Globalisation and Multiple Modernities
PSS305
Overview
Level of study: What does Undergraduate Level 3 mean?
Undergraduate Level 3
EFTSL: What does EFTSL mean?
0.125
Delivery Method: What does delivery method mean?
Fully Online
Prerequisites: What are the prerequisites?
Duration:
13 weeks
Description
This unit explores interconnections between globalisation and 'multiple modernities'. We ask: is globalisation leading to a single, unified global culture? Is modernisation the same thing as Westernisation? We examine the lasting influence of diverse civilisational legacies on contemporary societies and explore multiple dimensions of globalisation. Students are introduced to key concepts and apply them to societies including those of the West, China, Japan, India, Islam and the Americas. Discussion is focused on debates around religion and gender.
Prerequisites
Mandatory prerequisites
You must have successfully completed the following unit(s) before starting this unit:
- PSS100 — Introduction to Sociology
-
One of the following two units:
- PSS202 — eSociety: Sociology of the Electronic Age
- PSS205 — Ethnicity, Migration and Multiculturalism
If you have completed equivalent study at another university, please contact a Student Advisor for advice.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this unit students will be able to:
- identify the key difference between conventional modernisation theory and the paradigm of multiple modernities
- analyse the role of non-Western civilisational traditions in shaping a range of modern constellations
- recognise the cultural specificities of Western modernity
- critique over-simplified understandings of globalisation.
Topics
This unit addresses the following topics.
| Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Modernisation theory |
| 2 | Multiple modernities |
| 3 | Case studies of modernity, eg. Japanese, Chinese, Western modernity |
Study Resources
This unit is delivered using the following methods and materials:
Instructional Methods
- Blogs
- Chat rooms
- Discussion Forum/Discussion Board
- Online assignment submission
- Podcasting/Lecture capture
- Standard Media
- Web links
- Wikis
Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a unit.
Click on the titles of the listed books below to find out more:
Required textbooks
Recommended textbooks
Relevant Courses
This unit is an approved elective in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Behavioural Studies (Psychology), Swinburne University of Tnlgy
- Bachelor of Behavioural Studies, Swinburne University of Tnlgy
This unit may be eligible for credit towards other courses:
- Many undergraduate courses on offer through OUA include 'open elective' where any OUA unit can be credited to the course. You need to check the Award Requirements on the course page for the number of allowed open electives and any level limitations.
- In other cases, the content of this unit might be relevant to a course on offer through OUA or elsewhere. In order to receive credit for this unit in the course you will need to supply the provider institution with a copy of the Unit Profile in the approved format, which you can download here. Note that the Unit Profile is set at the start of the year, and if textbooks change this may not match the Unibooks textbook list.
