Political Science

This course examines the concept of power in different parts of political science and survey some debates on power, assessing the advantages and disadvantages of concepts of power. It covers distribution of power in society; power in comparative politics; and power in international relations.

This course examines the political, economic, social and developmental challenges of countries in the Global South including the changing place of these countries in the global political economy and their importance in debates about human rights, democracy and security; the Cold War; development narratives; foreign aid; humanitarian intervention; globalization; and the rise of the BRICs countries.

This introductory course to political science offers an overview of the discipline, without presenting a history of the discipline. It covers the main subjects dealt with, the different approaches to them, and the methods and tools needed to understand them. The course develops knowledge, analytical skills, and critical abilities with regard to contemporary political phenomena, by clarifying the central concepts and controversies. It adopts a pluralistic and comparative perspective, and makes room for both classical and contemporary works and objects. The complementary module explores the major themes presented, with a regional focus on Europe, and a particular interest in the construction of Europe. It examines the European project as a political challenge, looking at how it operates, its space, and the debate surrounding its legitimacy, before looking at the production of public action at supranational level, and concluding with perspectives on its impact, public opinion, and the transformation of European societies.

This course provides students with basic knowledge of the Swedish political system, both on the input side (political participation, political parties, other political actors), its structure (constitution, electoral system), and its output side (over the last couple of years, primarily welfare and gender equality policies). It also discusses the historical development of these factors.

The course provides an introduction to Swedish politics. Topics discussed include the political system in general, the constitution, the government and the various Swedish political parties. Both historical and contemporary perspectives are taken. Emphasis is on the role of Sweden as a small country in a global context, and as a member of the European Union and the United Nations. Swedish attributes such as the "Swedish Model" and the policy of neutrality are analyzed from a historical perspective as well as with reference to the present situation. Special attention is given to policies concerning issues of social welfare, gender equality, refugees and diversity.