Elective Courses
Z predošlých rokov
Divadlo a politika, Mc Cardle A.; Abrahámová D.
Kontexty divadla alebo Vymýšľajme novú hru, Abrahámová D.
Etika, Zuzana Palovičová
Estetika, Bakoš Oliver
Súčasná filozofia, Muránska Janka
Filozofia internetu, František Gyarfáš
Political geography, Janet Livingstone
Popculture, Juraj Malíček
Epistemológia, Róbert Maco
Elementy estetiky, Bakoš Oliver
US History, Juraj Hocman
Arabská kultúra, Emire Khidayer
Moderné slovenské dejiny, Dušan Kováč
Západný Balkán, Milan Nič
Economics and Politics, Brigita Schmognerová
Teória poznania, Dušan Gálik
Organizačné správanie, Ivan Perlaki
Antropologická estetika, Róbert Karul
Sociálna a kultúrna antropológia, Podolinská
Global Economy, John Baron
Understanding World History: An Understanding of Economy, John Baron
Civil Disobedience, Walter Famler
What is man, Kamil Fekete
Moral Tribes, Egon Gal
Moral Tribes II, Egon Gál
Sociálna funkcia internetu, Egon Gál
Yuval Noah Harari: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, Egon Gál
Global terrorism, Ester Simon
Understanding the Audio-Visua, Matej Gyarfáš
Introduction to Psychology, Matej Gyarfáš
Náboženstvo a súčasná spoločnosť, Kocúr
Umenie a dejiny ideí, Robert Karul
Russian Politics, Kazharski
Načo nám je umenie, Milan Meško
China and Central Europe, Gabriela Pleschová
Sociológia rasy a etnicity, Michal Vašečka
Race, Ethnicity and Nation, Michal Vašečka
Civil society and public sphere, Michal Vašečka
Migrants and Refugees in the EU, Karen Henderson
The Politics of Central and Eastern Europe after 1989
How to read a newspaper, James Thomson
European History, James Thomson
Introduction into Economics, Matej Valach
Človek z pohľadu východnej filozofie, Janko Štvrtina
Ethical Theories, Tomáš Beniak
Foucault, James Griffith
Critical Thinking, James Griffith
Spinoza, james Griffith
Diplomacy, Clarissa Tabosa
Science and Religion, Andrej Zeman
Introduction to Psychology for Social Scientists, Janka Bašnáková
Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment; Lucas Sprouse
History of the Middle Ages, Lucas Sprouse
Western Civilization, Jon Stewart
Course: Global Awakening
Term: Fall
ECTS credits: 5
Lessons per week: 90 + 90 min
Language: Eng.
Instructor: Lucas Sprouse
Form of the course: elective course – 2x per week
Content:
Global Awakening is a survey of the major historical developments in society, politics, economics, religion, and culture from the 14th to the 18th centuries. During this time, movements thrived that defined the world as we know it and major dynastic powers throughout the world rose, developed, and fell. This course will look at how the world truly awakened and began to coalesce.
Europe rose to global prominence during the Renaissance, clashed ideologically during the Reformation, and explored the great expanses of the world. As Europeans planted numerous colonies, they were met with established dynasties and native peoples with completely different cultures, societies, and belief systems. These include Islamic empires, Chinese dynasties, a Japanese shogunate, and various Native American empires and confederations. Towards the end of this course, we will look as the development and impact of the Enlightenment as it shaped intellectual thought and created changes contemporary thinkers could only have dreamed of.
In addition to lectures, discussion-based seminars will focus on primary and secondary source readings, and students' written and oral communication skills will be developed through essays and presentations. Along with increased historical understanding, students will cultivate better critical thinking and analytical skills that can be applied in a range of academic and practical settings.
Course Title: News and information in the digital age
Term: Fall
ECTS credits: 5
Lessons per week: 120 min
Language: English
Instructor: James Thomson
Form of the course: elective course – 1x per week
Content:
A healthy democracy requires not just a free and fearless news media to police it, but also a discerning and well-informed audience to hold the media itself to account. This course will look at how current affairs and historical events are presented in the international and Slovak media, and the ways in which popular perceptions are shaped and sometimes manipulated in the process. In particular, we will examine where the news comes from, how it is produced and framed, and how it affects us.
In recent years, there has been much discussion of ‘fake news’, ‘alternative facts’, ‘disinformation’ and even the dawn of a ‘post-truth’ era. What do these terms mean, and are they helpful?
New digital media, especially social networks, have diversified and confused the dissemination of information. Has this helped or hindered public debate, and how should we respond to information that we receive via a multitude of new channels?
Students will study the print, broadcast and electronic media, and every week will source and analyse an example of media coverage. We will discuss these examples together in class.
There will be reading, listening and viewing assignments every week. Successful participation in class discussion based on these assignments, plus delivery of written course assignments, will be the main course criteria.
Couse title: Human Rights
Term: Fall
ECTS credits: 5
Lessons per week: 90 + 90 min
Language: English
Instructor: Sylvia Tiryaki
Form of the course: elective course – 2x per week
Content:
This basic course on human rights aims to provide students with an understanding of what the human rights are and their importance in today’s world. To this end, we look at the historical origins, doctrine, how they are formed in law, institutional structure of the movement and the challenges to its foundations. To see the ‘big picture’ students are encouraged to think critically about the human rights as a whole. The course acquaints students with the contemporary issues ranging from torture and arbitrary detention to rights of refugees and access to health.
Course Outlines
1: General introduction
2: Human rights: Concepts and Discourse
3: History of international human rights
4: Human rights and United Nations
5: Hierarchy of human rights, qualified and unqualified rights
6: Regional dimension of human rights: The European Convention on Human Rights (1)
7: Regional dimension of human rights: The European Convention on Human Rights (2)
8: Implementation, international monitoring, treaty bodies
9: Human rights of refugees, stateless people
10: Minority rights
11: War crimes and crimes against humanity
12: Slavery and human trafficking (1)
13: Slavery and human trafficking (2)
14: Reading week (1)
15: Reading week (2)
16: International crime of torture
17: Discrimination and equality: Women rights (1)
18: Discrimination and equality: Women rights (1)
19: Rights of the child, rights of disabled people
20: Right to education
21: Legitimate Restrictions on Freedom
22: Right to health, death penalty
23: The Issue of Privacy
24: The right to development, climate change
25: Food, housing and work/Water
26: Review
Required Readings
Main Readings:
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Andrew Clapham, Human Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007
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Henry J. Steiner, Philip Alston & Ryan Goodman, International Human Rights in Context. 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008
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Clare Ovey & Robin C.A. White, The European Convention on Human Rights, 4th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006
In addition to the required course readings, basic documents like relevant international conventions, declarations as well as constitutions are necessary companions of students of this course.
Case studies are being conducted with and by students during the semester. Online meetings with experts and practitioners are organised when feasible.
Course title: Economic Policy
Term: Fall
ECTS credits: 5
Lessons per week: 90 + 90 min
Language: English / Slovak
Instructor: Martin Hudcovský
Form of the course: elective course – 2x per week
Prerequisites
English and Slovak language proficiency.
Content:
Štát a jeho vplyv na ekonomiku determinuje neuveriteľne veľké množstvo aktivít v spoločnosti často aj bez toho aby si to ľudia uvedomovali. To do akej miery však štát zasahuje do ekonomiky sa naprieč svetom líši. Niekde sa preferuje minimalistická vláda bez zásahov, v iných ekonomikách naopak predstavuje štát významného hráča v národnom hospodárstve. Cieľom kurzu je objasniť a vysvetliť aké politiky a nástroje štát pri ovplyvňovaní ekonomiky má a ako ich využíva.
Course title: Migration and Central Europe
Term: Spring 2021
ECTS credits: 5
Lessons per week: 90 + 90 min
Language: English
Instructor: Michal Vašečka
Form of study: Elective course - 2 x per week
Course Objectives
Course analyses sociologically wide term of migration and uses methodology of both sociology and other social sciences. Students have a chance to obtain a knowledge on various teories of international migration, reasons for migrating, as well as on methodological approaches how to study migration. Students will learn about interconnections between nationalism and migration and about influence of wars and ethnic conflicts on international migration. Students will analyse term migration through social cohesion and social stratification of society and elaborate on redistribution of income as an important push factor. Course brings also information about influence of human development level on mifration and analyses approaches of international organizations in the course of migration management. Finally, course focuses on issues connected with problems of asylum seekers and refugees in Central Europe, as well as on issues connected to migration policies in Central European countries and in Slovakia in particular.
Course title: One Reality, Many Perspectives
Term: Fall
ECTS credits: 4
Lessons per week: 120 min
Language: English
Instructor: Daniela Březnová
Form of the course: elective course – 1x per week
Prerequisites
English language proficiency.
Content
This course will be a journey through different stages of our consciousness: howthings really are versus how they can appear to us.
We will explore different types of minds – creative, dreaming, psychedelic, psychotic, and autistic mind.