Course: Political sociology

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Course title Political sociology
Course code KPOL/B104
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 1
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Novotný Lukáš, doc. Dr. phil. M.A.
Course content
1. Risk society as a sociological problem (risk society, new social risks, welfare state - workfare state, multiplicity without unity, new opacity, glocalization). 2. New social risks (Jan Keller and new social risks, old and new social risks, social risks - history and present, reforms and consequences of reforms, reforms and the labor market). 3. Social groups in today's society (social groups or social networks? Primary groups, family and its transformation, member and reference groups, crowds as a special kind of social groups, social networks). 4. Political actors - interest groups and political parties and their role in society (representation in political communication, interest groups, definition of a political party, typology of political parties, right and left, party systems). 5. Sociology of European integration (project of European citizenship, Europeanization, Euroscepticism, macro- and micro-sociological views). 6. Society and culture (definition of culture, composition of culture, "anatomy" of culture, cultural relativism, intercultural communication). 7. Society and media (mass communication, media democracy, two-stage model of communication, television hyperrealist, commercialization of media, public service media, media responsibility). 8. Democracy and totalitarianism (definition of democracy, principle of majority, democracy and preservation of minority rights, participatory democracy, crisis of democracy, totalitarianism). 9. Participation and civil society (theoretical background, source areas, inspiration for civic participation, definitions, typologies, actors, advantages and disadvantages, methods and techniques, practical examples). 10. Political culture (definition of political culture, types of political culture, post-socialist political culture, political culture in the Czech Republic, research of political culture in the Czech Republic). 11. Modernity in sociology (Contemporary theories of modernity - Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck, Zygmunt Bauman, George Ritzer, Jürgen Habermas, global culture, the concept of glocalization). 12. Sociology of globalization 1 ("birth" of globalization, development of globalization to the present, consequences of globalization, global socio-economic problems: unemployment, scientific progress, overpopulation, population density, diseases of civilization, xenophobia, racism, organized crime). 13. Sociology of globalization 2 (formation of the global system, glocalization, international institutions and their influence, Wallerstein - world system theory, multinational companies, tax havens, postmodern state). 14. Perspectives of contemporary political sociology (new trends - postcolonialism, multiculturalism, globalization, new critical theory. Project "public sociology").

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The course presents the problems of today's political sociology, related to the central social changes - globalization, "liquid modernity", uncertainty and the breakdown of the contours of the welfare state. It aims to present the key issues of contemporary political sociology and the authors who deal with them, including their main concepts and paradigms. Although it focuses mainly on current sociological theories, it will also be based on the knowledge of "classical sociology", which will be repeated and deepened in the course. The aim is to create in students an awareness of specific social problems and the view of them in today's political sociology. The course will provide a theoretical insight into the issue, but the theoretical paradigms will then be applied in practice - today's social debates and problems (unemployment, xenophobia, workfare state, etc.).
The student is able to use professional terminology. The student will gain the ability to orient in the field of political sociology. The student will acquire the ability to analyze and interpret the partial phenomena of today's societies and more general contexts and long-term characteristics of selected social problems. The student is able to understand the functioning of today's society from the perspective of relevant sociological and political science theory.
Prerequisites
None.

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
To successfully complete the course, it is required to submit a seminar paper in the range of 8 to 10 standard pages and successful completion of the exam.
Recommended literature
  • BECK, U. Co je to globalizace? Omyly a odpovědi. Brno, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7325-123-9.
  • GIDDENS, A. Důsledky modernity. Praha, 1998. ISBN 80-85850-62-1.
  • KELLER, J. Nová sociální rizika a proč se jim nevyhneme. Praha, 2011. ISBN 978-80-7419-059-9.
  • MAŠKARINEC, P., NOVOTNÝ, L. Strany a vládnutí v digitální éře. Praha, 2020. ISBN 978-80-200-30.
  • MÜLLER, K. Politická sociologie. Politika a identita v podmínkách modernity. Praha, 2012. ISBN 978-80-7380-394-0.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester