Societal Transformations
Course code
YKI6011.YK
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Ühiskondlikud muutused
Course title in English
Societal Transformations
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2025/2026 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
The course aims to establish that our societies are rapidly changing due to the forces of increasing (global) inequality, the impacts of the climate crisis, and digitalization. The impact can already be felt, but it will lead to drastic transformations in our societies that we need to be prepared for.
Brief description of the course
The societies of the world are undergoing rapid transformations. Most notably, (global) inequality is at an all-time high, with 1% of the world’s population holding more than 40% of its wealth. This income gap is expanding further, exacerbating 'old' and creating 'new' social risks and necessitating a reconsideration of significant portions of our economic and social order. The exploitative practices at the heart of this development also contribute to the exacerbation of the climate crisis. Mitigating the climate crisis requires us to rethink many aspects of our industries and daily life habits. We also know that it disproportionately affects the poor, serving as a stark expression or even analogy of global inequality – the rich contribute the most to it, but the poor will bear the brunt of its consequences. Lastly, the opportunities presented by digital technology will impact the working methods of many societies, where numerous tasks can be shouldered by machines. This change also requires considerable attention to ensure that our societies remain stable. This course not only describes those transformations but also fosters the analysis of their consequences and the changing challenges of policies and politics to mitigate them.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- is acquainted with topics around societal transformative forces such as growing inequality, climate crisis and digitalization;
- is capable of understanding the root causes of these forces and the manifold impacts they can and will have on societies;
- understands the intricate connection between these forces;
- understands the changing nature of social risks and the politics and policies to mitigate those.
- is acquainted with topics around societal transformative forces such as growing inequality, climate crisis and digitalization;
- is capable of understanding the root causes of these forces and the manifold impacts they can and will have on societies;
- understands the intricate connection between these forces;
- understands the changing nature of social risks and the politics and policies to mitigate those.
Teacher
Benjamin Klasche, Triin Lauri, Yee Ting Aires Chung
Study programmes containing that course