Teaching code

4S010544

Teacher

Massimo Prearo

Coordinator

Massimo Prearo

Credits

9

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE

Period

Sem. 1A, Sem. 1B

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

Students will know and understand:
- the fundamental principles, concepts, models, and theories of political science;
- the contemporary debates related to the socio-political transformations taking place in the globalized world;
- the contribution of political science literature to the theme of international strategy and security;
- emerging issues related to the governance of risk and vulnerability.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to contemporary political and strategic processes and phenomena.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No prerequisits

Program

What is political science? What does it mean to study politics scientifically? What are the theories, methods and objects of political science? What is the contribution of political science to the understanding of politics and international relations? How do strategic and security studies fit within this disciplinary field?
The course introduces the fundamental elements of political science with a focus on the international dynamics and crises that have determined and determine contemporary political scenarios: from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the collapse of the party system of the so-called "First Republic", from the transformations introduced by globalization to the international consequences of local crises, from the consolidation of the digitization of the world to new forms of political participation and contestation.
The study of the central themes of the discipline such as the state, democracy, systems of government, administration and bureaucracy, parties, representation, political participation, electoral systems, public policy, etc., will be conducted with an approach that is both theoretical and empirical. This means that the conceptual dimension of the discipline will be addressed through the scientific contribution of contemporary researchers to specific issues and problems.
For this teaching, no distinction is made between attending and non-attending students, but between students who will accomplish intermediate assessed activities (PA Group) and students who instead decide to follow the course of study without intermediate activities (ST Group).
For the and students in the PA Group who will have completed all intermediate activities by the specified deadlines and obtained a threshold score, the PA bonus for the final test will be triggered (see below).
For the and students in the ST Group who decide to take a course of study without intermediate activities, or for the and students who will have completed the intermediate activities but without achieving the threshold score to obtain the PA bonus, the program includes, in addition to the textbook, an in-depth handout provided by the lecturer and uploaded to the Moodle at the beginning of the semester.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The course will adopt a "flipped" teaching methodology with the support of materials created ad hoc by the lecturer available on the Moodle page, which the and students can consult before the lectures independently and asynchronously. The online material will then remain available for all exam sessions in the a.y. 2024/2025.
This teaching methodology implies that the theoretical part of the teaching, which involves the explanation of the fundamental concepts, theories, and topics, will be offered in the form of material to be consulted (videos) and studied independently by and by the students, also with the help of quizzes for verification and self-assessment of knowledge.
In-class lectures will involve the application of these concepts, theories and themes to specific cases, facts, events, phenomena, with the help of empirical data. Students are required to prepare propaedeutically for the lectures by accessing the online material, so that they can then apply the fundamental concepts, theories and topics in class. Thus, in class they will work on empirical application through exercises, case-studies, discussions, etc.
Registration on the course's Moodle page is mandatory for all and every student, regardless of the chosen path, PA or ST.

Learning assessment procedures

The final evaluation is assessed by a written exam.
The written exam consists of two parts.
The first involves answering 3 open-ended questions randomly drawn from a battery of about 60 questions. The study for this part of the test will be done on the reference textbook.
The second involves answering 2 questions from a battery of about 20 questions. The study for this part of the test will be done on the in-depth handout.
Bonus PA: Students who have turned in the intermediate activities (PA Group) by the specified time and have reached the minimum required threshold will only take the first part (3 questions out of the battery of 60 questions).
Students who despite having turned in the activities have not reached the minimum threshold, or who have choose the ST Group (without intermediate activities), will have to take the 2 parts (3+2 questions on the 60+20 batteries).
The batteries of questions (60+20) will be made available on the Moodle page at the beginning of the course.
NB: The online (flipped) materials and any slides made available by the lecturer do not replace in any way the study on the textbook and the in-depth handout, but serve only as a support to the study and work done in the classroom. The study of these materials alone (video + slides) does not allow for sufficient answers to the questions on the final exam.
Each intermediate activity provides a grade ranging from 1 to 5 (where one stands for sufficient and 5 for excellent). The minimum threshold for getting the bonus and the evaluation criteria will be communicated and explained at the beginning of the course.

Evaluation criteria

The exam will allow to verify:
- Knowledge of the technical terms, concepts and notions of the discipline;
- The ability to argue scientifically by applying these terms, concepts and notions;
- Competence in developing autonomous analyzes and reflections.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final grade is expressed out of thirty and it is assigned based on an assessment rubric in which the expected skills and competencies are specified
The attribution of the distinction is envisaged in cases in which more than excellent, impeccable and excellent knowledge and skills have been demonstrated during the exam.

Exam language

Italiano (o inglese per studenti stranieri che ne facessero richiesta).