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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers |
Basil Bornemann (basil.bornemann@unibas.ch)
Jamie Pring (jamie.pring@unibas.ch, Assessor) Katrin Sontag (katrin.sontag@unibas.ch) |
| Content | The two courses, “Understanding Changing Societies” and “Analyzing Changing Societies,” provide an overview of different processes, forms, causes and consequences of changing societies, and deepen several aspects from different disciplinary perspectives. While “Understanding Changing Societies” focuses on theory and discourse, “Analyzing Changing Societies” focuses on methodology, methods, cases, and applied research. As the courses build on each other, students are encouraged to take both courses (TUCS and MACS) in the same semester. TUCS/MACS 2 (the courses in autumn) are designed as more basic courses, TUCS/MACS 1 build on these fundamental courses in the spring term. However, it is possible to take them in the reverse order and start in spring. Societies are subject to constant change, which takes place across scales and in relation to the movement of people, ways of knowing, practices, concepts, technologies and objects. They shape and are shaped by the fundamental values and norms of societies, the identities and self-understandings of social actors, the relationship and interaction between individuals and collectives, forms of social conflict, governmental strategies and tactical approaches, practices of regulating collective affairs, among other concepts and processes. The nature of such changes can range from the personal, individual level to the level of organizations and networks, that is, large aggregated, social structures such as the state or global markets. Social changes can take the form of disruptive turnarounds, immediate transitions and continuous transformative change. They have numerous exogenous and endogenous causes, interdependent with environmental conditions and technological developments, and the culturally specific interpretations thereof. Finally, societal changes have a variety of consequences and drive or dampen other processes of change from efforts of targeted reflexive design to everyday practices of resilience and contest with a focus on inclusive, sustainable forms of change. |
| Learning objectives | The overall aim of the two courses is to create a common ground for students of the MA program Changing Societies. «Methods for Analyzing Changing Societies” serves students to gain insights into the methodological range through which phenomena of societal change can be studied, analyzed and interpreted. To this end, the course offers an introduction into key methods of “Changing Societies” from different inter/trans/disciplinary perspectives. By the end of the course “Understanding Changing Societies”, the participants will 1. be familiar with basic concepts and theoretical approaches for the analysis of societal change; 2. have acquired basic knowledge about the forms and dimensions, the causes and conditions as well as the effects and implications of different kinds of societal change from different disciplinary perspectives; 3. have extended and deepened their competences in reading and analyzing texts and in actively taking part in theoretically oriented social scientific discussions. |
| Comments | It is highly recommended that students of this class also take the Seminar 58991 "Theories for Understanding Changing Societies" |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 21.09.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 28.09.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 05.10.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 12.10.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 19.10.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 26.10.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 02.11.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 09.11.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 16.11.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 23.11.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 30.11.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 07.12.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 14.12.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 119 |
| Thursday 21.12.2023 | 16.15-17.45 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117 |
| Modules |
Module: Methods for Analyzing Changing Societies (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| 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 | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Gesellschaftswissenschaften |