ASOK15202U Global Political Sociology

In this course an analytical framework for studying global societal trends is presented by synthesizing economic, cultural, sociological and political data in the image of Martin Shaw’s book Theory of the Global State (2000) and similar developments in the fields of International Sociology and International Relations. (Beck, Duedney). A general point in global sociology is that we have moved from a world where international dynamics set the agenda for how to grasp international relations into a world where global dynamics have moved to the fore. Following this trend Political Sociology must theorize and facilitate studies of the workings of these dynamics. From this change of perspective a theory emerges of the kind Ulrich Beck would name a truly global sociology, where the national point of departure is sought transcended. This is not only necessary but as well possible. Taking point of departure in Global Polity Theory we come to operationalize our perspective and form individual topics for making studies and assignments. Later in the course, we shall have visitors from the global governance sector, for instance Refugee United. It will be possible to choose a focus from a broad pallet of topics in Global Studies such as global inequality, geo-politics, state-building efforts, global trade, rise of global social communities, cosmopolitan culture, and world state issues, and will address global social problems like migration, global cultural divides and the possibilities for establishing a global community in reference to the problems of Climate Change.