Universität Wien

140410 VO+UE VM3 / VM4 - Knowledge production in social sciences perspectives on, from and in the Global South (2016W)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Continuous assessment of course work
MOB
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 10.10. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 31.10. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 07.11. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 21.11. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 05.12. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 16.01. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1
  • Monday 30.01. 16:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SG3 Gender-Studies, Sensengasse 3, Bauteil 1

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course questions critically the prominent ethnocentric position of US American and Western European outlooks in the discourse of social sciences & humanities, discusses the academic dependency (Alatas) of Southern regions (Latin America, Asia, and Africa) and its overcoming.
The aim of the course is to expand the intellectual horizon of the students beyond the classical social science thought (‘the canon’) and introduces to selected approaches of ‘Southern epistemologies’ advanced by authors based in the Southern and Northern academia.
We look at the geopolitical context of alternatives and new paths of knowledge construction like for example the notion of ‘buen vivir’, islamization of knowledge and ‘asabyia’ (Ibn Khaldun) as well as gender and development issues from Southern perspectives.
Learning Outcomes
• Identification of the major contributions of Southern authors to the social science discourse
• Evaluation of the validity of the criticisms regarding eurocentrism in social science theories
• Ability to discuss the pros and cons of Southern approaches and of the indigenization of knowledge

Assessment and permitted materials

Attendance, assignments of small written exercises & participation 60%
Final essay (5-6 Pages) 40%

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Working knowledge of English.

Examination topics

Content of the lectures of the class

Reading list

Some texts from the reading list:
Alatas, Syed Farid (2003). Academic dependency and the global division of labour in the social sciences Current Sociology 51.6: 599-61
Odora Hoppers, Catherine A. (2000) The centre-periphery in knowledge production in the twenty-first century. Compare 30.3 (2000): 283-291
Maerk, Johannes (2012).The politics of knowledge production in higher education Megatrend Review 9.4.
Comaroff, Jean & Comaroff, John L. (2012) Theory from the south: Or, how Euro-America is evolving toward Africa, Anthropological Forum, 22:2: 113-131

Association in the course directory

VM3, VM4

Last modified: We 21.04.2021 13:31