Keywords

Learning outcomes

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.

Contents

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.

The full course comprises 10 lectures and 10 seminars, and includes readings of key texts. The seminars encourage active discussions on a specific theme of globalization every week. Students can complete only the lecture component (5 ECTS) or the lectures and seminars (10 ECTS). It is not possible to participate only in the seminars.

There may be minor changes to the course from year to year: please see the teaching schedule for final updates.

Evaluation and evaluation criteria

Belongs to following study modules

2018–2019

Teaching

Archived Teaching Schedule. Please refer to current Teaching Shedule.

GTS2 Making sense of globalization - Theorizing beyond the nation-state - Lectures + essay

GTS2 Making sense of globalization - Theorizing beyond the nation-state - seminar