Upon completion of the course, students will understand how globalization impacts important dimensions of modern life. They will be able to look past popular and media references for a critical grasp of social theoretic perspectives to analyze globalization, with an emphasis on World Society Theory.

We see and hear about globalization all the time: in the media, in statements by politicians, and buzzing around our social networks. We have a broad sense that politics, cultures, people, and organizations are all connected around the world. Yet, most people are hard-pressed to define what, precisely, globalization means. This course provides students with the basis for making sense of globalization and transnational connections in the contemporary world. It will go beyond popular, political and media rhetoric about globalization, and build a basis for students to gain a critical understanding of transnational connectivity. We will understand how events and forces outside national borders inform local trends, by examining global aspects of politics, policies, economics, environment, migration, history, popular culture, and religion. To do this, the course will unpack the three major social theoretic perspectives on making sense of globalization in these areas of modern life, with a spotlight on the emerging, cutting-edge, World Society Theory. We will also focus on the global-local interface: on how the local becomes global and how the global in turn, shapes what we think about as entirely local. By the end of the course, students will be able to describe how globalization impacts their own life, and to apply social theories of globalization to an empirical case of their interest.

In order to be able to participate in the course, students are required to complete either
(a) the lectures (5 ECTS), or (b) the lectures plus seminars (10 ECTS). It is not possible to attend only the seminars.

Students of the Master's Degree Programme on Global and Transnational Sociology are required to complete full course (10 ECTS).

Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP Global and Transnational Sociology

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Public Choice, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare, MDP in Gender Studies)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students