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43314-01 - Lecture: Global Debates, Eurocentrism and Methodology (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers |
Niamh Christine O'Neill (niamh.oneill@unibas.ch)
Ralph Weber (ralph.weber@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | How do our social, historical and cultural contexts shape our ways of looking at the world and how we produce knowledge? How can we become aware of our positionalities and our patterns of thinking, and the impact these have on how we produce and process knowledge? More specifically, can we appropriately grasp “non-European experiences and facts” while making use of “European terms” or “European concepts”? Does it even make sense to speak of specifically “European” or “non-European” concepts? For students of European Global Studies, these questions are essential for understanding the global diffusion and interaction of ideas and how they are interpreted, critically analysed and applied in practice. This course looks at methodology in humanities and social sciences, focusing on the notion of Eurocentrism. It examines various definitions and critiques of Eurocentrism, providing an overview of the problems attributed to Eurocentrism that various global debates (e.g., world systems theory, postcolonial theory, decolonial discourses) have identified during past decades. Students learn to distinguish between different allegations of Eurocentrism, and to examine the respective validity of these allegations. In a subsequent step, we go further by investigating the critiques of Eurocentrism themselves, and analyse their forcefulness within their political and conceptual contexts. |
| Learning objectives | Students will learn to understand some of the many ways Eurocentrism is used in arguments in global debates. The course will familiarise students with leading intellectual voices from around the globe and sensitise them as to how such debates often do not conform to an easy European/non-European dividing line of discourse. At the end of the course, students should not only be able to assess what sort of Eurocentrism is being referred to in a given text, but also to argue why they are against/for a specific kind of Eurocentrism. They should also be able to situate these debates within broader considerations of how knowledge is produced, by whom and for whom. |
| Bibliography | The full reading list will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | Europainstitut Basel |
| Admission requirements | This course is exclusively for students enrolled in the MA programme in European Global Studies and open to Katekisama programme students from partner universities. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 19.02.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 26.02.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Fasnachtsferien |
| Thursday 05.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 12.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 19.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 26.03.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 02.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Ostern |
| Thursday 09.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 16.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 23.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 30.04.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 07.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 14.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Auffahrt |
| Thursday 21.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 28.05.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 120 |
| Thursday 04.06.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 118 |
| Modules |
Module: Societal Approaches (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | On-site exam (closed book) at the end of the semester |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | University of Basel |
| Offered by | Europainstitut |