Yhteiskuntatieteet - Social Sciences

Fundamentals of renewable energy technologies Policies supporting renewable energy and financial models Actors and institutions in renewable energy policymaking Energy security, industrial policy, and geopolitics Energy mixes for sustainable energy transitions Sustainability and justice considerations for energy policy Citizen and community-driven renewable energy initiatives

Governing natural resources in rural/urban and in local, national and global contexts Major political, economic, and social institutions and organizations social, economic and cultural questions related to natural resource policies and governance Key theories and research methods

Introduction to sociotechnical systems in food, energy and water sectors and infrastructures Sustainability and sustainable change in food, energy, and water sectors The interdependence of food, energy and water systems Governance of security, risks, demands, and future development of food, energy, and water systems Theories and key concepts regarding food, energy, water systems

Kaupungistuminen ilmiönä: historia ja keskeiset käsitteet Kaupungistuminen globaalisti ja Suomessa Kestävät kaupungit: ihmisen, yhteisön ja rakennetun ympäristön suhde Sosiaalisen kestävyyden haasteet kaupungeissa: eriarvoisuus ja alueellinen/sosioekonominen eriytyminen Yhteisöllisyys ja vaikuttamisen keinot Kaupunkisuunnittelu ja kriittiset järjestelmät kaupungeissa

Globaalien keskinäisriippuvuuksien kehitys ja merkitys yhteiskuntien kehityksessä ja kansainvälisessä toiminnassa Keskinäisriippuvuus ja taloudellinen kehitys Instituutiot ja valta keskinäisriippuvuuksissa Protektionismi

Definitions on the contemporary capitalism: economy of knowledge; cognitive capitalism; surveillance capitalism; neo-feudalism. Perspectives of different advanced technologies (e.g., robots, artificial intelligence, and virtual agents). Robots and artificial intelligence (AI) within the workspace: enhancing, replacing, controlling. Current social scientific research on the relationships between people and robots or AI.  The social factors and impact of robots and AI on people’s behaviour, thinking and everyday life, and how to examine them from the perspectives of social sciences and social sustainability.

The intertwined relations between macro-social and macro-economic processes in the digital economy: digitalization, datafication, platformization, and financialization Data and digital platforms: the role of Big Tech companies Labor, automation, and AI Digitalization of money and finance States and the geopolitics of digital economy Disputes around the definition and regulation of the new digital economic activities and sectors Reficonguration of social classes and economic production Vigilance, social control, and old/new asymmetries and inequalities of power in digital society

Chatbots replace humans? Telecommuting makes it easier to strike a work-life balance? Health care apps can help older workers to retire later? These and similar questions have been publicly discussed since computer use at work increased. However, the answers are not always that simple, and they keep on changing as digital technologies continue to evolve. This course explores how digital technologies alter our working lives and our retirement transitions, looking into differences across technologies and countries.

From environment to pensions, policies are a central instrument for steering societies. To better understand these policies, a range of analyses instruments can be utilized. This course explains what policy analyses are and discusses when and why such analyses are conducted. Moreover, it explains what methods can be used for analyzing policies. Finally, it highlights what findings policy analyses can render.

The social character of the economy: core topics in economic sociology, political economy and heterodox economics The origin and peculiarities of the capitalist economic system The importance of innovation and technology Capitalism and democracy: the role of politics in a liberal economic order Welfare states and markets: the limits of state regulation and social control of the capitalist economy The relationship between the capitalist market economy and modern culture: behaviors, values, ideas and institutions

The course provides an introductory exploration of sustainability transitions and innovation policy, equipping students with an understanding of the core principles, key concepts, and analytical frameworks in transition studies. Introduction to transition studies, key concepts and theoretical frameworks Historical examples of technological transitions and their drivers The role of innovation and technology in sustainability transitions Policy instruments for fostering sustainability transitions The role of different actors in sustainability transitions Governance and stakeholder engagement in sustainability transitions Case studies of sustainability transitions in various sectors and geographies Justice and equity considerations in sustainability transitions

Introduction to system theory; what are social systems; what are socio-technical systems? The key concepts of system theory Systems’ relationship to environment and other systems; what are subsystems System change and reproduction The role of communication in systems Open and closed systems System stratification, integration and disintegration System theory’s similarities and differences regarding other approaches such as field theory and the concept of social structure

Planning, conducting, reporting, and evaluating social scientific research of technology topics. Various qualitative and quantitative methodological tools for data collection and analysis. Choosing appropriate methods and research designs for research questions within technology research topics.

Planning, conducting, reporting, and evaluating social scientific research on sustainability. Various qualitative and quantitative methodological tools for data collection and analysis. Choosing appropriate methods and research designs for research questions within sustainability theme.

Introduction course for students who have Bachelor’s degree from other university than LUT University. The Orientation Days activities. Practical study-related information. LUT library collections, databases, reference practices, copyrights, information security, career planning and cultural difference related issues. Degree requirements and planning of Master's studies, preparation of the individual study plan. Study and exam culture in LUT. Research areas of Social Sciences and School of Engineering Science.

· Kulutustutkimuksen keskeiset teoriat ja käsitteet · Kulutuksen uudet muodot · Kulutus ja muoti · Kestäväkulutus · Liikakulutuksen globaalit ja paikalliset ongelmat

Kurssilla tutustutaan tarkemmin journalistiseen työhön ja journalismin tutkimukseen alan klassikkokirjallisuuden kautta, sekä syvennytään journalismin rooliin julkisen keskustelun tuottajana ja ylläpitäjänä.

Kurssilla tutustutaan työyhteisöjen viestintään ja vuorovaikukseen kurssikirjallisuuden avulla. Opintojakso lisää ymmärrystä siitä, miten viestintä ja vuorovaikutus muovaavat työyhteisöjen toimintaa, miten organisaatiokulttuuri rakentuu vuorovaikutuksessa ja miten viestinnällä voidaan tukea osallisuutta ja yhdenvertaisuutta työyhteisöissä.

Kurssilla perehdytään diskurssintutkimuksen perusteisiin ja sen taustalla oleviin teorioihin. Kurssikirjallisuuden kautta opiskelija syventyy kieleen sosiaalisena toimintana diskurssin käsitteen kautta. Kirjallisuuden kautta tarkastellaan myös diskurssiin läheisesti liittyviä käsitteitä kuten representaatiota, genrejä ja narratiiveja.

The course is preceded by an independent study of the topic through literature. The course starts with introductory lectures. This will be followed by thematic group work. The results of group work will be presented and discussed in a seminar at the end of the course. Finally, an individual essay on one of the course themes will be written. The course covers the following topics: Sustainability and transition aspects of food systems Systemic approach to food studies, including global and local food systems perspectives. Actors and their roles in the food system Justice transition and ethical perspectives. Issues include power relations, food security, poverty, and inequality in food systems.