2672.19 - Democracy


Course number
2672.19
Title
Democracy
ECTS
10
Prerequisites
Upper secondary education or equivalent qualification.
Purpose
That the student will acquire a thorough understanding of Democracy theory, concepts, and as a phenomenon.
Content
In this course, we will study what democracy is, its origin in ancient Greece, and different perspectives on contemporary Democracy. During the course, student will learn about different competing perspectives on Democracy (e.g. Liberal-, Constitutional-, Republican-, and Deliberative Democracy), and how these shape our understanding of what Democracy is and/or should be. We will also study how Democracy works in practice today. We will in in this context look at the role of non-governmental organisation (e.g. media, interest groups), and how globalisation affects Democracy in the 21th century.
Learning and teaching approaches
The course is 30 hours, and consists of lectures, group-work, and student presentations
Learning outcomes
The students shall: • Have a thorough understanding of what Democracy as a governing system is, and where it originated. • Be able to explain the different perspectives on Democracy, taught during the course, and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. • Be able to describe the role non-governmental actors have in a democratic system. • Be able to identify and reflect over the influence globalisation has on the democratic process. • Be able to independently use the perspectives (concepts and theories) they have learned during the course, to analyse and critically evaluate relevant current issues in the contemporary society.
Assessment method
Oral exam based on an individually written essay. The student chooses a topic in consultation with the teacher, and the essay shall be approximately 2.500-3.000 words.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
Approximately 1.000-1.200 pages.
Contact
Súsanna Olsen