COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP
Code Course Type Regular Semester Theory Practice Lab Credits ECTS
PIR 417 B 1 3 0 0 3 7.5
Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: Lisen Bashkurti , Fridays afternoon
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: NA
Language: English
Compulsory/Elective: Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time: on weekly schedule
Course Description: Justice, Democracy, and Citizenship is a master level course. This course is designed to get students thinking about ideas and concepts in politics, how they matter, and what happens when we put political theory to work on pressing real-world issues and dilemmas. This course aims to explore the three core concepts through debates, focusing on competing definitions of justice as a high contested term; concept of democracy; concept of citizenship with its benefits and demands; and a critical analysis of the relationship between these three core concepts. After taking this course students will greet invocations of justice, democracy and citizenship with a new curiosity and a sharpened critical eye.
Course Objectives: The module has been created as a lively way to explore key ideas in political theory: what the main arguments around them are, and how they might apply to and illuminate practical and policy dilemmas. After taking this course you will greet invocations of justice, democracy and citizenship with a new curiosity and a sharpened critical eye. This module aims to: introduce students to selected key debates on the ideals of justice, democracy, and citizenship; demonstrate how key political concepts can be applied to specific political dilemmas, cases and issues enable students to make an informed choice about whether to select a political theory "pathway" through their degree programme.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week Topics
1 Citizenship democracy and justice
2 Justice Practical reasons and boundaries
3 Structural rationality democratic citizenship
4 Justice vs. culture, which comes first?
5 Political Pluralism and European citizenship
6 A Liberal view on a European Constitution
7 Pluralism contrarianism and European Union
8 MIDTERM
9 Majority rule, political identity and European Union
10 Emancipatory politics between universalism and difference gender perspectives on EU
11 Basic income and political economy of the new Europe
12 European citizenship A mirage?
13 What makes a distribution of resources just?
14 Review Session
Prerequisite(s): N/A
Textbook: “Citizenship, Democracy, and Justice in the New Europe”, Routledge, edited by Percy B.Lehning and Albert Weale; A.Swift, Political Philosophy: A Beginners’ Guide for Students and Politicians (3rd edition, 2013) (Cambridge: Polity); J. Wolff, An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Oxford: Oxford University Press);
Other References: “Democracy and Citizenship” Michael Saward, Edited by John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig, and Anne Phillips, 2008, B. Barry, Why Social Justice Matters (Cambridge: Polity 2005); M. Clayton and A. Williams (eds.), Social Justice (Oxford: Blackwell 2004): chapters 3 (Rawls on justice as fairness), 4 (Nozick on entitlement), 8 (Miller on desert), and 9 (Okin on gender); H. Brighouse, Justice (Cambridge: Polity 2004); T. Campbell, Justice (Basingstoke: Palgrave (3rd ed., 2010);
Laboratory Work: N/A
Computer Usage: N/A
Others: No
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 Demonstrate an appreciation of key debates around the concepts of justice, democracy and citizenship
2 Discuss intelligently the application and understanding of these concepts in specific political cases
3 Analyze critically, both orally and in writing, political arguments with respect to the relevant issues and dilemmas
4 Achieve a sense of more detailed options awaiting you in years 2 and 3
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)
No Program Competencies Cont.
Professional Master in Political Science and International Relations Program
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
Method Quantity Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)
1
30
Project
1
10
Quiz
1
5
Final Exam
1
50
Attendance
5
Total Percent: 100%
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
Activities Quantity Duration(Hours) Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) 16 3 48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 16 2 32
Mid-terms 1 25 25
Assignments 1 15 15
Final examination 1 30 30
Other 1 37.5 37.5
Total Work Load:
187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):
7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:
7.5