CORE156 Inequalities in 21st century societies

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ing. Tomáš Doseděl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Tomáš Katrňák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Ing. Tomáš Doseděl, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 12:00–13:40 P51 Posluchárna V. Čermáka
Prerequisites
!TYP_STUDIA(ND) && !PROGRAM(B-SOC)
The course is intended for students across different faculties and disciplines, no prior knowledge of the social sciences is expected.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 120 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 69/120, only registered: 1/120, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/120
Course objectives
To provide students with a basic perspective on inequalities in society. To enable them to reflect on their field through the lens of social inequalities.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- reflect on social inequalities of different kinds
- view their own field through the lens of social inequalities
- design solutions in their field that reduce inequalities.
Syllabus
  • Introduction to the course, injustices, inequalities, basic concepts
  • Inequality and stratification as part of the reproduction of society
  • Empirical measurement of inequalities
  • Inequality and the labour market: social classes, precarization
  • Educational expansion and its implications for inequality
  • Gender pay gap and discrimination against women in the labour market
  • Inequalities in health and life expectancy
  • The welfare state and other achievements of the labour movement
  • Inequality and collective action
  • Inequalities and political participation
  • Inequalities and capital
  • Why does it (not) bother us? Inequality and ideology
Literature
    recommended literature
  • PROKOP, Daniel. Slepé skvrny : o chudobě, vzdělávání, populismu a dalších výzvách české společnosti. Třetí vydání. Brno: Host, 2022, 283 stran. ISBN 9788027510788. info
  • ROSLING, Hans, Ola ROSLING and Anna ROSLING RÖNNLUND. Faktomluva : deset důvodů, proč se mýlíme v pohledu na svět - a proč jsou věci lepší, než vypadají. Translated by Eva Nevrlá. Vydání první. Brno: Jan Melvil, 2018, 352 stran. ISBN 9788075550569. URL info
Teaching methods
For each topic, students will have one or two journalistic texts to give them a basic orientation to the topic. The reading will be followed by a frontal lecture by the teachers. In case of deeper interest in the chosen topic, additional self-study materials (charts, technical texts, podcasts) will be available in an interactive curriculum.
Assessment methods
At the beginning of the semester, will form the teams of 3-5. Each team chooses one of the topics related to inequalities, either from the course syllabus or anything they see in their social environment. After approval of this topic by the teacher, they will work on this topic in the form of a poster. The poster will be presented and discussed in the last week of class of the course. In case of a large number of teams, additional dates will be announced in the exam period.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2026.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/CORE156