SV-133 Introduction to sociology, SV-135 Sociology of welfare and equality and SV -143 Social institutions.
Learning outcomes
On the successful completion of the course, the students should
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
Course contents
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
Teaching methods
Lectures and group work will be accompanied by the input of invited guest lectures from the global south. This course is intended for both Norwegian and international students. Estimated workload is 270 hours.
Assessment methods and criteria
Portfolio examination including both group work and individual work, graded A-F. Further information about the portfolio will be given in Canvas.
Evaluation
Student evaluation is carried out as a midway evaluation and in accordance with the normal arrangement as described in the quality system, chapter 4.1. If necessary, a possible end of semester evaluation may be implemented.