Entry requirements

Only for students admitted to the Teacher Education Programme.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student is expected to

- with some degree of competence discuss and work with political science problems;

- have formed a considered judgement of his own in both theoretical and empirical questions concerning the democratic rule and, in this respect, be able to analyse and discuss ideas and empirical research findings about democracy at a fairly advanced level;

- discuss the choice of method and design (case studies, comparative method, idea analysis) in a problem perspective;

- write a short essay within a chosen problem area, in collaboration with other students; discuss and defend this essay at a seminar and also discuss another student's essay and the contribution it makes;

- actively participate in seminar discussions and make presentations of articles and of his own work;

- independently be able to plan, perform and evaluate the teaching during teaching practice examination.

Content

Tho course consists of four parts.

1. Problems of Democracy, 7.5 ECTS

2. Teaching Practice Examination, 7.5 ECTS

3. Methods, 6 ECTS

4. Essay Course, 9 ECTS

1. Problems of Democracy 7.5 credits

This course is intended to develop the students' ability to read and analyse -- both orally and in writing -- political science texts. The course encourages students to reflect on the requirements for participation in a scientific discussion. Special attention is thereby given to the ability of reporting the ideas of others in an analytical and concise way, the need for concept formation in the identification and comparison of different ideas, and the importance of dealing with relevant objections when attempting to support one's own argument.

The course introduces some fundamental problems of democracy from a political science perspective. The aim is to equip students with the ability to independently analyse the central theoretical and empirical questions regarding democratic government. The course builds on themes introduced during Political Science A, within the fields of Political Theory and Comparative Politics.

The ambition is to equip students with the ability to discuss ideas about democracy as well as empirical research at a fairly advanced level. In practice, this means that the students - aided by the course topics described below - make the leap from arguing from a limited and personal point of view, to constructing more general, systematic and well-founded arguments.

More precisely, after completing the course the students are expected to:

- be able to discuss and compare various conceptions of democracy.

- be able to describe and evaluate the historically most important arguments for and against democracy.

- know, and be able to employ and critically review some of the most common explanations of democratisation.

- know how democracy in general, and its constitutional structure in particular, affects various political and economic outcomes.

- be able to argue for or against ideas and theses in a systematic and well-founded manner, orally as well as in writing.

The course consists of three parts:

The first part deals with normative democratic theory. It covers conceptual issues concerning the meaning of democracy, normative questions about the justification of democracy, and the problems and solutions that have been offered within different traditions in democratic theory. We cover issues such as:

What are the main problems within democratic theory? What solutions have been suggested?

How do we define democracy? What is good about democracy? What is the significance of granting various interests and groups political representation?

The second part of the course deals mainly with empirical questions concerning democracy's development, spread, and causes: How should we describe the spread of democracy in time and space? What explains why some states are democracies while others are not? What are the preconditions for global democracy?

The third part of the course deals with the political and economic consequences of democracy. The constitutional design of democracies is emphasised: Does democracy matter for peace and welfare? What impact does constitutional design have on political and economic outcomes, such as party systems, political participation, the size of the public sector and corruption?

Teaching

This course consists of lectures are and seminars. Attendance at all seminars is mandatory, while attendance at lectures is voluntary. The course is divided into three parts. Course lectures aim to introduce the main points covered in each part. The seminars aim to develop the students' analytical skills through discussion in smaller groups. Before each seminar, all students will be required to prepare answers to a set of questions, individually and/or in groups. These prepared answers will be discussed during the seminars. This way, the seminars should provide opportunities for the students to continuously reflect on the content of the course, and work together to highlight the practical importance of theoretical ideas that are introduced throughout the course.

Examination

The course ends with an exam, which serves both as basis for grading, and an opportunity for the student to rehearse the content of the course.

The grading system is VG Pass with distinction', G Pass' and U Fail'. Additional information is also given in the form of a seven-point grading system (ECTS).

To pass' the class, the student is required to

- participate actively in the seminars.

-pass' the final exam.

2. Teaching Practice Examination 7.5 credits

3. Methods 6 credits

Contents

The objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge of scientific methods. Its purpose is to offer a first introduction to practical research as well as to develop a critical understanding of the way in which choices of method affect study design as well as results. The emphasis of the course is on basic methodological concepts and qualitative methods. However, it also underlines the common principles on which qualitative as well as quantitative approaches are based. The course offers a discussion of the nature of research problems in political science, of how scientific studies can be designed, of various kinds of sources and methods of data collection, and of the analysis of political ideas.

Objectives

After completing the course, students are expected to:

- be able to recognise and formulate an appropriate research question in political science

- be able to relate a research question to relevant literature in political science

- be able to distinguish between descriptive, explanatory, and evaluative studies

- understand the basics of different descriptive, explanatory, and evaluative methods, in particular comparative methods

- understand the need to define concepts, theoretically and empirically

- be acquainted with different strategies of generalisation and understand the meaning of the concept of generalisation

- understand the difference between primary sources, secondary sources, and literature

- be aware of the most important methods of data collection in the social sciences

- be acquainted with some important methods of textual analysis

- have a basic understanding of how to apply methods of textual analysis

- have basic knowledge of how to evaluate sources from a reliability and validity point of view

- be able to discuss academic texts from a methodological point of view

Teaching

Teaching consists of a combination of lectures, literature studies, seminars and exercises. The students' own efforts in the form of creative thinking, information search, and paper-writing are central elements of the course.

Examination

Examination is based on seminar participation and exercises. A written exam may also be used.

Grades are awarded on a scale comprising the grades VG (pass with distinction), G (pass), and U (fail), or, alternatively on the ECTS scale.

To reach the grade G (pass), students must:

- participate in mandatory seminars and solve all exercises in a satisfactory manner

- reach at least the grade G (pass) on the written exam if employed

Progress in Relation to the Requirements for the Degree

After completing the course, students are expected to have sufficient knowledge and skills to formulate research questions and to conduct and assess basic empirical research of a qualitative kind in an independent fashion.

4. Essay course 9 credits

The aim of this course is for the student to gain the insights and skills required for the meaningful participation in a research process i.e. being able to examine the validity of arguments in the form of seminars. This essay assignment should train the student to distinguish and define a political science problem, to delimit and carry out a minor investigation relevant to this problem, and to present the results in a clear and concise way. One aim is for the student to become familiar with the appropriate methods for surveying the existing research on the issue, as well as gathering adequate data. The student should hereby gain concrete experience of different investigation methods and learn how these can be used to solve the various tasks of a research project. Furthermore the course should make the student understand the value of analysing the design of different research tasks, and to constructively consider the views of others.

The course requirement is to independently carry out a minor investigation chosen by the student himself and set up in consultation with a tutor. The work is normally done in pairs and with the support of a tutor. The research is accounted for at a final seminar by an oral presentation, but above all, by a written paper. Another important part is for the students to analyse and to reflect together upon the design of different types of research tasks; the ones used by the student himself as well as those of his fellow students. At the final seminar the authors are expected to reflect orally upon and answer questions about their own investigation. Furthermore each student shall initiate the discussion about at least one other paper by acting as opponent, as well as actively participating in discussions on the other papers presented in the same seminar group.

The teaching is done in several different forms. Some of the basic knowledge needed for the essay work is presented in the form of lectures. The students' essay ideas are presented and discussed in group seminars. The focus of the teaching is on personal instruction adapted to the need of each student, individually or in a group form. At the end of the course the essays are presented and discussed in the seminar form. On this occasion the students are given the opportunity to evaluate the different types of projects and how they have been carried out from beginning to end, and what conclusions can be drawn from the specific problems dealt with in the process.

The examination is done by an introductory seminar which is obligatory, as well as the presentation and discussion of essays in the seminar form where the course participants take active part in the roles as opponent, respondent or seminar participant. At this examination the main important thing is the quality of the essay concerning the precision of the problem to be studied, reference to previous studies, the application of the chosen method, and finally how well supported and clear the conclusions are. Creativity and analytical precision are especially qualifying. Oral contributions at the final seminar are also counted in for the examination.

The course contributes to giving the student the knowledge and understanding of the basic methodological questions of social science. The skills being taught and practised include the ability to independently identify, formulate and deal with a political science problem; the ability to define and carry out an assignment within a given time limit; the ability to report and to discuss information, problems and solutions, orally as well as in writing; the ability to work independently with research problems and various investigation assignments.

Course level in relation to degree requirements

The students will develop their ability to critically analyse, understand and deal with, both orally and in writing, some relatively advanced texts from the central research fields of political science. The course gives the students an opportunity to reflect upon the requirements of a scientific discussion. Special attention is thereby given to the art of conveying the thoughts of others in an analytically meaningful way; the need for a concept formation of one's own - an instrument of analysis - for the characterisation and comparison of different ideas, and the importance of dealing with relevant critique in order to support one's own thesis. The student is expected to contribute actively with his own views, and there will be practice in oral presentations of the acquired knowledge.

On completion of the course the student is expected to have obtained the necessary knowledge and competence to define research problems as well as carrying out and assessing empirical studies of a simple but yet qualitative kind. The course thereby provides the student with the knowledge and understanding of some basic methodological questions in the field of social science. The skills practiced include the competence to identify, formulate and seek answers to political science problems; the ability to define and carry out an assignment within given time limits; the ability to present and discuss information, problems and solutions, orally as well as the written form; the ability to work independently with research problems and various project assignments.