300011 The Global City (Reading Course) (S) (SoSe 2016)

The concept of the "Global City", coined by the renowned US-American economic sociologist Saskia Sassen, is a key concept for analyzing the unique features of the current phase of the international economic system. Border crossing economic activities have indeed existed for a long time, but they mainly took place within an inter-state economic system. Today however, privatization, deregulation and the rise of new information technologies, have mobilized and liquidified capital to such an extent, that the national has been weakened and new spatial orders of the economic have emerged, among them a new type of cities, the "Global City".
In the seminar, we will read and critically discuss Saskia Sassen's seminal monograph "The Global City. New York, London, Tokyo" (2001, Princeton University Press). Participants are expected to prepare each session by reading one of the chapters and by preparing inputs for seminar discussions. Seminar language is English.

Requirements for participation, required level

A basic knowledge of economic sociology and/or the sociology of work is indispensable for a successful participation in this course. Therefore, participants should either have successfully completed an introductory course in economic sociology or the sociology of work, or have carefully read through an introductory book.
The following text books represent suitable introductions:

• Watson, Tony J. (2008): Sociology, work and industry. 5. ed. London u.a.: Routledge.
• Swedberg, Richard Â. (1996): Economic sociology. Cheltenham u.a.: Elgar (An Elgar reference collection, 5).