ASOK15101U Advanced Knowledge, Organization and Politics
Mandatory MA course 1. Semester
MA Sociology 2015
Credit students must be at master level.
Exchange students at both bachelor and master level can sign up for
this course.
Course package (MSc 2015):
Knowledge, organisation and politics
This is the core mandatory course for the MA specialization in Knowledge, Organization and Politics. The course reviews a range of central theoretical-analytical perspectives and empirical studies, each contributing to the sociological analysis of the ways in which society is organized and governed as well as the role(s) played by the production and use of knowledge in different organizational and political fields. For this purpose, analytical tools from three branches of sociology will be introduced and discussed: organizational sociology, sociology of knowledge, and political sociology. The mutual relations, overlaps, and tensions between these subject areas and fields serve as the object of both theoretical and empirical analysis, as well as being put to use by students in their independent project work, i.e. inquiries into a chosen topic or problematic within the thematic field.
The course is structured along two main analytical axes. First, we read and analyze core sociological texts dealing with politically central forms of societal organization, at and across micro-, meso- and macro-sociological levels of analysis (municipalities, state bureaucracies, social movements, professional elites, multinational companies, international organizations etc.). Second, we introduce and discuss a range of theoretical-analytical perspectives relevant for the thematic field (neo-institutional organizational theory, neo-Weberian sociology of professions, Bourdieu-inspired field analyses, pragmatic-sociological convention theory etc.).
In this context, one central question running throughout the course is how knowledge and power come to relate in specific organizational contexts, and how we might understand and analyze such contexts in terms of concepts such as validity, legitimacy, conflict, and democracy. Here, we link our analyses to contemporary and central sociological discussions on such themes as the knowledge- and risk society, neo-liberalism, and globalization. These and related theoretical-analytical concepts will be used as tools for contextualizing the project-based inquiries within the thematic field which students will carry out and discuss in-between themselves throughout the entirety of the course.
The aim of the course is for students to acquire and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competencies forming the basics of the MA specialization in Knowledge, organization and politics.
The demonstration of the fulfilment of the learning goals is done through the project work.
As such, the project work should demonstrate that students have acquired the ability to independently identify and analyze cases and settings where knowledge, politics and organization interact.
The project should hence demonstrate:
Knowledge:
An overview of the core sociological research literature within the thematic field of knowledge, organization and politics provided through readings of a variety of exemplary cases.
Knowledge of central analytical approaches to the thematic field of knowledge, organization and politics
Skills:
To identify and analyze one or more empirical case(s) or settings which exemplifies how
To state a relevant research problem which relates to the course aims and course content.
To choose, motivate and apply central concepts from the literature to the analysis of the selected empirical cases and situations.
To generate adequate empirical data, perform a structured analysis of these data through the lens of relevant analytical perspectives and to reflect methodologically on their own knowledge production during the project work.
Competencies:
To thoroughly compare and contrast key analytical perspectives
To assess practical consequences of their analysis for key actors, issues, and problems within and across organizational fields where relations between knowledge and politics is important.
A compendium consisting of central texts within the thematic
field will be put together and made available prior to course
start.
The total curriculum is app. 1000 pages.
In addition, students are required to choose supplementary reading
materials for their project work (app. 200 pages).
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 56
- Preparation
- 321
- Exam Preparation
- 35
- Total
- 412
Feedback and peer-feedback of student projects is integrated in the programme as described above. The form and time dedicated to project work and peer feedback in class hours will be specified in the detailed course programme.
Registration deadline for courses is:
June 1st for Autumn semester
December 1st for Spring semester.
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
Sociology Student (from KU):
Registration online at KUnet
Anthropology Students (from KU):
You must register as credit student and have a pre-approval.
Find more information at
www.soc.ku.dk under Uddannelse
-> Meritstuderende.
International exchange students:
You must sign up by filling in an application form. Find it at
www.sociology.ku.dk.
Credit students:
Find more information at
www.soc.ku.dk under Uddannelse
-> Meritstuderende.
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Portfolio, -Oral defence, -Individual or group.
A portfolio assignment is defined as a series of short assignments during the course that address one or more set questions and feedback is offered during the course.
All of the assignments are submitted together for assessment at the end of the course.
The assignment does have an oral defence after hand-in.
The portfolio assignments must be no longer than 30 pages. For group assignments, an extra 15 pages is added per additional student. Further details for this exam form can be found in the Curriculum and in the General Guide to Examinations at KUnet. - Exam registration requirements
You need to be registered for the course.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
- Exam period
Find more information on your study page at KUnet.
Exchange students and Danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology;
www.sociology.ku.dk under Education --> Exams- Re-exam
Portfolio with oral defence examination.
Individual or group.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see the learning outcome.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- ASOK15101U
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- See timetable.
- Course capacity
- Vejl. 46 personer
- Study board
- Department of Sociology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Sociology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Mathias Wullum Nielsen (3-7c867d4f827e723d7a843d737a)
Lecturers
Mathias Wullum Nielsen, e-mail: mwn@soc.ku.dk