31668 - Cultural and Communication Globalisation Processes

Learning outcomes

The course will investigate the principal models for interpreting globalization, with particular reference to the cultural dynamics of globalization and to the role of communication technologies in cultural globalization.

Course contents

 

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, as detailed in the following program. Lectures (16 hours in remote on MS TEAMS) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. Seminars (12 hours) aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. For the seminar section of the course, students will be divided in two groups according to their preferences and according to rules concerning the current pandemic emergency: one group will do the seminar in classroom (12 hours) and another group will do the seminar remotely on MS TEAMS (12 hours), for a total of 28 hours for each student. Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the session and - in the case of seminars - active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

 

The course will investigate the principal models for interpreting globalization, with particular reference to the theories on culture as a global phenomenon and to the cultural dynamics of globalization. Attention will focus on the following topics: 

(i) the theoretical debate on globalization and on the end of globalization (the history of globalization; the reconfiguration of political power; the globalization/anti-globalization debate; the political controversy over globalization); (ii) the theoretical debate over cultural globalization (cultural identity in the globalized world; the destiny of national culture; the cultural dynamics of globalization; (iii) the debate on the role of the media in globalization (the role of communication technologies in cultural globalization; new forms of communication in the dialectic of power and counter-power; the global media and communication policies). 

 

At the end of the course students are expected to be able to analyze the fundamental elements in the current sociological debate on globalization, on cultural globalization and on the role of the media in the cultural dynamics of globalization.  Students will be able to describe the principal theoretical options on topics dealt with and to make a critical comparison between them.

 

Readings/Bibliography

All articles and books and can be found in Ruffilli Library.

 

SECTION 1

D. Held, A. McGrew, Globalization / Anti-Globalization. Beyond the Great Divide, Polity Press, Cambridge 2007 (Introduction, Chapters 8, 10).

U. Beck, The Cosmopolitan Condition. Why Methodological Nationalism Fails, in “Theory, Culture & Society”, 24, 2007, pp. 286-290.

Peter Berger: globalizzazioni multiple e modernità, in «Quaderni di Teoria Sociale», 5, 2005, pp. 313-320.

Peter L. Berger, Le dinamiche culturali della globalizzazione, in «Quaderni di Teoria Sociale», 5, 2005, pp. 321-337.

J. Nederveen Pieterse, Globalization & Culture. Global Mélange, Fourth Edition, Rowman & Littlefield, London, 2020, pp. 59-80 (Ch. 4: Globalization and Culture: Three Paradigms).

S. Benhabib, The Claims of Culture. Equality and Diversity in the Global Era, Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2002, pp. 1-48 (Introduction. On the Use and Abuse of Culture; "Nous et les autres"). 

V. Cotesta, Sociologia dei conflitti etnici. Razzismo, immigrazione e società multiculturale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, nuova ediz. aggiornata 2009, pp. 218-263 (Cap. 15: La natura del pregiudizio; Cap. 16: Le radici umane del pregiudizio; Cap. 17: Comunicazione, pregiudizio e razzismo).

SECTION 2 (seminars)

M. Castells, Reti di indignazione e speranza. Movimenti sociali nell'era di internet, Egea, Milano, 2015, pp. XXI-XXXVII (Mettersi in rete, creare significato, contestare il potere), pp. 1-30 (Preludio alla rivoluzione. Dove tutto è cominciato); pp. 87-128 (Una rivoluzione rizomatica: indignados in Spagna); pp. 129-182 (Occupy Wall Street: raccogliere il sale della terra).

G. Crowder, Theories of Multiculturalism, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2013 (Chapter 1).

E. Zuckerman, Rewire. Cosmopoliti digitali nell'era della globalità, Egea, 2014.

V. Campanelli, Infowar. La battaglia per il controllo e la libertà della rete, Egea, Milano, 2013.

Teaching methods

The course consists of traditional lectures alternated with structered seminars where students are invited to actively participate and give a presentation on topics indicated by the lecturer.

Assessment methods

The exams will assess the knowledge that students have developed on the fundamental elements in the current sociological debate on globalization, on cultural globalization and on the role of the media in the cultural dynamics of globalization. They will investigate the student's capacity to identify, describe and critically compare the principal theoretical options on the topics under consideration.

 

Methods of learning assessment for attending students.

Attending students will carry out a mid-term "Open book" exam on the texts indicated in Section 1 (3 open answer questions; time: 90 minutes); they will give a presentation on a topic agreed with the Professor (Section 2); at the end of the course, they will carry out an oral exam on the texts indicated in Section 1 and 2.

 

Methods of learning assessment for non attending students

Non attending students will carry out an oral exam on all the texts indicated in Section 1 and Section 2. Two weeks before the oral exam, non attending students will have to deliver a paper to lorenza.gattamorta@unibo.it . The paper (15.000 characters, with Name of the Author, Title, Introduction, 2 paragraphs, Conclusion, Bibliography) will be sent via e-mail to lorenza.gattamorta@unibo.it

Teaching tools

Video projector

Office hours

See the website of Lorenza Gattamorta