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| Semester | fall semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Julia Büchele (j.buechele@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Joschka Philipps (joschka.philipps@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Recent developments and crises challenge long-held ideas in the social sciences about the spatial nature of societies and the temporal nature of social change. In ways that are arguably unique in global history, the coronavirus pandemic has created a shared focus of attention across nation-states, hinting at the existence of a transnational society and globally interconnected interpretations of crisis. The killing of George Floyd and the subsequent socio-political movements against racism and police brutality, moreover, have highlighted the importance of critical events and the potentially accelerated nature of social change. In this seminar, we discuss contemporary interdisciplinary approaches and theories that seek to capture this configuration of spatial interconnectedness and temporal acceleration. The focus on the temporal categories of crises, events, and developments through a transnational perspective seeks to enable students to critically assess and understand both contemporary and past social and political dynamics, including the French Revolution, the interdependence of Civil Rights struggles in the United States and decolonization processes in Africa, Feminist movements and intersectional perspectives, as well as the recent measures against the spread of Covid-19 taken by countries across the world. |
| Learning objectives | ● Students are capable of critically interpreting crises, events, and developments from a transnational perspective. They are aware of what the respective concepts imply and can critically assess advantages and disadvantages of using different analytical frameworks. ● Students are familiar with the empirical cases discussed during the seminar. They can situate them in broader historical contexts and are capable of relating historical developments across world regions. |
| Bibliography | Cooper, Frederick. 2001. “What Is the Concept of Globalization Good for? An African Historian’s Perspective.” African Affairs 200:189–213. Federici, Silvia. 2012. Revolution at Point Zero: Housework, Reproduction, and Feminist Struggle. PM Press. Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. 1984. Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.” Boundary 2 12/13. 3: 333-358. Roitman, Janet L. 2014. Anti-Crisis. Durham: Duke University Press. Sewell, William H. 2005. “Historical Events as Transformations of Structures.” Pp. 225–70 in Logics of History. Social Theory and Social Transformation. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. |
| Comments | The seminar will be held in English. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Erweiterung Gesellschaftswissenschaften M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Research Lab Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Modul: Ungleichheit, Konflikt, Kultur (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Migration, Mobility and Transnationalism (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Participation Essay |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Soziologie |