SV-304 Global Sociology (Autumn 2020)

• be acquainted with the implications of contemporary economic, social, environmental and cultural challenges
• develop their understanding of contemporary sociological thought by including non-western perspectives
• be familiar with sociological conceptualizations of globalization

Historically, sociologists have been preoccupied with analyzing and theorizing about their own societies thus developing “distinctive national sociologies” (Burawoy 2009). Studying the more “exotic” societies was left to (Western) anthropologists who engaged in understanding the “savage nature” of “primitive societies”. That such descriptions of non-western cultures were echoing racial and cultural prejudice was first widely recognized in the process of de-colonialization. At the same time “global social challenges” moved into the center of attention: In the past 50 years environmental concerns, the challenges of a growing population and global demographic change, as well as economic and cultural globalization have gained prominence in both public and scholarly debate. And yet “sociology” has remained, by and large, a project of the “West”. Sociological research across the globe has been informed by theories and methods developed in the global north. Scholars from the global south tried for a long time to understand their societies through the lenses of western sociological thought. So, while “global issues” have drawn sociological attention for some time, the emergence of a truly global sociology is a recent phenomenon. The course therefore employs a more comprehensive approach by relying on two pillars: “global challenges” and “global sociological perspectives”.

Global Challenges

• Globalization and Economic Development
• Climate Change
• Security, Peace & Conflict
• Aging Societies and Welfare
• Sustainable Development

Global Sociological Perspectives

• Non-Western Theories and Models
• Case Studies from the Global South
• Comparative Perspectives