Foundations in Global Studies

Global studies, often coupled with a regional or area studies specialization, has become a more important and more popular part of the curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Heightened awareness of the value of international or regional expertise, the impact of global trends in so many career paths, and the relevance of global issues and globalization’s effects even in local contexts, lead an ever-increasing number of students to pursue special course work, certificates, and even degrees denoting intensive interdisciplinary study with a global, international, or regional specialization.

This series of introductory guides to global and area studies is intended to help students orient themselves to today’s interconnected world. A series of ten books—two orienting students to the core concepts of global studies, five on important world regions, and three on crucial issues challenging the globalizing world—will each offer undergraduates an overview of the field, an introduction to the methodologies used in it, exposure to the fundamental concepts they will encounter, guides to the resources needed to successfully complete their course of studies, and global-themed profiles of regions/subregions/countries. While designed to be adopted for undergraduate courses in global and area studies, the books in this series should have lasting value as useful resources to students and teachers at all levels.