Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
SP50134 Globalisation 1: political sociology of globalisation |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: To provide a comprehensive introduction to the issues raised and understanding of within discourses of 'globalisation'.
To enable students to explore and critically discuss differing areas, advanced analysis of alternative perspectives and interpretations of the emerging global order.
To highlight historical processes and the context for the emergence of both global order and explanatory theories and perspectives.
To encourage students to reflect critically on the theories and explanations as well as the debates addressed during the unit.
Learning Outcomes: To identify and systemise the main aspects and arguments of globalisation. To review and critically evaluate a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives, approaches and theoretical problematic and debates which aim to grasp the emerging global order To reflect on, contrast and compare the appropriateness, strengths and weaknesses of these arguments To critically conceptualise and identify main policy issues related to the concept and reality of globalisation. Skills: Intellectual skills: * To develop a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problem and/or new insights * To achieve originality in the application of knowledge together with a practical understanding of the matter * To evaluate methodologies and critiques of them * To critically evaluate and assess current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline * To synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding. Transferable/Key Skills: * Essay research, preparation and writing skills * Presentation skills and verbal communication (i.e. oral presentations, seminar and tutorial contributions) * To exercise initiative and personal responsibility as well as independent learning Knowledge outcomes: * Theoretical basis of different perspectives on globalisation * Knowledge of the current developments and contemporary research on different national cases as well as at local and trans-national levels * Identification of policy issues. Content: This unit explores some of the key contemporary research and theoretical debates on globalisation. The main topics to be addressed are introduction to globalisation: meanings, history and differing interpretations; globalisation of the economy, finances and global trade; the politics of globalisation: governance, global and local governance; globalisation and the reshaping of civil society (international civil society and new global resistance or the anti-globalisation movement); contemporary policy issues, selected from: environment, migration, justice, democracy and development. |