being disregarded and regimes such as e.g. in China make great progress without being really democratic. But then – the economy is no longer a tool (to become more free, independent, but being responsible at the same moment) it becomes a purpose in itself. Which is not good at all!

So, those who started with abstract globalization principles have made very sophisticated paragraphs that demonstrate very good information background. Those who have started with their own opinions have written less but might have more specific “research” question in mind to work on in further stages. That is good as well – ANY good text is really focused, does not concentrate on too many things at the same moment.

Caroline Reibe

Very good start (review of the literature in the area). At this moment – includes many topics that are all relevant to Globalization and could have an impact on local level. Try to concentrate on a more specific issue in future – imagine that your text is an answer to some very specific question, preferably locally relevant, practically oriented...

Wolfgang Mularzyk

Very interesting topic – it concentrates on a technical solution of a specific demand. What is this demand behind it? What will be accelerated? And what about your introductory adage – is there anything like a “grey economy” (transfer of really not needed goods (in fact – rubbish)?)

Frank Bröhan

Fine, real brainstorming, many good ideas reflecting benefits of globalization from your personal perspective. However, “local” in your perspective means local opportunities for global economical mechanisms. That is not exactly what we mean by the case study. Although you might find a way how to express interests of some local community within your theme this will hardly represent much more than a viewpoint of one single “stakeholder”.

Sarah de Pasqualin

Interesting theme and it would be good to know how the “gender” problem is seen in a real community context. This could probably differ from its global perception!

Jan Jelínek

Brief introduction but good! We people always somehow (through our lives) answer the question: Where do we come from? And if your answer is: Everywhere – nowhere, than you are a Nowhere man! So – it is fine, Jan, if you oppose this im-possibility...

Petr Gut

Good – abstract principle but potentially applied for real situation. And it is really focused on a single topic. I am looking forward to your discussion with Zuzana :-).

Zuzana Cabejšková

From my point of view – a very good starting point. In fact, exactly what I had in mind for the beginning, not so sophisticated but something that bothers you, what you see around and do (or do not) agree with! We have had a wonderful sentence used 20 years ago: If there something to be changed in this world – who will change it, if not we! So, try to find the mechanisms and principles of the current state – and discover the ways how to work with them...

Conclusion

Good piece of work done by all of you! Do not be afraid of expressing your viewpoint, especially at the beginning – it is difficult to work with those huge abstract global principles if you are not a president of the world or at least of some really profitable company. I guess many of you will be when you “grow up” – but you will still face many problems that you cannot change from this position. And – it is good to believe in civic society, at least in this course...