Curricular Unit:			Code:
Democracy and Citizenship			1142DECI
Year:	Level:	Course:	Credits:
3	Undergraduate	Political Science and International Relations	6 ects
Learning Period:		Language of Instruction:	Total Hours:
Spring Semester		Portuguese/English	78
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
i. To integrate methods, concepts, theories and knowledge concerning the models of democracy and citizenship; ii. To develop interactive skills allowing students to participate in debates on contemporary political issues; iii. To manage and critically assess information, on the basis of guided readings; iv. To improve oral and written communication skills; v. To develop critical analysis an synthesis skills on democracy and political participation with reference to future self-learning and professional follow-up activities.
Syllabus:
Unit I - Citizenship 1. Concept of citizenship: origins and evolution 2. Fundamental Rights 2.1.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 2.2.The Council of Europe system 2.3.The European Union framework 3. Citizenship of the EU 3.1.Political rights 3.2.Economic rights 3.3. Social rights 4. Citizenship in Portugal 4.1.Legal framework 4.2. Rights and duties 4.3. Analysis of data concerning political and electoral participation in Portugal and EU. Unit II – Democracy 1. Models of democracy 1.1. Classical/Direct Democracy and Republicanism 1.2. Liberal and Representative Democracy 1.3. Participatory Democracy 1.4. Deliberative Democracy 2. Democracy in Practice 2.1. Democratisation: transition and consolidation 2.2. Advanced democracies and the quality of democracies debate 2.3. Democracy in the world: indexes and case studies.
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
Unit I – By using the concepts of citizenship, the unit intends to develop the human and civic consciousness of students towards a personal and collective intervention on political, economic and social issues; Training and use of new knowledge in the different contexts of development and civic participation. Unit II – With the presentation of the basics of democracy, its models and practice, in the world, students should be informed about the theoretical foundations that allow a proper understanding of contemporary political issues, aiming at developing analytical autonomy and the development of a critical view.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Teaching methodology includes lecturing, research, readings and discussion of contemporary issues, as well as critical reflection. Assessment is continuous and based on two written tests (50% + 50%).
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
Theoretical presentation of the contents of the scientific area; discussions in the classroom; integration of methods, concepts, theories and knowledge in the scientific area; development of interactive competences in the classroom; demonstration of oral and written communication skills of expert assessment contents; selection of methods of information management; development of critical thinking skills.
Reading:
I Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, 2007. European Commission (2017). Repport....On progress towards effective EU citizenship 2013-2016,COM(2017) 32 final. European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 (with protocols), Strasbourg. LEITE, Isabel Costa (2011). "Political participation of non-national residents in Portugal", In: Antropológicas, 12, pp.19 - 25. Ramos, C.; Vila Maior, P.; Leite, I.C. (2020). O Parlamento Europeu e as eleições europeias: Ensaios sobre legitimidade democrática, Aletheia. II FERNANDES, T. (org.) (2018). Variedades de Democracia na Europa do Sul. 1968-2016. Lisboa: ICS HELD, D. (2006). Models of democracy. 3ª ed. Stanford: Stanford U. P. NORRIS, P. (2011). Democratic Deficit: Critical Citizens Revisited. New York: Cambridge University Press. TEIXEIRA, C.P. (2018). Qualidade da Democracia em Portugal. Lisboa: FFMS WELZEL, C. et al. (eds.) (2018). Democratization. Oxford: Oxford U. P.