510843 - DEMOCRATIZATIONS IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

insegnamento

ID:

510843

Durata (ore):

40

CFU:

SSD:

SCIENZA POLITICA

Anno:

2024

Periodo di attività

Secondo Semestre (24/02/2025 - 30/05/2025)

Obiettivi Formativi

The course primarily aims at exploring why and how some states become democratic whilst others remain authoritarian or reverse to autocracy. In particular, on successful completion of the course, the students will be able to: (a) comprehend the key distinguishing features among different forms of political rule; (b) understand the main theoretical approaches that deal with democratization; (c) identify the various domestic and international causes and consequences of democratization; (d) map the development of democracy and autocracy across time and space; and (e) critically assess whether the world is currently experiencing a new wave of autocratization.

Prerequisiti

The course requires an adequate knowledge of the English language in order to understand the lessons and actively participate in class. For those students who have never taken any class in political science, the following background readings (not the whole texts, but only the specified chapters) are strongly recommended:
Dahl, R. (1971) Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Chapter 1
Linz, J. (2000) Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes. London: Lynne Rienner. Chapter 4
Tilly, C. (2007) Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1

Metodi didattici

The course mixes both standard and more innovative teaching methods. In order to increase students’ participation in class, lessons are based on interactive discussions that aims at developing knowledge by raising questions, doubts, and paradoxes that require students’ critical engagement. After the first two introductory sessions, the class will be divided into 4 groups. Each group will present and discuss one of the articles assigned.

Verifica Apprendimento

The assessment of the topics covered during the course is carried out through a written exam, in which students have to reply to four open questions.
Students will be judged in accordance to three course requirements: (a) in-class participation that concerns the capacity of students to participate in the course of the lessons (10% of the final grade); (b) in-group participation that concerns the capacity of students to discuss and present the article assigned to the group to which they belong (10% of the final grade); and (c) final written exam that aims at verifying the knowledge of students regarding the main theoretical and empirical aspects that the course has covered (80% of the final grade).

Testi

The course is based on the following text:
Møller, J. and S.-E Skaaning (2024) Democratization and Autocratization in Comparative Perspective: Concepts, Currents, Causes, Consequences, and Challenges. London: Routledge.
In addition, to explore in detail single case studies, specific and ad-hoc academic articles will be provided and made available on the Kiro platform.

Contenuti

The course is divided into 10 sessions. Each session is composed of two lessons
Session 1: What democracy is and is not
Session 2: Varieties of authoritarianism
Session 3: How countries become democratic: Modernization Theory
Session 4: How countries become democratic: Social Forces
Session 5: How countries become democratic: Transitology
Session 6: How countries become democratic: International Factors
Session 7: Consequences: War, Civil Conflict and Revolution
Session 8: Democratic backsliding: A new wave of autocratization?
Session 9: Resisting Autocratization
Session 10: Recap of the course

Lingua Insegnamento

INGLESE

Altre informazioni

Office hours (Second semester): Thursday 2.00 -4.00 PM

Only for students who are recipients of inclusive teaching methods (didattica inclusiva):
Office hours: Online meetings can be arranged with the lecturer