Current Societal Challenges

6 ECTS credits
152 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 4000861FER for all students in the 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Possible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Sociology

Educational team

Christophe Vanroelen (course titular)
Katrien Vanthomme
Pieter-Paul Verhaeghe
Werner Schirmer

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
168 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course aims for an in-depth sociological analysis of important current societal challenges with implications for the well-being of the population in its broadest sense. Each academic year, three topics will be chosen. Each topic will be tackled in a separate module, following a fixed 4-week programme: first the topic will be framed theoretically, in a second step the topic will be analysed from an empirical point of view (analysis of problems, challenges, important debates, populations affected, etc.), in a third step we will investigate current and potential policy strategies to tackle the identified societal challenge(s).

Every module will therefore consist of theoretical study material, situated and framed with empirical evidence in connection with information on policy measures/options. The topics and debates will be made tangible for the students, using audio-visual material, through an excursion, debates, contacts with experts, … besides to the standard lectures.

Students are expected to assimilate the obligatory literature and other sources in an independent manner. In that way they are stimulated to form their own informed and critical views regarding the topics under study.

Additional info

A reader will be composed on each of the selected topics. This reader will be made available on the learning platform in electronic format. Students are expected to process this material in an independent way. In doing so, the lectures and handouts provided can serve as an aid.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Students have acquired profound insight into the complexity and multi-layered nature of important contemporary societal challenges and are able:

to connect aspects of contemporary societal debates with insights from social scientific theory
to explicitate a well-substantiated and critical opinion on contemporary societal challenges
to express their point of view on current societal challenges in written and oral form
to defend their opinion, their point of view and their policy proposals in a discussion, using substantive arguments.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
Written Exam determines 50% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral Exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Essay with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The students prepare a 3,000-word essay on one of the themes of their choice. In the essay, they make their own critical analysis of the theme, partly using knowledge from the study material, but also looking for additional source material.

The oral examination includes the themes of the learning content that were not chosen as essay topics. Students draw examination questions, one on each of the themes that were not chosen as essay topics. Written preparation time is provided.

The result of the first sitting for the examination part 'essay' can be carried over to the second sitting provided that the student passed that examination part.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context