Modules

The module runs in two interrelated Streams, and students will take both.

In Stream 1, this module is designed to introduce students to the concepts, theories, and practices of Globalisation Then and Now through an internationalised overview of world political, cultural, social, and economic history, and to refocus contemporary debates on globalisation to the edges of the world system. This provides a critical approach to understanding globalisation as an historical process, and not a relatively new phenomenon. The module will introduce students to critical analysis of key phases in the evolution of world history in how human development over time has contributed to broader societal change through the discovery of new improving technologies on the one hand but has been a highly uneven process characterised by the unequal distribution of power, violence, discrimination and oppression on the other. The module questions Western and universalised approaches to understanding globalisation through an examination of Eastern and Southern-led processes and experiences. It provides an historical and contextually driven approach to contemporary questions surrounding issues of underdevelopment and global inequality, key features in understanding politics and international relations. Students will gain an understanding of global forces that are historically inscribed and approach globalisation through multiple lenses and perspectives. Content will include:

  • Key theories of globalisation – World systems theory, dependency theory, and the use of multiple and layered international relations theories to understand globalisation
  • Three key approaches to globalisation: Hyper-globalists, integrationists, transformationalists, regionalists
  • World economic history: colonialism, colours and early capital
  • Silk routes, fur trade, slave trade and early global transformation: Who paid for industrialisation?
  • Industrialisation and deindustrialisation: the start of the ‘Great divide’
  • South Pacific encounters with globalisation: the persistence of the gift in Polynesian globalisation
  • Chinese globalisation: Confucian, communism, and copper
  • Indigenous peoples in global perspective: On the margins of the world system
  • South Asian forces of globalisation: sweatshops of the world or manufacturing centre of the world?
  • Latin American perspectives on globalisation: coffee, Chavez and communism.

In Stream 2, students will explore What's in the News? 

Stream 2 is designed to empower students with the analytical and methodological tools required to comprehend how major global events are portrayed and re-presented in the media, news, documentary, film and academic texts. This module explores the intricate process of decoding, unpacking, and critically assessing the narratives and representations surrounding significant international occurrences, doing so methodologically, and placing these in context. The module emphasises understanding dominant and alternative framings, enabling students to question how and why certain perspectives are privileged.

Each week, students will engage with the theme of “What’s in the news?” to interpret, decode, and analyse current global affairs. Through this focus, students will enhance their ability to apply research methods, assess sources, and build arguments using documentary evidence, policy analysis, political speeches, and academic sources. This approach fosters essential skills in communicating ideas, critical thinking, and the broader methodological scholarship necessary for Global Affairs and International Relations. Students will learn to understand how to evaluate and use sources and foundational methods for the discipline.

Students on the Economics Pathway will undertake half of their content in Stream 2 focusing on Economics methods and materials.

This module provides an introduction to sociological and social theory, as well as key sociological concepts, and demonstrates the breadth of sociological investigation in contemporary society. It considers the making of social identities – both individual and collective with a focus on theorising social divisions, in particular diversity and inequality. The module proposes thematic applications of social science, including education, work and leisure, consumption, culture, knowledge and belief, impairment, normalcy and disability, as well as the body, health and medicine.  

Additionally, the module considers the making of Sociology as a discipline, reflecting upon the considerable roles that modernity and colonialism have played in its development and direction. The module also fosters an understanding of the contributions of authors from within and beyond the sociological canon in thinking about what is next for sociological research. 

Alongside fostering the requisite sociological knowledge, the module equips students with core academic skills.  

This module introduces students to contemporary debates concerning the increasing impact of human activities on the climate and natural environment, with a particular focus on the connection between global inequalities, environmental issues, and global heating.
Students are supported to develop a basic understanding of climate science and to apply social scientific reasoning and analysis to a discussion of the causes and implications of contemporary climate change. The module draws on scholarly and climate justice perspectives from the global South, indigenous people’s movements, and Feminist, antiracist and world-systems analysis of global inequality, environmental issues, and climate change, enabling students to explore how critical social scientific perspectives can bring novel insights and contributions to bear on one of the most pressing issues of our time.

You will explore the influence of both traditional and contemporary media platforms on societal views of crime, deviance, inequality, mental health and politics as well as other key social issues. You will examine key academic literature and theories, learning to critically analyse concepts such as agenda-setting, news values, and media framing, as well as influential models like Chomsky and Herman's propaganda model and moral panic theory. You will discover the evolution of media, from its historical roots to the complex world of social media, examining the power dynamics in media ownership, the regulatory landscape, and the framing of social issues. Through case studies, you will apply your learning to real-world examples, understanding how media representations impact public opinion and influence policy on topics like mental health, poverty, welfare, and crime. This module is essential for anyone interested in understanding the major impact of media on society and social change.