Forms of tuition
The course comprises two main components: lectures and collaborative workgroups. Initially, through introductory lectures, students will delve into various themes surrounding global challenges, particularly within the realms of labour and care, arising from or exacerbated by transnational activities. These sessions lay the groundwork for exploration.
Subsequently, in the collaborative workgroups, students will engage in joint exercises aimed at identifying, dissecting, and analysing these challenges. Their collective objective is to craft multidisciplinary intervention strategies to effectively address these multifaceted issues.
At the culmination of the programme, students will present their group findings, consolidating their collective insights and proposed interventions. This final presentation serves as a platform to disseminate comprehensive solutions derived from their collaborative efforts.
Learning Approach: The course adopts a collaborative learning model, encouraging students to work in interdisciplinary groups. Through guided discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, students will explore real-world transnational problems. This approach aims to foster critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by transnational activities.
Workgroups
The workgroup's central theme revolves around the intricate issue of transnational mobility and care, a complex challenge exacerbated by the widespread embrace of globalisation and internationalisation. The increasing ease, streamlined procedures, and reduced costs associated with both short and long-term mobility have significantly influenced societal dynamics. Particularly within the EU, the entitlement to freedom of movement for EU citizens has spurred a heightened inclination towards exploring improved economic opportunities while sustaining transnational social ties, leading to a burgeoning transnational social life.
This lifestyle has brought to the forefront a myriad of interconnected challenges relating to the management of social citizenship, economic integration, social protection, and welfare planning. The intricate multilevel governance structure within the EU further complicates the governance of transnational mobility and associated care issues. The pertinent question of effectively addressing the social trilemma—balancing generous welfare, sustained social protection, and pursuing economic integration—or the Magic Triangle—facilitating social policies while allowing regional autonomy within a multilevel governance system—remains an enigma. Both paradigms highlight the impracticality of a 'one-size-fits-all' policy approach.
This course offers students an opportunity to delve deeper into the nuanced social problems stemming from these governance conflicts. Through meticulous examination, students will collaboratively unearth potential network governance models or intervention strategies aided by specific analytical frameworks. Finally, students will be required to craft a paper delving into the identified problem, synthesising their insights and proposed solutions.
Forms of assessment
Within the workgroups, students will collaboratively undertake a comprehensive multidisciplinary paper, delving into diverse facets and potential solutions of transnational problem governance. The prescribed word limit for the paper ranges between 2,400 to a maximum of 3,000 words, excluding references and the cover sheet. The final paper structure encompasses:
Cover Sheet: A succinct page featuring the title, names of contributors, and corresponding student numbers.
Introduction: A comprehensive overview introducing the concept of transnational social problems alongside a well-defined research question, encapsulated within a concise one-page framework.
Disciplinary Perspectives: Comprising a minimum of three sections, each scrutinising the research question from the vantage point of distinct disciplines. Emphasis lies in exploring varied disciplinary perspectives, elucidating their distinct emphases and explanatory approaches. It's noteworthy that these disciplinary representations need not directly mirror the composition of the group, encompassing approximately three pages.
Conclusion: A reflective conclusion spanning approximately two pages, centred on a thoughtful analysis of disparities and convergences amidst diverse disciplines in terms of theories and methodologies. This section aims to contemplate the feasibility of integrating or reconciling these theories and methods or discerning potential conflicts among them.
References: A meticulously compiled reference section encompassing a minimum of 10 credible sources, ensuring comprehensive academic grounding.
