Sociology

This course focuses on collective, systemic, structural violence, such as mass political violence on the one hand, and sexual and intra-family violence on the other. Using the lenses of the social sciences, it examines how they arise. It then looks at the responses to these issues: penalizing the perpetrators, listening to and providing therapeutic care for the victims, dialogue between the various parties, writing a shared history. In pairs, students carry out a fragment of a collective investigation: observation of a mechanism for protecting victims of collective violence (the National Court of Asylum, in Montreuil), or an interview with experts in sexual and intra-familial response. The social sciences (academic sources, and in particular books and articles based on empirical surveys) are privileged (to the detriment of press articles, blogs, reports from international or national organizations). The course provides an opportunity for familiarization with the way in which the social sciences (political science, history, sociology, anthropology, social psychology) view collective, political, and social violence. It reflects on the responses of experts and societies to such violence, and their limitations, and uses social science empirical survey methodologies (ethnographic observation, semi-directive interviews).

This course provides a study on the social structure of Spain taking into account trends of social inequality, social stratification and mobility, family life, labor markets and new forms of cultural diversity. 

This course offers an overview of Israel's political and social structure from an urban perspective. The course is divided into three main chapters. The first chapter, "Political and Social Foundations in Israel," will deal with the political system in Israel, particularly emphasizing the local government; and with the main social divisions that underlie this system. The second chapter, "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict," will present the history and geography of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while referring to critical and institutional theories. The third and main chapter, "Cities in Israel," will present an analysis of politics and society in Israel through various cities in Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Acre, Nazareth; and peripheral agricultural areas that include the tension between the kibbutzim and the development towns.

This course provides a sociological perspective on economic, social, and political processes, focusing especially on global social change and sustainable development. Students acquire the knowledge required to understand and critically examine the discussions pursued about the global social change that marks modernity, focusing especially on the post-war period. The course includes four modules, this is the first module: Classical and Modern Social Analysis. The first module addresses classical and modern sociological theory, as well as the economic, social, and political transformations in focus of classical sociology. Emphasis is placed on the processes leading up to the social transformations that are usually covered by the concept of modernity, such as the emergence of sovereign nation-states, capitalism, bureaucracies, rationalization, and increasing division/differentiation of labor in and between countries. Furthermore, the module utilizes the different theories of science positions originally developed in classical sociology but still marking the social sciences.

This course introduces the basic issues associated with contemporary globalization. While the focus is on contemporary issues, the course begins by examining challenges of development in the context of the history of the past two centuries. And while the course conceives globalization as a process driven by economic and technological forces, it recognizes distinct and significant social, political, and cultural manifestations and consequences. Thus, it analyzes the most important social, cultural, and political factors interacting with the dynamic forces of the world economy.

This course on environmental justice examines how environmental processes and policies interact with race, class, gender, and indigeneity to differentially affect people's exposure to environmental harm, and their ability to participate in environmental decision-making. It analyzes environmental injustice in relation to histories of colonialism, as well as contemporary processes of globalized capitalism. The course engages in case studies, discussions, and group projects, fostering a critical view on reconciling localized justice struggles with planetary environmental crises.

This course provides an exploration of the relationship to Eastern European Jewishness, both secular and religious, from the end of the 18th century to the present, marked by profound social, economic, political, and cultural transformations. The complex relationship between all of them reflects on the evolutions of Jewish singularity, paradigmatic to other minorities. This interdisciplinary course introduces a modern encounter between Jews, societies, and States, both in culture and politics, including the consequences of the Holocaust and its legacy in the present. It offers a precious key to understand the diversity of contemporary debates on singular versus universal rights, traditions versus modernity, rural versus urban cultures, religiousness versus secularity and beyond that, the condition of modernity in Europe. Olga Tokarczuk's Nobel Prize-winning book, THE BOOKS OF JACOB, is the focus of reflective, historical, and creative work throughout this course. The creative cartographies produced are presented to and potentially commented on by the author.

This course looks at Hong Kong’s colonial past and walks through a rather autonomous governance under “one country, two systems” to the present (almost) puppet government under China. It delves into the changing history, society, culture, economy, and politics of Hong Kong, taking a critical approach to understanding Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong is still a global city and a small region that is never independent of any country, inevitably, the course situates it in relation to the UK, China, the US, or other countries. At the same time, the course assesses the relevance of Hong Kong to the world and dares to envision its future.  

There is no prerequisite for this course; it is designed for students from all backgrounds. The course is heavily lecture-based but will have discussions and occasional film appreciation sessions. Furthermore, guest speakers from Hong Kong will be invited to speak about different subjects, including the media, religion, civil society, public administration, housing, and the diaspora of Hong Kong.  

In a globalized world, fostering cultural competency is essential for success in any profession and trade that values the diversity of people and their cultures. This course draws on evidence-informed techniques to develop students' cultural competency, focusing on their knowledge and understanding, their awareness and sensitivity, your skills and interaction, and your leadership and management capability. Students are introduced to a range of disciplinary methods that are ideally placed to help them develop specific domains of cultural competency. The teaching is delivered by a wide range of methodological experts from across the College. Learning is dynamic and interactive, and focused on how to make positive changes at the interpersonal, team, institutional/structural and systemic levels.