Globalisation, Inequalities & Power | SOCI2036

Module overview

The module will discuss in what way globalisation enforces and

ameliorates inequalities: between individuals, men and women, social classes, countries and regions of the world. It will look at agents that have the power to shape these processes: states, businesses, third-sector organisations, international organisations, organised political actors. Studying the literature and data on these topics students will also develop their analytical skills and knowledge of methods and methodology.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Be better able to evaluate the appropriateness of different methods in social research.
Have improved your ability to critically probe concepts and arguments.
Have broadened your understanding of comparative methods as a tool for knowledge creation.
Have knowledge and understanding of the main agents with the power to affect inequalities: states, businesses, non-governmental organisations, the third sector, non-state organised political actors (trade unions, social movements).
Have knowledge and understanding of the main types of social inequalities.
Have knowledge and understanding of how these inequalities influence the distribution of life chances and wealth in societies.
Have knowledge and understanding of the concepts of globalisation, inequality and power in the social science literature.
Have further developed your analytic skills through critical engagement with different theoretical and empirical approaches.

Syllabus

In the first part of the module we will explore the meaning of globalisation, inequality and power in the social science literature. We will then study the impact of globalisation on inequality, using case studies and examples from around the world. In the final part of the module we will establish why states, businesses, third sector organisations, international organisations and non-state organised political actors are important actors that can increase or ameliorate inequalities, again using case studies. Illustrative examples of case studies:

Global inequalities: child labour and the corporate social responsibility of global businesses
States and in/equalities: welfare states around the world
The development of anti-poverty policies around the world
Globalisation and welfare retrenchment in highly developed nations

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

This module is taught by means of a twice-weekly lecture and a fortnightly seminar.

Learning activities include:

Discussions, data and text analysis, reading and writing

All teaching and assessment methods are designed with the above learning outcomes in mind, so that for students the steps are transparent that needs to be taken to achieve them

Study time
Type	Hours
Teaching	20
Independent Study	130
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Yeates, N.; Holden, C. (eds.) (2009). The Global Social Policy Reader. Policy Press.

Holton, R. (2014). Global Inequalities. Palgrave Macmillan.

Deacon, B. (2013). Global Social Policy in the Making. Policy Press.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	80%
Plan	20%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Exam	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External