22-40.049 Political Theory: Democracy, Citizenship, Migration

Lehrende: Svenja Ahlhaus

Veranstaltungsart: Interaktive Lehrveranstaltung

Anzeige im Stundenplan: PEP 9

Semesterwochenstunden: 2

Credits: 6,0

Unterrichtssprache: Englisch

Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: - | 45

Kommentare/ Inhalte:
The seminar will offer an introduction to contemporary political theory, focusing on theories of democracy, citizenship, and migration. Arguments about the nature of democracy, the value of citizenship, and the legitimacy of borders are at the heart of today's scholarly and public debates. In the first part of the seminar, we will discuss competing conceptions of democracy, and how they envisage participation and representation. In the second part, we turn the idea of membership and citizenship: Who should belong to a political community? What is citizenship? In the third part, we will discuss how traditional concepts of democracy and citizenship are challenged in times of migration and globalization: Should resident migrants be naturalized? Can democracies exist without borders?

Lernziel:
Students will be able to:

• explain and compare key concepts in normative political theory
  
• reconstruct, analyze, and interpret complex theoretical texts
  
• evaluate and criticize arguments
  
• develop and defend arguments
  
• produce and assess texts in political theory
  

Vorgehen:
This is a discussion-based seminar. It is expected that students carefully prepare all of the assigned readings and actively participate in class discussion. The seminar follows the principles of research-based learning. For most sessions, one or more students will write a position paper (1000 words) that responds to the readings assigned for that week and makes a cogent argument with respect to one issue raised by the text(s). These papers will serve as basis for presentations and the authors will be expected to take a leading role in our discussion for that week. A few sessions will be based on group work where short statements for discussion are prepared in class.

Literatur:
A detailed list of readings will be distributed in the first session. The course does not presuppose prior exposure to political theory/philosophy. If you want to read one book in preparation, it could be the following one:

• Swift, Adam (2013): Political Philosophy. A Beginner's Guide for Students and Politicians. Cambridge, 3rd edition.
  

• Owen, David (2003): Democracy. In: Bellamy, Richard/Mason, Andrew (eds.): Political Concepts. Manchester. 105-117.
  
• Bellamy, Richard (2008): Citizenship. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford.
  
• Song, Sarah (2018): Political Theories of Migration. In: Annual Review of Political Science Vol. 21:385-402 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-082317-093019
  

Zusätzliche Hinweise zu Prüfungen:
To be approved for the final exam, students are required to complete the following coursework: participation in seminar discussion, position paper, presentation. The final exam is a term paper (4500 words) due on March 31, 2020. The mark for the position paper can upgrade the mark of the term paper (conditional on pass) by a maximum of 0.7.