ASOK15207U Contemporary Economic Sociology

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MA course in sociological theory (MSc 2005)

MA Theory and Methodology (MSc 2015)

Specialiseringslinje (KA 2005): Organisation, ledelse og arbejdsmarked

Course package (MSc 2015): Knowledge, organisation and politics and Welfare, inequality and mobility

Content

The course introduces the theoretical and empirical foundations of contemporary economic sociology, as a way to understand how sociologists engage with the study of complex socioeconomic issues. In the last decades, a vibrant economic sociology has emerged and developed, which has critically analysed both latest capitalist developments and a broad range of economy-related phenomena. In the 1970s capitalist economies began to experience important change processes. These changes, together with the current crisis in North-Atlantic capitalism and its world-wide implications, have advanced further the critical and empirical sociological analysis of contemporary economy.

Part I. Introduction to contemporary economic sociology

1.Introduction: why and what a contemporary economic sociology for?

2. Old/new and broad/narrow economic sociology

3. Globalization and capitalism

Part II. Main perspectives and analytical concepts

4. Macro perspectives. Social structure, culture, institutions, embeddedness, social system, state.

5. Micro perspectives. Networks, social capital, identities, conventions, field, sector, social interaction.

6. Economics, performativity and economization

Part III. Main topics and issues

7. Markets

8. Inequality, money and finance

9. Rationality, calculation, and value/valuation

Part IV. Current issues in contemporary capitalism

10. Globalizing production: global production/value networks/chains; Multi-National Corporations and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

11. Economy’s financialization (global financial markets) and culturalization (signs, symbols, information, knowledge, digitalization)

12. Comparative capitalisms and crisis: competing models of capitalism in the neo-liberal age.

13. Alternatives to current capitalism.

14. Conclusions and summing-up

Learning Outcome

After completion students are expected to be able to:

  • understand the central concepts and principles of the new economic sociology, its basic approaches, and recent developments.
  • apply the analytical concepts to understand phenomena related to contemporary economies.
  • analyse critically issues and problems related to current capitalism, globalization and crisis.   

  

Course readings or texts will be available in a compendium and in electronic format in Absalon.

7.5 ECTS: 600 pages

10 ECTS: 800 pages

General and reference  sources (not obligatory):

  • Beckert, Jens and Zafirovski, Milan (eds.) (2006) International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology. London: Routledge.
  • “Economic Sociology. The European Electronic Newsletter” at http:/​/​econsoc.mpifg.de/​archive
A basic knowledge on general, macro and micro sociology at BA level is required.
The classes will consist of a combination of short lecturing, discussion and debates, student presentations, group-work, some media/visual documents, and if possible talks by guest lecturers.
INDICATIVE WORKLOAD
The number of lecture hours are the same for both 7,5 and 10 ECTS courses.

7,5 ECTS:
Lectures: 28
Course preparation: 65
Exercises: 31
Project work: 30
Exam Preparation: 52
Total: 206

10 ECTS:
Lectures: 28
Course preparation: 80
Exercises: 28
Project work: 0
Exam Preparation: 139
Total: 275
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam Preparation
  • 52
  • Exercises
  • 31
  • Preparation
  • 65
  • Project work
  • 30
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
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 portfolio assignments must be no longer than 15 pages. For group assignments, an extra 7,5 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

Sociology students must be enrolled under MSc Curriculum 2015 to take this exam.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Submission dates and time will be available at KUnet, www.kunet.dk. Exchange students and danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology; http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/education/exams/ and http://www.soc.ku.dk/uddannelser/meritstuderende/eksamen/

Criteria for exam assesment

See course outcome

Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Individual/group. Free written take-home essays are assignments for which students define and formulate a problem within the parameters of the course and based on an individual exam syllabus. The free written take-home essay must be no longer than 15 pages. For group assignments, an extra 7,5 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

Sociology students must be enrolled under MSc Curriculum 2005 to take this exam.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period

Submission dates and time will be available at KUnet, www.kunet.dk. Exchange students and danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology; http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/education/exams/ and http://www.soc.ku.dk/uddannelser/meritstuderende/eksamen/

Criteria for exam assesment

Please see learning outcome