Undergraduate Course: Globalization (SCIL10067)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course critically examines the subject of globalisation from a sociological perspective. Globalisation is a vast topic, and no one course can cover all its aspects. This course aims to give the student grounding in the most fundamental aspects of globalisation, with exploration of selected substantive topics ('case studies') to help root the general in the particular. We examine the concept itself, the central themes of changing communications, social networks, and experiences of space and time, and the major economic, political and ideological dimensions of globalisation. The view taken in this course is that, while there have been distinctive social changes associated with globalisation in recent decades, to understand this process we need to regularly relocate it in a long-term historical perspective. Globalisation has been happening for centuries, and to understand current processes of globalisation, we need to relate them to a deeper history of globalisation. We also need to be careful about talking of globalisation as if it were one thing. In fact this very broad term encompasses an array of different social processes that need to be distinguished in order to be better understood. |
| Course description |
This course is taught by the convenor, with several guest lectures on ¿case studies¿ from topical specialists. The general view taken in this course is that, while there have been distinctive social changes associated with globalisation in recent decades, to understand this process we need to regularly relocate it in a long-term historical perspective. Globalisation has been happening for centuries, and to understand current processes of globalisation, we need to relate them to a deeper history of globalisation. We also need to be careful about talking of globalisation as if it were one thing. In fact this very broad term encompasses an array of different social processes that need to be distinguished in order to be better understood. Although they vary from year to year, typical lecture headings include:
1. Introduction: conceptualising globalisation critically
2. ¿Communications¿, ¿networks¿ and ¿space/time compression¿
3. Case Study: Global production and China as world factory
4. Economic processes: trade, markets, capitalism
5. Case Study: Financialisation of the economy
6. Political processes: states, nations, empires, colonialism and hegemons
7. Case Study: Globalisation and social/political movements
8. Ideological processes: religion, science, ¿-isms¿, and beliefs
9. Case Study: ¿Neoliberalism¿ as a world ideological movement
10. Conclusion and review
There are no set texts for the whole course, but good places to start reading on the topic include:
Held, D. and McGrew, A. (eds) (2003) The Global Transformations Reader, 2nd edn, Polity.
Mann, M. (2013) The Sources of Social Power, Vol. 4: Globalizations, 1945-2011. Cambridge: CUP.
O¿Byrne, D. J. and Hensby, A. (2011) Theorizing Global Studies. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Osterhammel, J. and Niels P. P. (2003) Globalization: A Short History, Princeton UP.
Ritzer, G., (ed.) (2008) The Blackwell Companion to Globalization, Blackwell. (e-book, Edinburgh Library)
Therborn, G. (2011) The World: A Beginner¿s Guide, Cambridge: Polity.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 2 social science courses (such as Sociology, Politics, Social Policy, Social Anthropology, etc) at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 36 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
25% mid-term multiple choice exam
75% final research essay
|
| Feedback |
The course is assessed through an in-class multiple choice exam (25%) and a research paper (75%) for which students formulate their own research question. Students can check their multiple choice exam results against correct answers, and compare their performance with their peers. Overall results are briefly discussed in class after return of exams. Students are also given the option to keep a reading log, on which they can get non-assessed formative feedback at the end of the course, before the final essay is due. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a clear grasp of the concept of globalisation and contending definitions of it
- Appreciate of the importance of historical perspective for a sociological understanding globalisation
- Grasp the importance of key concepts of 'communication' and 'social networks' for the study of globalisation
- Know how to distinguish between economic, political and ideological dimensions of globalisation, and articulate an analytic understanding of how they interact
- Write an independently researched essay on a globalisation related topic
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Combined lecture and tutorial on Fridays, 9:00 - 10:50. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Gezim Krasniqi
Tel: (0131 6)51 5094
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Emma Thomson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3932
Email: |
|
© Copyright 2017 The University of Edinburgh - 6 February 2017 9:32 pm
|
University Homepage