| Academic year: | 2010-2011 |
| Course code module | 3BPOW-060 |
| Semester: | 1st semester |
| Credits: | 6 |
| Study load (hours) | 168 |
| Theory (hours): | 45,00 |
| Practice/Exercises(hours): | |
| Other (hours): | |
| Part-time program: | 1 |
| Instructor(s) | Petra Meier
|
| Language of instruction: | Dutch |
| Semester exam information: | exam in the 1st semester |
| Contract restriction information: | |
1. Prerequisites
*Algemene competenties
Students need to be acquainted with the basic concepts and theories of political science. The course builds upon the Introduction to politics and upon Comparative politics.
Students are further requested to be acquainted with the reading of and reflection on academic literature.
*Sequentiality
Introduction to Political Science (1BPSW-06)
2. Objectives (expected learning outcomes)
The subtitle of this course is Basics for advanced students since we build upon the insights gathered in the Introduction to politics and other courses and broaden our knowledge on political science in general and political sociology more in particular.
We gather a good overview of the field of political sociology, its historical and intellectual foundations, important concepts, issues, topics and approaches.
We get acquainted with different approaches of important concepts in politcal science and political sociology.
We get to know different theoretical approaches of (parts of) the political system and proces.
We are familiar with important scholars and their work. We read parts of their work and are able to position their thinking as compared to that of others and within the broader boundaries of political sociology and political science and to reflect on their work.
We are capable of positioning research and current debates in the broad field of political sociology.
3. Course content
This course puts the study of political sociology center stage. For that purpose texts of important (contemporary) political sociologists are read, discussed and placed within the larger topics of political sociology. We start with the foundations of political sociology and then move on to discuss a couple of important issues in political sociology. Regarding each issue we read (part of) a text of one or two important scholars and situate the text(s) within the various debates and positions on the issue. This gives us a picture of the evolution in the thinking and research on a couple of major topics of political sociology as well as on recent trends. Topics dealt with cover amongst others the question whether there is something like a political system and how it looks like, what power consists of, how conflict is sparked off and can be explained, what the functions of conflict are, how we can understand and forcast revolutions, how to conceptualise the state, who governs and why, etc. Authors read are amongst others: David Easton, Talcott Parsons, David Lukes, Rolf Dahrendorf, Ted Gurr, Barrington Moore, Theda Skocpol, Robert Dahl, ...
4. Teaching method
Direct contact: Lectures
Personal work: Assignments - individual
5. Assessment method
Exam: Written, without oral presentationOpen bookOpen questions
Continuous assessment: Assignments
6. Compulsory reading – study material
reader, available on blackboard
class power point presentations, available on blackboard
7. Recommended reading - study material
Nihil.
8. Tutoring
Petra Meier
M 278
03/275.55.93
petra.meier@ua.ac.be
if not present appointments can be made by email or phone
Assistant: Hans Echelpoels
hans.echelpoels@ua.ac.be