Politics

Politics from Below: Cooperation, Conflict and Resistance

Module code: L2112
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay

The module investigates state-society relations in a comparative manner and focuses on the relation existing between public institutions and civil society, understood as the space for interaction between institutions and non-state actors. Specifically, it looks at the transformations in public policy inherent to the shift from government to governance, at the emergence of organized actors of the civil society but also at the spread of radical forms of contestation and resistance towards political elites. The module will critically evaluate the role of civil society and social movements as democratizing forces in the public sphere, by looking at the development of practices of participation and engagement at different levels (national, supranational, global) and will focus on different contemporary key case studies.

Module learning outcomes

• Critically assess how state-society relations in different countries impact on forms of participation and engagement
• Analyze current debates on civil society and social movements comparatively
• Analyse a variety of theoretical approaches with the scope of applying these to current examples and case studies
• Assess the complex nature of radical forms of contestation and resistance in a transnational and global perspective
• Critically engage with different understandings of civil society activism in relation to the concept of active citizenship
• Develop independent research skills and critical thinking