Postgraduate Course: Globalization (SCIL11016)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Social and Political Science |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Sociology |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
This course examines the phenomenon of globalization and the ways in which it affects contemporary societies, as well as our sociological understanding of the world. It integrates theoretical approaches to globalization with the newest empirical research on global phenomena, drawing on investigations from economic sociology, political sociology, the sociology of race and gender, and the sociology of culture. |
Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
No |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Room 7.01, David Hume Tower | 1-11 | | | | | 11:10 - 13:00 |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| At the end of the course, students will have a theoretical grasp of the notion of globalization; they will be able to relate the concept of globalization to other key sociological concepts, such as class, network, or group; they will be able to use the concept of globalization in conjunction with other major sociological topics, such as collective action, or institutions; they will be able to distinguish, analyze, and exemplify the main dimensions of globalization; they will be able to distinguish and exemplify the consequences of globalization. |
Assessment Information
| one short essay (1,000 words, 25% of the total mark) and one long essay (3,500 words, 75% of the total mark) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Globalization is a set of economic, political, and social phenomena affecting contemporary societies in crucial ways. Actually, our very understanding of society is being influenced by these phenomena. Since the early 1990s, after the fall of the Iron curtain, sociologists have devoted increased attention to the impact of globalization not only on developed societies, but also on developing ones. During the globalization process, the role of trans- and international institutions has been profoundly modified, with consequences which are still not entirely foreseeable. What is more, the role and structure of social formations such as classes, groups and networks have undergone important transformations. Sociological courses on globalization have become common in many, if not a majority of the internationally known departments of sociology. Globalization is now an established area of investigation for sociology. Such a course should be a key component of an MSc programme on Global and International sociology. The course proposed here identifies, presents, and analyzes fundamental dimensions of globalization, taking into account the most actual research. It presents and discusses the main conceptual approaches in the study of globalization, while taking into account the latest empirical research. The main dimensions investigated here are: economic globalization; political globalization; the rise of transnational institutions; the rise of transnational networks and groups; cultural globalization; conflicts and transnational migrations. Although primarily targeting students enrolled on the MSc programme in Global and International Sociology, the course will be relevant to students from Politics and Social Anthropology, or Human Geography as well. |
| Syllabus |
1. Introduction: what is globalization?
2. Theories of Globalization: from World Systems to the Contemporary Global Economy
3. Globalization in Historical Perspective: the Present Wave
4. Economic Globalization: States, Corporations, and Transnational Governance
5. Transnational Groups, Networks, and Communities: the Transformation of Social Classes and Groups
6. Civil Society and Transnational Movements
7. Political Globalization: Transnational Institutions and the State
8. Social Conflicts in the Era of Globalization
9. Culture and Globalization: the Emergence of Global Consumption Patterns
10. Gender, Ethnicity, and Globalization
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Bronfenbrenner, Kate. 2007. Global Unions. Challenging Transnational Capital Through Cross-Border Campaigns. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Cowen, Tyler. 2002. Creative Destruction. How Globalization Is Changing the World&©s Cultures. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Harvey, David. 2006. Spaces of Global Capitalism. Toward a Theory of Uneven Geographical Development. London: Verso.
Hironaka, Ann. 2008. Neverending War. The International Community, Weak States, and the Perpetuation of Civil War. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Jensen, Nathan. 2006. Nation-States and the Multnational Corporation. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Kreiger, Joel (ed.) 2006. Globalization and State Power: A Reader. New York: Routledge.
Osterhammel, Juergen and Nils Petersson. 2005. Globalization. A Short History. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Pieterse, Jan Niederveen. 2009. Globalization and Culture. The Global Mélange. Lanham MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
Sassen, Saskia. 2001. The Global City. New York, London, Tokyo. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Sassen, Saskia. 2008. Territory, Authority, Rights. From Medieval to Global Assemblages. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2003. Globalization and Its Discontents. New York: W.W. Norton.
Wallerstein, Immanuel. 2004. World Systems Analysis. An Introduction. Durham NC: Duke University Press.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Alex Preda
Tel: (0131 6)50 4052
Email: A.preda@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Miss Cristyn King
Tel: (0131 6)51 3865
Email: cristyn.king@ed.ac.uk |
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copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
31 January 2011 8:20 am
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