95980 - Globalization, Democracy and Human Rights

Learning outcomes

Globalization is a complex phenomenon that has had a defining impact on the space and timing of politics, as well as on the meaning of the most important Western political concepts, their mutual relationships and the related practices, and that requires to be critically investigated. In this light, the course aims at discussing the political impact of globalization by paying particular attention to the ways in which democracy and human rights have been both globally affirmed, significantly resignified and exposed to new forms of violation. By the end of the course, the student: knows the main theoretical approaches to globalization, its historical roots and impact in political terms; is capable of contextualizing the historical dynamics that have led to the resignification of some crucial political concepts – from democracy and human rights, to sovereignty, security, identity, and equality–, as well as to the emergence of new keywords (governance, vulnerability, risk) and new forms of subjectivation (e.g., ‘global children’); is capable of critically assessing the ways in which those concepts are used in the political discourse.

Course contents

The course explores the roots of globalization, democracy and human rights by discussing in parallel the ancient Mediterranean world and its reception in the modern and contemporary periods: the very ideas of civilization and the process of civilizational thinking; interconnectivity, exchange and conflict in the Bronze Age; the emergence of law, urbanization, government, imperialism, human mobility, gender roles, from Mesopotamia to northern Africa and Europe; the notions of citizenship vs slavery and democracy vs oligarchy, in ancient Greece; the Republic and then the creation of a unified Mediterranean under ancient Rome.

The course is divided into two parts, approximately 2/3 and 1/3 respectively (depending on the size of the class, active discussion, etc.) of the total length:

The first part of the course (ca. 20 hours) is dedicated to the scrutiny of key notions (see Learning outcomes), achieved by a critical reading and commentary of ancient sources (in English translation). The instructor will provide the sources, guide the discussion, and suggest support readings on each major topic. This section is a mix of lectures and class discussions.

The second part of the course (ca. 10 hours) focuses on reading selected passages, in English translation, of Thucydides’ passages dealing with imperialism, the rule of law, international relationships, democracy and government. This section is conceived as a seminar which aims to stimulate discussion with and among the students, on the basis of the notions learnt in the first part.

Readings/Bibliography

Students who attend classes

The bibliography for attending students is composed of the following reading list, which should be read in parallel with the class lectures, following the instructions given by the lecturer.

 

Book chapters:

From D. Piovan and G. Giorgini (Eds), Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Athenian Democracy. From the Late Middle Ages to the Contemporary Era, Leiden-Boston 2021:

1. M.H. Hansen, “The Nature of Athenian Democracy”, pp. 27-53.

2. J. Ober, “Classical Athens as an Epistemic Democracy”, pp. 453-489.

3. Y. Sintomer, “Sortition and Politics. From Radical to Deliberative Democracy – and Back?”, pp. 490-521.

 

From R. Balot (Ed.), A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought, ed. by R. Balot, Oxford 2009:

4. P. Liddell, “Democracy Ancient and Modern”, pp. 133-148.

5. C. Nadon, “Republicanism: Ancient, Medieval, and Beyond”, pp. 529-541.

 

Articles:

6. M. Canevaro, “The Rule of Law as the Measure of Political Legitimacy in the Greek City States”, Hague Journal of the Rule of Law 9 (2017), pp. 211-236.

7. D.A. Welch, “Why International Relations theorists should stop reading Thucydides”, Review of International Studies 29 (2003), pp. 301-319.

 

Sources:

Select passages from Thucydides’ work (The Peloponnesian War), will be given during the second part of the class lectures. The suggested edition/translation is: The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, Edited by Robert B. Strassler, New York et al., 1996.

 

Students who do not attend classes

Students who do not attend classes will be required to study additional bibliography. Students should contact the lecturer in due time and at least two months before the exam to discuss a bibliography that suits their interests and receive instructions.

Teaching methods

The course will be articulated into both lectures and class discussions.

Lectures will include analysis of materials and ancient documents in English translation, guided by the lecturer.

Class discussions will be adapted to the size of the class and will consist of collective discussions of modern bibliography and ancient sources.

Students are required to carefully read the assigned materials before classes, and to actively take part in the classes. Their participation shall be taken into consideration during the assessment.

Assessment methods

The course will be articulated into both lectures and class discussions.

Lectures will include analysis of materials and ancient documents in English translation, guided by the lecturer.

Class discussions will be adapted to the size of the class and will consist of collective discussions of modern bibliography and ancient sources.

Students are required to carefully read the assigned materials before classes, and to actively take part in the classes. Their participation shall be taken into consideration during the assessment.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Oral examination: 3 questions concerning any combination of topics from the classes and/or the bibliography.

The exam is aimed to assess:

• the basic knowledge of the course programme;
• the understanding of issues and topics discussed in class;
• the familiarity with the historical development of the discipline;
• the ability to set artefacts/issues in their proper context and to discuss them in a critical perspective;
• the quality of the oral expression and the competence in logical argumentation.

The final evaluation (in fractions of 30) will follow these guidelines:

• fail: lacking basic knowledge and ability to provide correct interpretations of the course topics and issues.
• pass: possess of basic knowledge; mostly correct interpretation, but often lacking precision and independent thought.
• good: average knowledge; correct interpretation, but somewhat lacking precision and independent thought.
• excellent: above-average knowledge; correct interpretation displaying precision and independent thought. Excellent oral expression.
• NB: in order to pass the exam, it is required to answer adequately to all 3 questions.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the dedicated office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students): the staff shall propose acceptable adjustments to the programme. All requests for adaptations must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer for assessment in light of the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Lectures and class discussions will be held with the support of PowerPoints, PDFs of sources, images and maps.

All materials will be made available to the students during the course through the Unibo Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Zaccarini