When European explorers began their search for new wealth five centuries ago, they took raw materials from their colonies using labour from native populations and then sold them back to the colonies as finished goods. Today, it works much the same way: Western countries import raw materials from Third World countries and export finished products to these countries. What's different are the players.

International trade is now dominated by Multinational Corporations (MNCs), entities that are based in one country but have operations in many other countries around the world. This unit will explore the implications of this phenomenon.

Unit Goals

1. Survey the positive and negative aspects of multinational corporations.
2. Survey the responses to the challenges presented by MNCs.
3. Survey responses to the challenges of globalization by non-governmental organizations.

In this Unit

• Activity 1: MNC Profiling: What Does a Multinational Corporation Look Like?
• Activity 2: Film Discussion: The Corporation*
• Activity 3: NGO Profiling: What Does a Non-Governmental Organization Look Like?*
• Activity 4: Work on Magazine Radio Program Team Project

• Globalization & Multinational Corporations (MNCs)*