1) You should read the following guidelines in conjunction with the box chart showing the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for this Unit provided earlier in this handbook

Assessment Tasks

Assignment 1

Task

A 1500 word essay in line with the lecture/seminar programme above.

Guidelines

1) You should read the following guidelines in conjunction with the box chart showing the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for this Unit provided earlier in this handbook. You should also consider the skills development section above and note how your progress with regard to the University’s four key skills will be assessed in this assignment. In addition, please study carefully the following specific guidelines:

2) This is a developmental assignment, designed to assess your grasp of the core theoretical ideas and issues concerning globalization with which you need to become familiar prior to tacking the report in Assignment 2. You are required to organize your material in essay format and present a word count at the end. The title of the essay is: Critically evaluate one of the main theoretical perspectives on globalization using examples from a topic explored on the Unit.

3) Hence the assignment requires you to critically evaluate one of the main theoretical perspectives on globalization, namely either ‘globalist’ (in either of its optimist or pessimist) variants, or ‘inter-nationalist’, or the ‘transformationalist’ perspective. To do this, you will undertake three tasks. First, you will need to choose one of these different perspectives on globalization and develop some understanding about it from your reading. Second, you will need to develop the skills of critical evaluation and apply them to your chosen theoretical perspective. You will learn and practice these skills in the seminar component of the weekly lecture/seminar programme.

4) Your essay should be structured around various sub-headings and sections, which are set out below in a sequence as a guide. This is not meant to be prescriptive however and, at Level 6, you are free to interpret it in the light of your own approach to the essay. Your essay should be written in your own words and style and without any subheadings. Please see the advice on plagiarism later in this handbook.

5) A suggested essay plan is as follows:

Title - you set out the exact essay title as shown above

Introduction – your essay introduction paragraph contains the aims of the essay, the sequence of topics to be discussed and a signpost of the direction of your discussion

Definition of Key Terms – a brief unpacking of the key terms/concepts to be used in the discussion

The Theoretical Perspective – a paragraph summarising the one you have chosen and what it says about globalization

The Topic – a paragraph on the one you have chosen and how it might link to your theoretical perspective

Critical evaluation – some paragraphs where you evaluate your theoretical perspective’s interpretation of your topic and whether it is justified.  You can draw on examples of how your topic is understood by your chosen theory and how that stands up to scrutiny.

Conclusion – a final paragraph where you summarise the results of your critical evaluation for your chosen theoretical perspective

References – your list of a minimum of ten sources (see Recommended Reading section above) to pass the assignment, which are in line with the Referencing Guidelines set out below in this handbook

6) Your essay must be word processed, double spaced and page numbered. The University regulation is that you are allowed to exceed a word count by up to a maximum of 10%. Here, this allows you an additional 150 words, if you need them. However, this is not required for a good grade because writing concisely and precisely to a limit are key Level 3 skills. No more than 10% of your assignment should be in the form of quotations.

7) You can show a draft skeleton plan only of your essay to either ……………………….to review and offer suggestions. However, you will remain the sole author of your work and must therefore exercise sole responsibility for the final shape, contents and wording of the essay. You should proof read and edit your final draft before handing it in and/or ask a trusted person to read it through for you.

8) All written assignments should be uploaded before or on the submission date deadline above. Remember, you need to submit one electronic version and this should be your final version.

9) You can examine the Level Six feedback sheet and marking criteria below in this handbook for an indication of how your assignment will be graded.