SO420      Half Unit
Globalisation: Economy, Politics and Power

This information is for the 2013/14 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Francine Tonkiss S219

Availability

This course is available on the MSc in Economy, Risk and Society , MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation, MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC), MSc in Political Sociology, MSc in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies and MSc in Sociology. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

The course will introduce students to key approaches to globalisation in sociology and related disciplines with a focus on critical debates over the politics and economics of globalisation.
Topics include: debating and explaining globalisation; capitalism and globalisation; politics, the state and globalisation; globalisation and empire; power and inequality in the global economy; spaces of globalisation; 'alter-globalisation' movements.
 

Teaching

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT.

Formative coursework

1 x 1,500 word formative essay.

Indicative reading

Recommended general texts: D Held & A McGrew (Eds), The Global Transformations Reader; F Tonkiss (2006) Contemporary Economic Sociology: Globalisation, Production, Inequality: ch 1-3; F Lechner & J Boli (Eds), The Globalization Reader. A detailed reading list will be distributed at the beginning of the course, and specific key readings will be set for each topic.

Assessment

Exam (70%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.
Essay (30%, 2000 words) in the ST.

A formal two-hour examination in the ST (70%). A written assignment of 2,000 words (30%), two hard copies to be handed in to the Sociology Administration Office before 4.30pm on the first Wednesday of ST; a third copy to be posted to Moodle.

Attendance at all seminars and submission of all set coursework is required.

Student performance results

(2009/10 - 2011/12 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 8.7
Merit 65.2
Pass 26.1
Fail 0

Key facts

Department: Sociology

Total students 2012/13: Unavailable

Average class size 2012/13: Unavailable

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Communication

Course survey results

(2010/11 - 2011/12 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 88.5%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

1.5

Materials (Q2.3)

1.9

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.3

Lectures (Q2.5)

1.4

Integration (Q2.6)

1.2

Contact (Q2.7)

1.7

Feedback (Q2.8)

1.2

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

85.7%

Maybe

14.3%

No

0%