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WiSe 20/21: Making One’s Voice Heard – Parties and Social Movements in Europe

Jochen Roose

Information for students

Requirements for active participation:

six text summaries or term paper
presentation

Comments

Democracies offer the chance for ordinary people to participate – but also normatively expects people to become politically active. The most important form of participation are elections, in which people usually vote for parties or for candidates proposed by parties. However, political participation can occur beyond these institutionalized channels in more open ways like demonstrations and social movements.
The aim of the seminar is not, to offer space for general political discussions on participation and strengths or weaknesses of democracies. Instead, we will ground a profound analysis in literature and theories.
The seminar is centered on two intermediary actors between people and the political system: parties and social movements. We will introduce the concepts of party and social movement respectively, discuss main theories of the two fields, and work on the links between the two. close