Gender Studies in a Flux: Current Issues in Theorising Gender (KYN304G)

The objective of the course is to introduce students to new research within gender studies, so that they gain insight into the wide scope of issues gender studies deal with, and understand the importance of theoretical debates within the field. The course is based on active participation and projects conducted in conjunction with conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures in the field of gender studies and equality over the course of a semester, at the University of Iceland or elsewhere.

Popular Culture (FÉL027G)

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

A special emphasis will be on Icelandic popular culture.

NOTE: The course is taught in English but essays and such can be written in Icelandic or English. The course works as a fine practice in using English in an academic context, which is useful for those planning to further their studies abroad. 

Political communication: News, social media and marketing (STJ360G)

This course examines how political information spreads through the media and what this information dissemination means for our understanding of politics. The course combines theoretical insights and empirical information from the fields of media studies, political science and journalism. Topics covered in the course include digital politics and communication,  how politicians and political parties use social media platforms, the crisis of politics and media in established democracies, mass media and the news production process, political parties and political marketing, election campaigns and politics as entertainment. Various case studies will be used to shed light on the topics under investigation, including how wars are depicted on social media, media reports concerning the Brexit referendum, how Donald Trump has used social media in his communication with the world, media coverage of COVID-19 and recent examples from Icelandic politics. Much of the material for this module is highly contemporary so students are encouraged to maintain an awareness of current developments in political communication through diverse news outlets.

Fake news, information disorder and politics (STJ355G)

The aim of this course is to examine fake news, information disorder and politics. Different concepts and definitions of fake news, as well as how those have developed over time, will be analyzed and discussed. What are the possible consequences of fake news and information disorder and to what extent has false and misleading information been used as a strategic tool in political campaigns?

The course examines how false and misleading information is spread, specifically via social media, by whom and for what purposes, and how governments have responded to an increase in false and misleading information. In addition to this, the course examines how third parties have attempted to use fake news to impact elections and public opinion in modern democracies.

This course will also cover the main challenges politicians face today with changes in the media and communication landscape, where the speed and scale of information often limits the time for contemplation and strategies to respond. At the same time, the boundaries between private and public life have been blurred, and news about what politicians say and do can spread to a great number of people in a very short amount of time.

Sociology of Popular Culture (FÉL328G)

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

General Sociology (FÉL102G)

This course discusses the sociological perspective and its topical application. The aim of the course is that students gain an overview of the existing knowledge on important sociological topics. The course will emphasize the relation between theory and findings from recent research. In addition to studying classical theory, modernization and central concepts such as social structure and culture, students will learn about research on a range of important topics, such as stratification, organizations, social movements, deviance and illness, children and youth, gender, immigration and the life course.

Media and Communication Studies (FÉL323G)

The objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the social basis of the media. To begin with, the course will discuss the history of communications and the historical background of contemporary media. Special attention is given to the control systems of media and relevant theories on such systems. Questions of pluralism in contents and control will be discussed in the light of ownership trends, competition and market concentration. Classic theories are introduced, along with recent researches, and terms like ownership, independence and news productions are examined. Agenda, framing, moral panic, propoganda, image production and discourse analysis are among the subjects scrutinised.

Criminology (FÉL309G)

The main aim of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Criminology. The subjects covered can be roughly divided into two broad categories. First: Criminological research and theoretical explanations, determining both what constitutes crime in society, in addition to the causes of crime, are explored and discussed. For this task, various perspectives are analysed and evaluated, such as Classical and Positivistic theories. Second: Four specific types of crime are closely analysed in terms of their nature and impact in society, theoretical explanations and finally their containment.

Men and Masculinity (FÉL209G)

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the main topics in masculinity theory and research. Three main approaches in this century will be discussed, psychoanalysis, social psychology ("role" theory) and recent development centring on the masculinities will be discussed and how their creation and destruction is linked to other social structures. Specific attention will be paid to the participation of males in child care and domestic work and an Icelandic survey on males and family relations will be discussed.

Sexualities and bodies:Pleasure and pain (FÉL326G)

The course focuses on several aspects of sexualities, changes and development since the beginning of the 20th century and particularly development within Iceland. We will discuss research that has been conducted from the book by Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Psychopathia Sexualis (1886) and up to recent studies in Nordic countries. We will particularly focus on changes in the social situation of homo- and bisexuals and we will discuss the BDSM-community and fetishism. We will also look at the commodification of sex from advertisements and sports to pornography and prostitution. Influences from religious beliefs, the school system, families and workplaces will be discussed as well as reproduction and sexual health. Finally we will address sexual violence, rape, force and harassment and development in the last few years where the demand for gender equality increasingly has focused on the body as can be seen in movements such as #freethenipple og #metoo.

Evaluation will take the form of a project/essay and a written examination.

Inequality: Social status, gender and minority groups (FÉL264G)

Inequality has long been among the major concepts of sociology, as the focus of the discipline is often on how resources are divided in society with what consequences. Iceland was often considered a relatively equal society, but historical reconsiderations have shown that inequality was greater than we wanted to acknowledge. What is perhaps more important is that income inequality has varied over time, and the last decade has been characterized of great fluctuations in income, wealth, and economic hardship. Sociology offers a broad perspective on societal inequality, for example based on gender, age, nationality, race and sexuality. 

In this course, we will look at the major theories and research in sociology about inequality and put them into an Icelandic context. We will consider what kind of inequality exists in society and whether certain types of inequality will matter more in the future, for example due to changes in societal and population structures. In addition, we will look at the consequences of inequality on individual lives, for example regarding health, power, income and societal participation.

Media research: Issues and disputes (FÉL441G)

Students get a chance to stand up from the chair and try out various researches relating to media studies. Assesment is built on various projects and students will also read about classic and recent media researches.

Emphasis is on student engagement and activeness and the research projects will relate to all types of media.

Methodology: Research methods in social sciences (FÉL204G)

This course teaches the foundations of social science methodology. The course covers the major elements of the research process and basic methodological concepts and issues. Moreover, the course provides an overview of the main social science research methods, including experiments, surveys, research based on official data, content analysis, and field research. The strengths and weaknesses of these methods are discussed in reference to the variety of goals that can be found within social science research.

Social media (FÉL443G)

The course handles the emergence of social media as a governing force in modern communication, both on macro and micro-level. The sociological angle is scrutinized and institutions, communications between groups and individuals, politics, cultural production etc are all under the microscope. Recent researches relating to these fields are presented and examined. 

Inequality: Social status, gender and minority groups (FÉL264G)

Inequality has long been among the major concepts of sociology, as the focus of the discipline is often on how resources are divided in society with what consequences. Iceland was often considered a relatively equal society, but historical reconsiderations have shown that inequality was greater than we wanted to acknowledge. What is perhaps more important is that income inequality has varied over time, and the last decade has been characterized of great fluctuations in income, wealth, and economic hardship. Sociology offers a broad perspective on societal inequality, for example based on gender, age, nationality, race and sexuality. 

In this course, we will look at the major theories and research in sociology about inequality and put them into an Icelandic context. We will consider what kind of inequality exists in society and whether certain types of inequality will matter more in the future, for example due to changes in societal and population structures. In addition, we will look at the consequences of inequality on individual lives, for example regarding health, power, income and societal participation.

Technology and Society: Liberty and Limits of Information Society (FÉL263G)

Surveillance society and risk society are concepts that have become increasingly prominent in sociology. Furthermore there is growing interest in understanding how new technology shapes society; work arrangements, social interaction, social capital, and social sorting. The theories and writings of scholars like Manue Castells, Bruno Latour, Ursula Huws, David Lyon, Juliet Webster, Kristie Ball and Kevin Haggerty will be introduced. The attacks of 11 September 2001 were a watershed in terms of the surveillance society. A lot of capital is now spent on technology that can be used to observe people at work and play. The demand for increased productivity and increased corporate competition has led to comparable technology increasingly being used to observe employees, their efficiency and work behaviour. The consequences for the protection of the person are multifarious and indicate both increases in limits and liberties. The lines between personal and professional life have been blurred, as well as the limits between the material and the semiotic. Space has taken on new meaning as well as the body. New kinds of social media and online communities have given rise to new kinds of surveillance, what is known in the field as social surveillance.

The aim of the course is to analyse research and theories on the multifarious and paradoxical effects information and computer technology has on individuals and societies. Students read chosen texts on the above discussed issues and acquaint themselves with foreign and domestic research in the field.

Sociology of Mental Health (FÉL439G)

Discussion of sociological theories on mental illness and their use in explaining the distribution of mental illnesses in groups of specific age, gender, marital status and class. The conditions of the mentally ill and their relations with their families and members of the health profession. The difference in the use of mental health facilities of groups based on age, gender, marital status and class. Discussion of the organisation and effectiveness of the mental health service.

Social movements: contention, protests, and revolutions (FÉL444G)

Study of social movements constitutes a major subfield of sociology. Social movements refer to the actions of groups that try to influence the development of society or particular aspects of it, often on the basis of ideas about mutual interests or values. Movements include various types of cooperation and collective action, including local grassroots group action to transnational organizations. Social movements can lead to mass protest and even civil war and political revolutions. This course discusses theories and research in this field and focuses on selected examples. For example, the course will discuss historic revolutions, labor unions, women’s movements, religious movements, peace movements and environmental organizations. In particular, the course focuses on the international protest wave spurred by the global banking crisis, including the “Pots and Pans Revolution” in Iceland.