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Social Change and Globalisation

Code: 101144 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500262 Sociology OB 3
2503778 International Relations OB 3

Contact

Name:
Francesc Xavier Rambla Marigot
Email:
xavier.rambla@uab.cat

Teachers

Francesc Muņoz Pradas
Roser Nicolau Nos
Carlos-Eric Delclos Gomez-Moran

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The general official criteria.


Objectives and Contextualisation

A number of international associations and agencies have described the context of this subject. This course aims at teaching to state specialised judgements on social changes, development and globalisation by drawing on different specialties in the social sciences, mostly sociology, but also anthropology, demography, economics, geography or political sciences. Students will be estimulated to work on their own and improve their communicative skills. The relevance of these three topics (social changes, development and globalisation) has been widely recognised in the context of contemporary social transformations, as well as their intimate connection with such sociological issues as inequalities and power.

-        The International Sociological Association includes the Research Committee on Social Transformations and Sociology of Development (ISA RC-09) strives to represent sociologists interested in the study of social transformations and development around the world, regardless of their theoretical persuasion, methodological approaches or ideological perspective (http://www.isa-sociology.org)

-        UNESCO runs the Programe on the Management of Social Transformations (MOST). It acknowledges that the “UNESCO mandate to promote social sciences is more relevant than ever because of the globalization of social issues and the increasing need for their global governance” (UNESCO 186 EX/10 document (http://unesdoc.unesco.org)

-        The Comparative Research Programme on Poverty and the Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales collaborate in research on the social causes of poverty. In their view,he dominant global regime fails by and large in human-rights terms by perpetuating poverty and dependence and by bringing on new risks and vulnerabilities with whichthe poor are least able to cope: economic crises, for example, as well as environmental degradation, resource depletion, climate change, and extreme weather events. Yet, this regime also includes some positive elements — such as the recognition of human rights, women's rights, equality and non-discrimination standards, labour rights and environmental protections — which were typically gained by activists from South and North in protracted struggles and now provide openings in many countries for the poor and disenfranchised to hold their governments to account and to protect their human rights. Building on these achievements, CROP will work for the prominent incorporation of the imperative of poverty avoidance into the design of the global institutional order. Such incorporation in turn requires a much fuller understanding of the nature, extent, depth, distribution, trends, causes and effects of poverty (CROP http://www.crop.org, CLACSO http://www.clacso.org.ar)

-        The Committee on Global Thought uses its research and programs to connect the social sciences with an increasingly global society through collaborative workshops, seminar courses and community events. The Committee on Global Thought recognizes that many of the world’s problems, such as poverty, inequality and governance, fall increasingly in the spaces between academic disciplines (http://cgt.columbia.edu)

-        El Centro Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Demografía (CELADE) se guía por un claro objetivo: hacer un aporte al conocimiento de los diversos aspectos de los temas de población, que permita elaborar y aplicar políticas que apunten a lograr la igualdad y el respeto de los derechos humanos. Los problemas y desafíos de la adolescencia y juventud latinoamericanas;el envejecimiento de la población y la situación de las personas mayores; la desigualdad que afecta a los pueblos indígenas y afrodescendientes; las variadas dimensiones de la migración internacional en América Latina; la migración interna; la segregación residencial; la fecundidad adolescente y su presencia pertinaz en la región; la pobreza y la vulnerabilidad social son algunos de los temas abordados por la serie del CELADE (http://www.cepal.org)

 


Competences

    Sociology
  • Analysing the problems arising from the implementation of public policies and conflict situations by recognising the complexity of the social phenomena and political decisions affecting democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  • Applying the concepts and approaches of the sociological theory, specially the explanations of social inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups, to the implementation of public policies and to the resolution of conflict situations.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social structure, specially in the explanations of the most common inequalities in social sciences between social classes, genders and ethnic majorities or minorities.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the approaches of the sociological theory in its different aspects, interpretations and historical context.
  • Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
  • Developing self-learning strategies.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  • Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  • Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
    International Relations
  • Analyse cases and phenomena in the international sphere and interpret different political texts using contemporary political theories.
  • Analyse the structure and operation of international institutions and organisations (political, economic, military and security, environmental, development and emergency aid) both in the universal and regional spheres, with particular emphasis on the European Union, from either real or simulated cases.
  • Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Identify the main theories of international relations and their different fields (international theory, conflicts and security, international politics, etc.) to apply them in professional practice.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Use different tools for analysing the contemporary international system and its functional and regional or geographical subsystems.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply different theoretical focuses to the analysis of the international system and its subsystems and international European politics.
  2. Apply different theoretical focuses, with a constructivist approach, to the actions of international organisations.
  3. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  4. Apply the variety of ideological readings of inequality to a country other than Spain.
  5. Comparing the different theoretical approaches about social structure.
  6. Comparing these explanations in different countries.
  7. Define and relate the main analytical concepts of international relation with the process of European integration.
  8. Defining the involvement of the main sociological debates about social structure.
  9. Defining the most common concepts used to explain inequalities.
  10. Defining the necessary concepts in order to understand the social structure.
  11. Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  12. Develop and acquire deeper historical, theoretical and conceptual knowledge of the origins, external relations and political processes of the European Union (EU).
  13. Developing self-learning strategies.
  14. Evaluate case studies of change and continuity in the international system, in the main regional subsystems (European, American, Asian) and in the subsystems of economy and security.
  15. Expressing the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to the social structure.
  16. Identify and analyse the different information sources on the international relations of the EU.
  17. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  18. Identifying the involvement of these approaches in order to understand the social structure.
  19. Identifying their validity to explain the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
  20. Relating the definitions and explanations of inequality with general theoretical and methodological debates.
  21. Relating these general debates with their epistemological and ethical assumptions.
  22. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  23. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  24. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  25. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  26. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  27. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  28. Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
  29. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  30. Understand the process of European political integration in the context of the Cold War.
  31. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  32. Use theoretical and meta-theoretical focuses to analyse the impact of globalisation on security, the economy and society on both a transnational and national scale and in different international organisations.

Content

  1. The emergence of global governance
  2. The Human Development Index (HDI): income, health and education of men and women
  3. Socio-economic transformations
  4. Political globalisation
  5. Economic globalisation
  6. Globalisation and class and gender inequalities

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Demography Seminars 15 0.6 4, 11, 13, 20, 22, 23, 25
Lectures 24 0.96 6, 8, 11, 20, 21
Sociology seminars 15 0.6 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 20, 21, 22, 25
Type: Supervised      
Consultation 15 0.6 11, 13, 23, 25, 28
Writing assignments 7 0.28 25
Type: Autonomous      
Analysis 24 0.96 1, 2, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32
Reading 43 1.72 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 20, 21, 25, 28

The course will consist of general lectures and two sets of seminars. Basically, the lectures will focus on the main topics included in the syllabus. In the Sociology seminars, students will discuss the compulsory reading list and analyse a sample of case studies where the main theories are illustrated. In the Demography seminars, students will learn the basics of demography and its contribution to the analysis of development.

Full details on the work plan and schedule will be published through the Virtual Campus.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Demographic analysis of development in a country 40% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Questions on the reading list 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Writing an essay on globalisation 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31

The assessment system of this subject consists of activities that students will carry out during the whole course. However, students will be able to take a second chance examination according to determinate conditions.

Students will pass if they succeed in the continuous assessment system, including demography (40%), readings (30%) as well as an essay on globalisation (30%). Teachers will provide support so that all students can do these activities properly. At least, this support will consist of providing feedback in seminars or in tutorials. In order to pass, it is indispensable that any student has delivered the three activities, has passed at least two of them, and has achieved an average grade above 5. Students will fail the whole course, and will not be allowed to take a resit examination, if they either achieve an average grade below 3.5 or fails to deliver two activities.

Students will have to take the second chance examination if they have delivered at least two activities and have achieved a grade between 3.5 and 4.9. The students who have failed more than one activity will also have to take the examination although their average grade exceeds 5. In contrast, the students who have not delivered at least two of the three activities of the continuous assessment system will not be allowed to take the resit examination and will fail the whole course.

The second chance examination will be based on the three activities included in the continuous assessment system (i.e. readings, essay and demography exercises). Each of the two teaching groups (morning and afternoon) will announce the mode of the examination (either on site or on line). Whatever the mode, both the date of on-site examination and the deadline of on-line delivery will coincide with the day officially established by the Faculty.  In order to pass the resit examination, it is necessary to answer all the questions. The grade of the second chance examination will substitute all the grades of the continuous assessmentsystem. At most,this grade will be 5.

The students who repeat this course must contact their lecturer during the first week of the teaching period.

The students who opt for the single-assessment option must hand in all their assignments on the day set by the school for the official exam. The professor will publish the dates of the compulsory- attendance lectures and seminars on the UAB Virtual Campus.

The grade of the students who only deliver assignments corresponding to less than 40% of the final grade will be no avaluable.


Bibliography

Relevant readings
 
Students will be required to read a selection of the following texts:
 
Acemoglu, Darun and Robinson, James A. (2019) Rents and economic development: the perspective of Why Nations Fail.Public Choice (2019) 181:13–28.
Benavot, A. and Resnik, J. (2007) Lessons from the Past: A Comparative Socio-Historical Analysis of Primary and Secondary Education. In: A. Benavot, J. Resnik and J. Corrales (ed) Global Educational Expansion. Historical Legacies and Political Obstacles. Cambridge (MA): American Academy of Arts and Science.
Castells, M. (2000). Toward a Sociology of the Network Society. Contemporary Sociology. 29(5): 693-699.
Cobo Bedia, Rosa (2016) "Globalización, desigualdades y género. ¿Son inevitables?" Gaceta sindical: reflexión y debate, 26: 141-153. https://www.ccoo.es/1030f910b0faf5bff3a3e7d94317c0e2000001.pdf
Dryzek, J. (2012). Global Civil Society: The Progress of Post-Westphalian Politics. Annual Review of Political Science, 15: 101-119.
Evans, P. (2004) “Development as Institutional Change: The Pitfalls of Monocropping and the Potentials of Deliberation”, Studies in Comparative International Development,38(4): 30-52.
Heller, P.; & Evans, P. (2010) Taking Tilly south: durable inequalities, democratic contestation, and citizenship in the Southern Metropolis. Theory and Society. 39(3/4): 433-450. 
Evans, P. and Heller, Patrick (2019) The state and development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fogel, R. W. (2004) Health, nutrition and economic growth. Economic Development and Cultural Change 52(3), pp. 643-658
Jeremic, V. and Sachs, John D. (2014) The United Nations in the Age of Sustainable Development. The Economic and Social Review, 45(2): 161–188.
Kuhn, R. (2010). Routes to LowMortality in Poor Countries Revisited. Population and Development Review. 36(4): 655–692.
Lakhani, T.; Kuruvilla.; & Avgar, A. (2013) From the Firm to the Network: Global Value Chains and Employment Relations Theory. British Journalof Industrial Relations. 51(3): 440–472.
Mallard, Gregory and McGoey, L. (2018) Strategic ignorance and global governance: an ecumenical approach to epistemologies of global power, Biritish Journal of Sociology, 69(4). 
Meyer, John W. (2010) World Society, Institutional Theories, and the Actor, Annual Review of Sociology, 16: 1-20
Mikler. John (2013) The Handbook of Global Companies. New Jersey (USA): John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
Piketty, Thomas and Saez, Emmanuel (2014) Inequality in the long run, Science, 344 (6186): 838-842.
Razavi, S. (2007) The Return to Social Policy and the Persistent Neglect of Unpaid Care. Development and Change.  38(3): 377–400. 
Scholte, Johan A. (2014). Reinventing global democracy. European Journal of International Relations, 20(1): 3­–28
Valenduc, Gérard ; Vendramin, Patricia (2017) "Digitalisation, between disruption and evolution".  Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 23 (2) : 121-135
Walby, Sylvia (2013) Finance versus Democracy? Theorising Finance in Society, Work, Employment and Society, 27(3): 489-507
Waltz, Kenneth (2000) Structural Realism after the Cold War, International Security, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Summer, 2000), pp. 5-41.
Wallerstein, Immanuel (2000).Globalisation or the age of Transition? Long-term view of the trajectory of the world system. International Sociology. 15(2): 249-265.
 

General bibliography

 
Appadurai, Aarun (2001) Globalization. Durham: Duke University Press.
Bauman, Zygmunt (2000) Globalization: the Human Consequences London: Polity.
Castells, Manuel (1997-8) La era de la información 3 vols Madrid: Alianza.
Enloe, Cynthia (2004) Margins, Silences, and Bottom Rungs: How to Overcome the Underestimation of Power in the Study of 
International Relationsre. In: Enloe, C. The Curious Feminist. Searching for Women in the New Age of Empire. Berkeley: University of Californa Press.
Evans, P.B.; Rueschemeyer, D.; Skocpol, Th. (1985) Bringing the state back in. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Press.
Hall, P.A.; Taylor, R. C. R. (1996) Political Science and the Three Institutionalisms. Political Studies, XLIV: 936-957.
Held, D. (2007) Globalization theory: approaches and controversies. Malden: Polity.
Inglehart, R. (2005) Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy. The Human Development Sequence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kaplinsky, Raphael (2008). What Does the Rise of China Do for Industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa? Review of African Political Economy, 35(115) pp. 7–22.
Martinussen, J. (2003) Society, State and Market: a guide to competing theories of development London: Zed Books.
North, Douglass, John Joseph Wallis,Steven B. Webb and Barry R. Weingast (2011) Limited Access Orders: Rethinking the Problems of Development and Violence, Journal of Economic Literature (Stanford University), Codes O-1, H-1, P-5, 19 page
Paus, E. (2012). Confronting the Middle Income Trap: Insights from Small Latecomers. Studies in Comparative International Development. 47(2): 115-138.
Santos, Boaventura S. (2005) El milenio huérfano. Madrid: Trotta.
Sassen, S. (2006) Territory, authority, rights: from medieval to global assemblages. Princeton: Princeton Univ Press.
 Sassen, S. (2007) Una sociología de la globalización. Buenos Aires: Katz.
Sen, Amartya (2001) Development as freedom. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press. (enesp: 2000, Desarrollo y Libertad. Madrid: Planeta).
 Sklair, L. (1997) “Social movements for global capitalism: the transnational capitalist class in action”, Review of International Political Economy, 4(3), pp. 514—538.
 Stiglitz, J. (2010) "The Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 and its Macroeconomic Consequences," in Time for a Visible Hand: Lessons from the 2008 World Financial Crisis, (S. Griffith-Jones, J.A. Ocampo, and J.E. Stiglitz, eds.), Initiative forPolicy Dialogue Series, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, pp. 19-49
 Tarrow, S. (1997) El Poder en movimiento: los movimientos sociales, la acción colectiva y la política Madrid: Alianza.
Tilly, Ch. (1991[1984]) Grandes estructuras, procesos amplios, comparaciones enormes Madrid: Alianza.
Walby, S. (2009) Globalization and inequalities: complexity and contested modernities. London: Sage.
 

 

 


Software

No specific software will be used


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 10 English first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 51 Spanish first semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 510 Spanish first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Spanish first semester afternoon