VSFS:B_Spss Sociological Issues of Contemp - Course Information

B_Spss Sociological Issues of Contemporary World

Extent and Intensity

1/1. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).

Teacher(s)

doc. Mgr. Ondřej Roubal, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Michal Tomčík, PhD. (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

doc. Mgr. Ondřej Roubal, Ph.D.
Subdepartment of Management and Marketing – Department of Economics and Management – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Ivana Plačková

Timetable of Seminar Groups

B_Spss/cMPH: each even Wednesday 10:30–11:14 E127, each even Wednesday 11:15–12:00 E127, O. Roubal
B_Spss/cMVMO: each even Wednesday 10:30–11:14 M15, each even Wednesday 11:15–12:00 M15, M. Tomčík
B_Spss/pMPH: each odd Wednesday 10:30–11:14 E127, each odd Wednesday 11:15–12:00 E127, O. Roubal
B_Spss/pMVMO: each odd Wednesday 12:15–12:59 M15, each odd Wednesday 13:00–13:45 M15, M. Tomčík

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

The objective of the course is to describe the principles of traditional, modern, postmodern and global society in the context of sociological theories. The student should be able to analyse a sociological discourse about a character of a postmodern society and he/she should learn to interpret chosen sociological conceptions of contemporary time in the conditions of the accelerated global processes. Moreover, the student should know the globalization of economic, political and cultural processes; especially the social consequences of these processes. The student should be properly informed about the alternatives of the ‘open’ world, hope and opportunity of the global period of the society and should be able to identify global risks from environmental, political and social points of view. The course provides the interpretation of the work of Z. Baumann and his conception of ‘liquid modernity’ as an alternative of the form of the global society. The student should analyse the problem of increasing individualisation and uncertainty in the society, point out signals of the new forms of global lifestyles and to discuss the questions of commercialization of day-to-day living in the conditions of welfare society. In addition to, the objective of the course is also to put an emphasis on the importance of the social effects of marketing communications as an intervention factor in a social area. Finally, the student should be able to introduce and explain the phenomenon of a human happiness in the welfare society and a participation of marketing communications on the imaginations about happiness and a choice of the individual strategies of its achievement.

Syllabus

• 1. The current sociological discourse about a character of the postmodern society (from traditional to global society). Principles of the traditional, modern, postmodern and global society – What society do we live in?
• 2. Theory of modernity. Organized modernity and the term of ‘an organized person’.
• 3. Theory of modernization. Specification of the first and the second wave of modernization theories, emancipation theory of the modernization and identification of social, political and economic consequences of modernity.
• 4. Disputes over the character of globalization. The terms – globalization, globalism. Liberal and socio-critical point of view of the process of globalization. The first and second phase of globalization. ‘The winners’ and ‘the losers’ of globalization.
• 5. Globalisation of economics. Deregulation, privatization, liberalization of economics and its connections to the society. Economics without borders, politics without power etc.
• 6. Globalisation and a social state. Typology of social states, increasing of social risks, consequences of the changes of a character of work, prekarization of work, problems of employability in the modern society, flexibility of work and its consequences.
• 7. Globalisation of politics. European integration, particularism, universalism, social movements, problems of present nationalism, ethnic a racial issues, multiculturalism and the policy of identities.
• 8. Globalization of culture. New cultural phenomenon (hybridity and creolization), carnival society, new global lifestyles, commercialisation of day-to-day living, hedonism.
• 9. Theory of liquid modernity by Z. Bauman.
• 10. Living in the period of liquid modernity. From mentality of a game warden, a gardener to mentality of a hunter, the changes of life trajectories of man.
• 11. The life as an artistic work. Art of self-identification and the construction of identity in period of ‘hunters and players’ society.
• 12. Living in the period of welfare society. The syndrome of a big wolf and looking for happiness in welfare society. Phenomenon of human happiness and a choice of individual strategies for its achievement.

Literature

required literature
• Roubal, O. Sociologie a pozdně moderní společnost. Praha: VŠFS-EUPRESS, 2014. ISBN 978-80-7408-087-6
• Giddens, A: Sociologie, Argo, Praha, 1999
• Budil, I.T. Střet kultur a vzpoura proti modernitě, 2002. www.blisty.cz/art/10753.html
• Keller, J.: Soumrak sociálního státu. SLON: Praha, 2005.
• Keller, J. (2007): Teorie modernizace. Slon: Praha.
• Keller, J.: Tři sociální světy. Praha: Slon, 2010

recommended literature
• Beck,U: Riziková společnost, Sociologické nakladatelství, Praha 2004
• Fukuyama, F.: Velký rozvrat. Praha: Academia, 2006.
• Bauman, Z. : Umění života. Praha: Academia, 2010
• Sedláček, T.: Ekonomie dobra a zla, 65. pole , Praha 2009
• Bauman, Z.: Tekutá modernita Mladá fronta, Praha, 2002
• Bělohradský, V.: Společnost nevolnosti, Slon, Praha, 2009
• Hirt, J., Jakoubek, M.: Soudobé spory o multikulturalismus a politika identit. Plzeň: Aleš Čeněk, 2005.
• Bauman, Z.: Tekuté časy-život ve věku nejistoty. Praha: Academia, 2008

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars in full-time study; tutorials in part-time study (giving instructions for an individual preparation and self-study based on the required and recommended reading); compulsory seminar participation is 75% in full-time study, compulsory tutorial participation is 50% in part-time study.

Assessment methods

The course is completed by the fulfilling of requirements. Students gain credits for a successful defence of the seminar paper. The defence includes a critical discussion and peer evaluation. Presentation of the seminar paper takes about 25 – 30minutes. One of the following topics should be chosen: a) secondary analysis of the current sociological research concerning the issues of the knowledge of human well-being or b) an identification of unintended effects of marketing statements.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 6 hodin KS/semestr.

• Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2015, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.vsfs.cz/course/vsfs/summer2015/B_Spss