Entry requirements

Political Science advanced course or equivalent education.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course the students are expected to:

• have improved their understanding of research in the field of comparative politics. The students should acquire a deeper understanding and knowledge of the usefulness, possibilities and the limitations of pursuing research with a comparative perspective.
• understand what is commonly known as modernisation and the factors and processes that determine outcomes of modernisation processes. This goal includes having a better understanding of what determines the outcome of democratisation processes and what conditions economic growth in different parts of the world. In particular the role of political elites, institutions and citizens will be studied.
• be acquainted with the research done by senior scholars in comparative politics in the department
• be able to apply and discuss the theories presented in the course and to and formulate a research question that fits the scope of Master's thesis (the 'thesis proposal').

Content

The course builds on insights about political processes that the students have gained from the A- and B-level courses in political science given the Department of Government, Uppsala University. After finishing the course the students are expected to have a deeper understanding about modernisation processes and what shapes outcomes of political processes that involve democratisation, economic growth, and the redistribution of wealth.

The school of modernisation is perhaps one of the most influential theoretical contributions in modern social sciences. In its simplest form, it claims that democracy depends on economic growth to survive. Also, vice versa, democracy provides the best conditions for economic growth. So, if a society manages to achieve one of those goals, a virtuous cycle can begin. Today, theories on the relationship between economic growth and democracy would regard the description above as simplistic. Also, the side effects of neoliberal perspectives on economic growth are strongly, and on good grounds, criticised. Furthermore, in many parts of the world democracy is regarded as just a false front of modern versions of imperialism. Nonetheless, the school of modernisation is not dead. In fact we can still argue that it is useful. However, then one must take into consideration the complexities of the modern world.

Therefore, this course will bring attention to; contemporary conflicts around the world, the political conditions governing post-communist states, what determines the chances for, and impact of, political mobilisation, and the role of international aid efforts in what we can call modernisation processes. We will thoroughly investigate the role of civil society in different regime types and political contexts, and we will try to understand why, sometimes, democracy and economic growth can be regarded foes to each other rather than friends. We ask: to what extent are theories of modernisation useful for explaining and understanding democratic and economic development?

Instruction

The course consists of lectures and seminars. The language of instruction is English if non-Swedish speaking students are present in the course. Students may write the 'thesis proposal' in Swedish or English. For the written exam, students may give answers in English or Swedish.

Assessment

Attendance at the seminars is compulsory and students are expected to take an active part in the discussion. The course "being an advanced course open to Master's level as well as PhD students" places great emphasis on the ability of students to work and discuss the course readings independently, mainly in written but also in oral form.

The requirements of the course are:

Handing in writing assignment(s) for seminar(s)

Writing a thesis proposal of about 7 pages(i.e. maximum length of 3,000 words). The research question can be chosen freely, but the proposal should make use of the course literature.

Attendance and active participation in the seminars

Written exam

The grade is based on your performance in the following sections and parts of the course

You need to participate in all seminars. If you miss a seminar you will be asked to write an article review that is at least 2000 words long. Participation in the seminars is only graded as "pass" or "fail". If you come to the seminars, if you participate in the debates, and if you have done your best to absorb the literature before the seminar, then it is very likely that you will pass.

The "Thesis Proposal" will be graded. You need at least a 50% score to pass, and at least 75% to pass with distinction. The grade for the "Thesis Proposal" constitutes 50% of the final grade.

The exam will be graded. You need at least 50% to pass, and at least 75% to pass with distinction. The grade for the exam constitutes 50% of the final grade.

The final grade is given according to the Swedish university grading system. There are three grades: Fail, Pass, and Pass with Distinction. To pass you need at least a total score of 50%, to pass with distinction, you need a score of at least 75%.

About the seminars for part 1 - 5

The seminars should provide an opportunity to discuss the literature for part 1 - 5 in the course. It is a forum where you can discuss the books and articles with you fellow students and the main teachers. Hopefully, we will be able to straighten out any question marks about the texts. You should have read all the texts for each seminar before the seminar. You are encouraged to raise questions about the literature before the seminar. This part is voluntary however. If you want to raise a particular question in the seminar, please send your question (s) via e-mail to the main teacher at least 24 hrs before the seminar.

The thesis proposal

As stated above, the topic for "the thesis proposal" can be chosen freely, but the proposal should discuss a research question covered during the course and it should make active use of the course readings. Also, it should focus on one of the themes in the course. The main purpose of this exercise is to practice skills that will be required from you when you write your thesis. Naturally you do not have to stick to this proposal when you design your thesis project later. However, it is perfectly alright to expand on the idea(s) presented in this assignment when you finally write your thesis. But in that case your paper must still be an independent contribution in relation to your coming D-level/master-thesis (i.e. you cannot simply copy the whole or any parts of this contribution and include it in your coming D-level/master-thesis).

The text should be written in English or Swedish.

You can discuss the outline of the paper with one of the course teachers. Also, you may hand in a thesis synopsis (max. 2 pages long) that will be discussed at a special seminar (see the schedule). The final paper should be about 7 pages, a maximum of 3,000 words (excluding list of references). If your paper is longer than 3,000 words it will not pass.

These are things that we look at when we grade the research proposal:

To what extent:

is a question explicitly formulated?

is the paper organised around that question?

is (part of) the course literature used to address the question?

is the question formulated so that a meaningful and relevant answer can be retrieved from sources that may, realistically, be available?

do you manage to argue that the question is interesting from a political science perspective?

is the paper well written, i.e. is it easy to follow the line of argument?

This is an example of a disposition for a research proposal:

Introduction: about 500 words. Present the topic and describe what issues that are contested.

Research question: Describe the research question with no more than 300 words. Explain why the reader should be interested in the focus of your project! End this section by presenting your thesis question in only one sentence.

Theory: Describe which theories that will be relevant for your research question. About 1500 words.

Hypotheses: Discuss the relevant hypotheses that are relevant to test in your thesis. About 500 words.

Sources: Discuss the sources that you will use to answer. You must suggest sources that may, realistically, be obtained for a thesis project.

Some examples of Master theses (one year, and two-year) will posted on the web.

The exam will consist of questions about the books and articles included in the course.

The main purpose of the exam is to verify that you have absorbed and understood the literature. It also tests your skills in analysing academic literature and to what extent you can summarise complicated ideas in a coherent way.

Remember that you must register for the exam 12 days before on our web site.