STV4352B – Democracy and Social Democratic Development in the Global South

Course content

This course engages in three basic discussions in the study of politics and development.

  • The first question is under what conditions democracy of various standards is possible in developing countries. The course provides an historical review of theories and actual outcomes, with special emphasis on the character and problems of the third wave of democratisation.
  • The second question is about the causes for current stagnation of democracy. Main attention is drawn to the roots of depoliticisation, poor governance and elitist representation. To overcome these challenges, the research behind the course suggests that more social democratic oriented development is needed.
  • Hence, the third question is whether and how this would be possible.

A number of historical and current experiences are interrogated in the largest democracies of:

  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Brazil
  • South Africa

But also:

  • Burma
  • Scandinavia

The results are fundamental for local priorities, but also within international cooperation.

The course is based on the research carried out in a leading international network of scholars, co-directed from Oslo.

Former title (before spring 2017): Democratisation and transformation in the Global South

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Students will:

  • obtain a good grasp of the problems and options of democratisation and its role in development in the Global South;
  • get an introduction to various theories of democratisation and strategies derived from them, and understand the diving lines in the related debates;
  • get specific knowledge of how one can best assess problems and options of democratisation and development;
  • get an especially good introduction to the dilemmas of whether and how civil society participation, democratic representation and politics to enhance people’s democratic capacity can support and be supported by social democratic oriented development.

Skills

Students will:

  • be able to search relevant additional information and facts about democratisation in the Global South and especially about more extensive and substantive democratisation;
  • be able to analyse and assess the above mentioned aspects independently;
  • be able to assess current political arguments about democratisation and social democratic development in the Global South.

Competences

Students will:

  • enhance their capabilities in critically analysing questions about the problems and options of democratisation and social democratic development in the Global South.

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Apply for guest student status if you are admitted to another Master's programme.

For incoming students

All Master's courses in Political Science must be registered manually by the Department, th