Anar al contingut (clic a Intro)
UdG Home UdG Home
Tancar
Menú

Estudia

General information

Academic year:
2025
Description:
Politics are present in all aspects of society. In modern nation-states and their transformations, power manifests itself in many ways. This political power, especially in the hands of states, comes with many challenges and is in a continuous process of change, influenced by phenomena such as globalization, the emergence of new stakeholders and new forms of political participation. This course analyses the nature of this power, its mechanisms and how it is distributed, drawing on concepts such as sovereignty and legitimacy.
ECTS credits:
6
Course coordinator:
Anaïs Varo Barranco

Groups

Group DS

Duration:
One-semester, 1st semester
Teaching staff:
Anaïs Varo Barranco
Language of the classes:
English (100%)

Syllabus

1. THE BASICS OF POLITICS 1.1 What is politics? 1.2 What is political power? Power and authority. The legitimacy of power. 1.3 The three forms of politics

2. POLITICS AS A PROCESS. 2.1 The subjective foundations of politics: political culture, socialisation and symbols. 2.2 Political actors. Individual and collective actors (parties, interest groups and movements).

3. POLITICS AS A STRUCTURE 3.1 The emergence of the state and its forms, rules and procedures. 3.2 Typologies of states: democracies, dictatorships and hybrids. 3.3 The functional and territorial organisation of power. Forms of the state

4. PUBLIC POLICY: AN INTRODUCTION 4.1 Definitions of public policy 4.2 Public policy and coercion: the relationship with power

5. CURRENT POLICY DEBATES 5.1 Globalisation and its effects 5.2 Politics and gender 5.3 Politics and diversity 5.4 Politics and violence 5.5 Politics and the ecological crisis

Activities

Activity type Hours with a teacher Hours without a teacher Virtual hours with a teacher Total
Collaborative activity 0 30,00 0 30,00
Assessment test 5,00 10,00 0 15,00
Participatory class 20,00 10,00 0 30,00
Hands-on class 20,00 45,00 0 65,00
Field trip 5,00 5,00 0 10,00
Total 50,00 100,00 0 150

Bibliography

  • Parsons, C. (2020). Introduction to Political Science. Pearson.
  • Garner, R., Ferdinand, P. and Lawson, S (2012). Introduction to Politics. Oxford University Press.
  • Vallès, Josep M. (Josep Maria) (2020 - 06??). Ciencia política : un manual (Edición actualizada). Barcelona: Ariel. Catàleg

Assessment and Grading

Assessment activities:

Description of the activity Assessment Activity % Remediable subject
Global Week Capacity to apply the knowledge acquired in class; use and citation of reliable information sources; capacity for analysis, argumentation and delivery. 10 No
Group Project Capacity to apply the knowledge acquired in class; capacity for analysis, argumentation and delivery. 20 No
Class Diary, hands-on sessions, class exercises and participation Capacity to apply the knowledge acquired in class; use and citation of reliable information sources; capacity for analysis, argumentation and delivery. 30 No
Individual exam Rank of attainment of the aims of the subject 40 Yes

Grading

The evaluation will be based on active participation in the sessions, the completion of individual and group assignments, and the participation and contribution to the workshops and reading seminars.

It is mandatory to attend and participate in the scheduled sessions. The students not regularly attending will be considered as 'Absent' (in Catalan: "no presentat").

The students will need to pass the individual exam with a minimum grade of 5. For the rest of the evaluation activities, an average grade of at least 4 will be required to include them in the calculation of the weighted grade.

Specific criteria for the "No show" grade:
The student will be graded as "Absent" if: a) the student do not take the individual exam or b) the student do not attend the class activities.

Single Assessment:
The evaluation for students who are unable to choose the general method of continuous assessment will consist of two activities:

1. Individual exam (70%)
2. Individual project (30%)

Minimum requirements to pass:
The students will need to pass both the individual exam and the Class Diary with a minimum grade of 5. For the rest of the evaluation activities, an average grade of at least 4 will be required to include them in the calculation of the weighted grade.

To be evaluated using the continuous assessment system, the students need to attend the sessions.

Mentorship

Online and in-person tutoring sessions will be available. All tutoring sessions must be requested via email, sending an email with sufficient notice to: anais.varo@udg.edu








Communication and interaction with students

Relevant information for students will be communicated during in-person sessions and/or via email.

For students who choose the single assessment system, a specific online forum will be provided where all relevant information regarding the course will be communicated.

Remarks

The subject combines master lectures by the teachers with a continuous work effort by the students. The practical and directed activities will analyze case studies, develop aspects presented in the theoretical sessions, invite reflective learning and promote the autonomy of the student.

Most support materials used by professors during the lectures will be made available to students through the Moodle platform prior to each session. This complementary material can be useful for the student to review the work done, to expand their reading on some topics, and for the preparation of the evaluation activities, but due to their configuration it is strongly advised not to rely only on them for exam preparation, as the study material. Attendance to master classes will provide most of the conceptual guide for these materials to make sense.

Plagiarism, including inappropriate use of artificial intelligence-based text generative tools, will not be tolerated.

Design Amendment

Amendment of activities:
The course activities will be adapted to take place online where possible or alternative activities will be implemented in the event of restrictions due to exceptional circumstances.

Amendment of the assessment:
The course evaluation activities will be adapted to take place online where possible or alternative activities will be implemented in the event of restrictions due to exceptional circumstances.

Mentoring and communication:
In the event of restrictions due to exceptional circumstances, all the communications will be online via email.

Escull quins tipus de galetes acceptes que el web de la Universitat de Girona pugui guardar en el teu navegador.

Les imprescindibles per facilitar la vostra connexió. No hi ha opció d'inhabilitar-les, atès que són les necessàries pel funcionament del lloc web.

Permeten recordar les vostres opcions (per exemple llengua o regió des de la qual accediu), per tal de proporcionar-vos serveis avançats.

Proporcionen informació estadística i permeten millorar els serveis. Utilitzem cookies de Google Analytics que podeu desactivar instal·lant-vos aquest plugin.

Per a oferir continguts publicitaris relacionats amb els interessos de l'usuari, bé directament, bé per mitjà de tercers (“adservers”). Cal activar-les si vols veure els vídeos de Youtube incrustats en el web de la Universitat de Girona.