SYLLABUS
KEY CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ISSUES
FACULTY OF SOCIOLOGY AND HISTORY
INSTITUTE OF SOCIOLOGY
COURSE TITLE
FACULTY/INSTITUTE
COURSE CODE
DEGREE PROGRAMME
FIELD OF STUDY
DEGREE LEVEL
FORMA
MODE
/
STUDIÓW/STUDY
SOCIOLOGY
COURSE FORMAT
YEAR AND SEMESTER
MA, BA
FACULTATIVE/OPTIONAL
ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016;
SUMMER SEMESTER (FEB-JUN)
ZOFIA WĘGRZYN MA zofia.wegrzyn@wp.pl
NAME OF THE TEACHER
COURSE OBJECTIVES
THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
 UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS THAT GOVERN MODERN SOCIETY
 OBTAINING KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST INTERESTING CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
ISSUES
 THE ABILITY TO INDICATE THE CONDITIONS, FACTORS AND LIMITATIONS OF
DISCUSSED ISSUES
NO PREREQUISITES
PREREQUISITES
KNOWLEDGE:
LEARNING OUTCOMES
AFTER COMPLETING THE COURSE STUDENTS KNOW:
 THE MOST INTERESTING CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
ISSUES;
 THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
THINKERS.
SKILLS:
AFTER COMPLETING THE COURSE STUDENTS CAN:
 DEFINE EFFECTS SUCH AS FEMINISM, POST-FEMINISM,
LIQUID MODERNITY, GLOBALISATION, RISK SOCIETY,
NETWORK SOCIETY,
 INDICATE
THE
CONDITIONS,
FACTORS
AND
LIMITATIONS OF DISCUSSED ISSUES,
 IDENTIFY THE PROCESSES THAT AFFECT THE MODERN
SOCIETIES.
FINAL COURSE OUTPUT - SOCIAL COMPETENCES
AFTER COMPLETING THE COURSE STUDENTS ARE ABLE:
 TO WORK IN A MULTICULTURAL GROUPS;
 INDEPENDENTLY AND CRITICALLY COMPLEMENTARY
KNOWLEDGE
AND
SKILLS,
ENHANCED
INTERDISCIPLINARY DIMENSION
 TO LEAD DISCUSSION ON CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
ISSUES.
COURSE ORGANISATION –LEARNING FORMAT AND NUMBER OF HOURS
SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS - 30 HOURS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
CLASS WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE INTRODUCTION TO THE KEY CONTEMPORARY
SOCIAL ISSUES. KNOWLEDGE OF THESE ISSUES IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE
PROCESSES OCCURRING IN THE MODERN SOCIETY. EACH ISSUE WILL BE DISCUSSED IN
RELATION TO THE VIEWS OF ONE OF THE LEADING CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGISTS.
SPECIAL STRESS WILL BE PLACED ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:
•
LIQUID MODERNITY (ZYGMUNT BAUMAN) - 6 HOURS
•
FEMINISM AND POST-FEMINISM (JUDITH BUTLER) - 6 HOURS
•
THE RISK SOCIETY (ULRICH BECK) - 6 HOURS
•
THE NETWORK SOCIETY (MANUEL CASTELLS) - 6 HOURS
•
GLOBALISATION (GEORGE RITZER) - 6 HOURS.
VARIOUS TEACHING METHODOLOGIES ARE BLENDED
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
IN THE COURSE, INCLUDING:
LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, READINGS, ARTICLE STUDIES,
CLASS DISCUSSIONS, CASE STUDIES, INDIVIDUAL
PROJECTS (PREPARING ESSAYS OR PRESENTATION)
REQUIREMENTS
AND •ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS (16 CREDITS)
ASSESSMENTS
•ESSAY OR PRESENTATION (1-6 CREDITS)
12 - 11 CREDITS – A (5.0)
GRADING SYSTEM
10 - 9 CREDITS – B (4.5)
8 - CREDITS C (4.0)
7 - CREDITS – D (3,5)
6 - CREDITS - E (3.0)
5 - 0 - CREDITS – F (2.0)
•INDIVIDUAL
WORK
PREPARATION
TO
TOTAL STUDENT WORKLOAD
SEMINAR/WORKSHOPS – 20 HOURS – 1 ECTS
NEEDED TO ACHIEVE EXPECTED
•ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS –
LEARNING OUTCOMES
30 HOURS – 2 ECTS
EXPRESSED
• PREPARATION OF ESSAY OR PRESENTATION – 40
IN TIME AND ECTS CREDIT
HOURS – 2 ECTS
POINTS
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
NO
INTERNSHIP
PRIMARY OR REQUIRED BOOKS/READINGS:
MATERIALS





Z. BAUMAN (2000) LIQUID MODERNITY. CAMBRIDGE: POLITY
PRESS.
U. BECK (1992) RISK SOCIETY. TOWARDS A NEW MODERNITY.
LONDON: SAGE.
J. BUTLER (1999) GENDER TROUBLE: FEMINISM AND THE
SUBVERSION OF IDENTITY. NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE.
M. CASTELLS (2010) THE RISE OF THE NETWORK SOCIETY.
OXFORD: BLACKWELL.
G. RITZER (2009) GLOBALIZATION. A BASIC TEXT. OXFORD:
BLACKWELL.
SUPPLEMENTAL OR OPTIONAL BOOKS/READINGS:

B. ADAM, U. BECK J. LOON (EDS.) (2000) THE RISK SOCIETY
AND BEYOND. CRITICAL ISSUES FOR SOCIAL THEORY.
LONDON: SAGE.

Z. BAUMAN (2003) LIQUID LOVE: ON THE FRAILTY OF HUMAN
BONDS, CAMBRIDGE: POLITY PRESS.

Z. BAUMAN (2005) LIQUID LIFE. CAMBRIDGE: POLITY PRESS.

Z. BAUMAN (2006) LIQUID FEAR. CAMBRIDGE: POLITY
PRESS.

Z. BAUMAN (2006) LIQUID TIMES: LIVING IN AN AGE OF
UNCERTAINTY. CAMBRIDGE: POLITY PRESS.

Z. BAUMAN & D. LYON (2013) LIQUID SURVEILLANCE: A
CONVERSATION. CAMBRIDGE: POLITY PRESS.

J. BUTLER (2004) UNDOING GENDER. NEW YORK:
ROUTLEDGE.

M. CASTELLS (ED.) (2004) THE NETWORK SOCIETY. A CROSSCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. CHELTENHAM: EDWARD ELGAR
PUBLISHING.

M. DAVIS (ED.) (2013), LIQUID SOCIOLOGY: METAPHOR IN
ZYGMUNT BAUMAN'S ANALYSIS OF MODERNITY. FARNHAM:
ASHGATE.

G. RITZER (ED.) (2007) THE BLACKWELL COMPANION TO
GLOBALIZATION. OXFORD: BLACKWELL.

S. SALIH (2002) JUDITH BUTLER. NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE.