Political Science

This course investigates why advanced democratic states of the Global North have seemingly been unwilling or unable to grapple with migration, and why their societies feel threatened by migrants despite their vast wealth, stability, and ostensible commitment to human rights. Given this overarching question, the course provides a broad understanding of contemporary developments with respect to international migration in democratic states. It introduces major debates surrounding migration at the domestic, regional, and international levels and offers frameworks for analyzing migration politics tied to foundational theoretical debates in comparative politics and international relations. It provides an opportunity to develop research, written argumentation, and public speaking skills.

This course is designed to enhance students' knowledge of Central European developments during and after the democratic revolutions of 1989. The course examines the democratic revolutions in 1989, the institutional and international framework of the transition process, and specific problems of democratization in Central Europe. It discusses the main turning points of modern political history of the respective countries of the Central European geopolitical space and presents similarities and differences of such developments. In addition, the course explores the constitutional systems of the Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, and Hungary), the effects of the enlargement of the European Union towards Central European countries after May 2004 and the results of the elections into the European Parliament in Central Europe in May 2014. Special attention is paid to the current dramatic events on the European continent including the migration crisis, the British referendum (Brexit) in June 2016, and others.

This course examines the philosophical underpinnings and practical application of nonviolence as a means for effecting social change. It covers the relationship between violence and nonviolence in particular historical contexts, as well as examining debates over the ethics and efficacy of resistance. By focusing on nonviolence, as well as its ostensible opposite, students gain insight into the character of social relations and the distinct forms of violence and nonviolence which mark the everyday lived experiences of people across the world. Such insights allow students to think anew about the nature of contemporary conflicts and resistance movements, including, for example, consideration of the role of new technologies and social media in the pursuit of social change.