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| Semester | fall semester 2018 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Sonja Grimm (sonja.grimm@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This seminar aims to train the participants in the theory and praxis of democracy promotion and to thereby discover the special role of civil society actors in democratization. Students will discuss theoretical and practical approaches to democracy and civil society promotion. The participants will work on a case study (e.g. Turkey) in order to analyse empirically the challenges of promoting democracy in a state where democracy is in decline. Thereby, the participants will A) learn to understand the concepts, tools, and impact of democracy promotion and of civil society, and B) transfer theoretical knowledge into empirical analysis by assessing the political situation in a specific recipient country and by considering context-adequate concepts for democracy promotion. Analytically, the seminar deals with central approaches in democracy promotion as well as the challenges and dilemmas that come along with external interference in domestic state affairs; it also discusses solutions how to overcome these problems. Methodologically, the participants will learn how to deal with scientific literature from qualitative and quantitative perspectives and how to discover reliable information for alternative arguments. Concerning academic working, students will get to know how to structure oral contributions to scientific debates, and how to develop a well-structured, well-grounded critique. Participation in the course will require the preparation of the recommended literature, a seminar presentation of 20 minutes, and the active participation in course debates and case study work. |
| Learning objectives | The participants learn in this course (1) to critically assess the scholarly literature on democracy promotion; (2) to understand the instruments and mechanisms of democracy promotion and assess the underlying challenges to promote democracy in authoritarian contexts; (3) to transfer scientific knowledge into political science analysis and give a well-structured presentation. |
| Bibliography | Merkel, Wolfgang (2010): Systemtransformation. Eine Einführung in die Theorie und Empirie der Transformationsforschung, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag. Burnell, Peter (2011): Promoting Democracy Abroad: Policy and Performance, New Brunswick-London: Transaction Books. Carothers, Thomas (1999): Aiding Democracy Abroad. The Learning Curve, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Burnell, Peter (Hrsg.) (2000): Democracy Assistance. International Co-operation for Democratization, London: Frank Cass. Burnell, Peter/Youngs, Richard (eds.) (2010): New Challenges to Democratization, London: Routledge. A comprehensive syllabus including the compulsory literature will be provided to course participants on ADAM. |
| Weblink | www.sonja-grimm.eu |
| Course application | durch Belegen in MOnA |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Regionaler Fokus B.A. (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Regionaler Fokus M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Staatlichkeit, Entwicklung und Globalisierung (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Continuous assessment Active participation in class (50%), Presentation (50%). Pass / Fail |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |