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Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The AISSR unites all social science research of the UvA. The research programme focuses on the functioning of contemporary societies and their interrelationships from historical, comparative and empirical perspectives.
The research programme is organised into thematically focused groups with an anchor in one or more of the represented disciplines: sociology, geography, planning & development studies, political science and anthropology.
Cooperation across these programme groups is institutionalised in five interdisciplinary centres: the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), the Centre for Social Sciences and Global health (SSGH), the Centre for Inequality Studies (AMCIS), The Centre of Gender and Sexuality (ARC-GS) and the Centre for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES).
News from AISSR Website
The happiness of European Muslims post-9/11
Aslan Zorlu (University of Amsterdam) and Paul Frijters (London School of Economics) conducted research into the happiness of European Muslims in the years since the attacks on 11 September 2001. They found a subgroup of young male Muslim immigrants who report a persistent low level of well-being. This could potentially pose a threat to integration, the researchers concluded.
Remote sensing reveals shrinking green space in Amsterdam
The compact city concept and green spaces are both instruments for achieving a sustainable city. Yet they are also policy areas with mutual interdependency and contradictory effects, as research by UvA urban planners has shown. Aided by satellite images and remote-sensing technology, they have revealed a decrease in the amount of green space in Amsterdam.
Stapenning honorary medallion for José Komen
José Komen, who recently left the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research as its executive director, has received the Stapenning honorary medallion. José Komen received this medallion because of her great efforts for the university, and especially for her important role in the realization and growth of the AISSR, as well as its setup and involvement in international research networks, ánd her commitment to diversity.
Echo chambers may make online news more viral
Fake news. Just give your social media feed a glance and there is a reasonable chance you’ll see a skewed story containing factual inaccuracies. One reason for the its rapid spread, some observers suggest, may be the existence of so-called online echo chambers: groups of people who share the same views and opinions. However, a direct causal link between the two has so far not been convincingly established. A new study by sociologist Petter Törnberg from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has now identified a possible causal relationship between echo chambers and the viral spread of misinformation, resulting from complex network effects. The finding could help pave the way for measures to counteract fake news. The study was published on 20 September in the journal PLOS ONE.
Ideology influences facts and leads to conflict
The terms fake news and post-truth have become a fixed part of our vocabulary. Mistrust of public institutions and science seems to be growing, just like the gap between reality and rhetoric. In a new publication, social psychologists Bastiaan Rutjens from the University of Amsterdam and Mark Brandt from Tilburg University bring together cutting-edge research on the influence of belief systems on our perception of reality and the conflicts that follow from this.
Animation on authoritarian practices
Authoritarian practices that seriously threaten the freedom of citizens have become an everyday topic. Take Russia, where hundreds of demonstrators were arrested last week. Or consider the violence against journalists that has taken place in recent years within countries that are formally democracies, such as India and Mexico. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) released an animation providing new insight into authoritarian practices.
Understanding EU-Middle East Relations
How has the EU been constructed in the Middle East debate and how has the Middle East been constructed in the European debate? These questions will guide the new network on EU-Middle East relations, led by the University of Amsterdam.
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Courses
Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
Europe is a continent with a long and turbulent history of cultural, political and economic exchange. In the BA European Studies you study contemporary Europe in all its historical and cultural diversity. This international programme taught in English will provide you with an overview of the politics, economics and law of the European Union (EU), while also introducing you to Europe’s history, literature and culture. Such a broad perspective is crucial to making sense of the challenges facing Europe today, such as the euro crisis, the questions posed by multi-cultural societies, and the role of the EU in, for instance, its relations with the Ukraine and Russia. After this BA programme, you will have the knowledge and skills necessary to engage Europe’s complex present and future.AISSR
Master Sociology; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
It is generally accepted that differences between rich and poor, between skin colours, or between Christians and Muslims are undeniable factors in people’s lives. Functioning as a woman or a man, with particular sexual dispositions, holds comparable significance. Gender, Sexuality and Society is devoted to enhance our understanding of the differences among groups of women and groups of men - as well as between women and men - in an era of globalisation. This programme offers a systematic attempt to address structurally embedded prescriptions concerning gender relations and sexual behaviour on a par with other analytical variables such as class, ethnicity, religion, age, or political ideology.AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The Urban and Regional Planning programme offers students a thorough understanding of advanced theories and methodologies of urban and regional planning, with a focus on urban and metropolitan areas. Core elements of the subject are spatial planning and policy formulation in metropolitan areas, the institutional aspects of spatial interventions and an international comparison of spatial planning traditions and metropolitan governance. Students gain knowledge of other social science disciplines and practice in geographical information systems. This programme is characterised by a close connection with the research of involved professors.AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The Research Master’s in International Development Studies provides students with an academic training at an advanced level in international development studies and its research, methodologies and skills. It aims to prepare students for an academic career or a career in applied research. It allows students to tailor their studies to their individual interests, both thematically and regionally.AISSR
Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The 21st century will be an urban century. It is expected that the largest cities and metropolitan regions of Europe, North America and Japan will keep growing, even though the population of especially Europe and Japan as a whole will decline. Contrary to the earlier ideas about the global economy becoming increasingly ‘footloose’, large cities and metropolitan areas will remain the most important economic hubs of this part of the world. In other parts of the world like China, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, cities are still growing very fast because of migration from the rural areas to the cities. Some of the largest cities of ‘the global South’ are becoming serious competitors in the global economy too. Both in the North and South, cities are more and more international and interconnected.Type of recognition: Students of the programme in Urban Sociology receive a Master's of Science degree in Sociology (Sociologie). This programme has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that upon successful completion of the programme in Urban Sociology students will receive a legally accredited Master's degree and the title Master of Science (MSc) in Sociology.
AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
Today's modern societies require flexible social scientists who are able to generate relevant knowledge about important social and cultural concerns. The Research Master's programme in Social Sciences is a two-year programme for motivated students with excellent academic records who wish to pursue a career in social science research in an academic setting or in private or governmental research institutes.This programme offers advanced training in current social science theory and innovative methodologies in a rigorous and multidisciplinary social science research environment. It trains students to:
* conduct research along both empirical-analytical and interpretive lines;
* approach their research from a historical perspective;
* appreciate both local detail and the global context.
Thematic specialisation
Higly motivated students can specialise in one of the following subjects:
* Contemporary Asian Studies
* Medical Anthropology and Sociology.
The programme consists of a core course, several thematic electives from specialised Master's programmes, several courses in the fields of theory and research methodology, an optional research-oriented internship with a company, government body or NGO, and an independent research project resulting in a manuscript or academic article, to be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal
Type of recognition: Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
Current globalisation processes have interconnected countries, companies and people in a completely new way, and the classic division between the developed and the developing world no longer holds true.The Master's programme in International Development Studies (IDS) provides thorough background knowledge of contemporary theories and debates on international development, as well as more specific insights into key themes within the international development sector, such as:
* poverty and resilience
* globalisation
* health and education
* transnationalism
* (urban) governance
* sustainable development
* community-based natural resource management.
Interdisciplinary and problem-oriented training equips students with the academic skills they will need. In addition to academic skills, students also develop much-needed professional skills.
A distinctive feature of the programme are the fieldwork research projects that students undertake in developing countries. The IDS programme builds upon a tradition of policy-oriented research through its extensive network of both Southern and Northern partners-in-development. The University of Amsterdam is also home to the Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt), a major research institute in the areas of international development studies, human geography and spatial planning and policies.
Students can enter this programme either in September or in February. The programme consists of three core courses, one elective course and an independent research/thesis project (60 ECTS credits). The written Master's thesis will be based on an independent research project undertaken in a developing country during a short period of fieldwork.
Type of recognition: Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The one-year Master's programme European Studies: Identity and Integration offers insight into various aspects of the European identity and the process of European integration. Students investigate the nature of Europe and the development of the idea of Europe that ultimately led to the founding of the European Union.Type of recognition: Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
The Master's programme in Conflict Resolution and Governance provides students with a foundation which will allow them to develop a theoretically informed understanding of shifts in the character and significance of conflicts, consider possibilities for action in real-life situations, and transform conflict into a resource for democratic governance. Students are given the opportunity to develop a command of the diverse resources needed to respond to the analytic challenges presented by global, regional and local conflicts and to situate contemporary events in a historical and comparative perspective. The goal is to train students to draw on the most vexing of contemporary conflicts in order to fashion governance regimes from the fabric of local crisis.The International Court of Justice in The Hague has made the Netherlands one of the world's most important centres for large-scale international conflict resolution. Many of the lecturers in the Master of Conflict Resolution and Governance are researchers institutes affiliated with the University, including the Amsterdam School for Social science Research (ASSR), the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES) and the Amsterdam Research Institute for Global Issues and Development Studies (AGIDS).
The curriculum consists of two core courses, an elective and a research project. The choice of courses is subject to the approval of the academic adviser.
Type of recognition: Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
AISSR
MSc Master of Science; Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR)
Academic research on Asian societies is becoming increasingly important, in terms of both its political and academic relevance. How can we intelligently and independently approach the many important issues that dominate today's news, whether they be the nuclear threat of North Korea, the fight against terrorism or Tibet's struggle for independence? Contemporary Asian Studies is an innovative programme with a broad, interdisciplinary character and comparative approach. Our programme focuses on all the main regions of Asia, stressing the importance of looking at interconnections both within the vast Asian region and between Asian societies and other parts of the world, especially Europe.It offers a range of region-oriented courses from which to choose, as well as thematic courses that focus on different perspectives on contemporary developments. In addition, the courses provide training in new approaches to the social sciences and to issues related to migration and identity.
The Asian Studies in Amsterdam (AsiA) network is a collaboration between the University of Amsterdam and the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), which promotes Asia-oriented research and outreach activities. In recent years, UvA researchers have received prestigious external grants from funding bodies including the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) to conduct projects in Asian Studies.
Type of recognition: Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)
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