300099 Anthropology of Democracy (S) (WiSe 2013/2014)

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In contemporary politics as much as in academia, democracy has a unique status as a concept of seemingly universal validity and a point of convergence for the most diverse political projects. For some, democracy promises a society of greater enfranchisement and opportunity for the poor, and others view it as an antidote to terrorism and political violence. The most repressive regimes use elections to legitimate their rule, and the United Nations--quintessential institution of global democracy--enjoy a fair reputation even among staunch critics of Western domination and the liberal world order. It appears that democracy is the one ideal on which the world across most political, ideological, cultural, and religious divisions agrees.

At the same time, democracy is a concept with a history. It has emerged in European antiquity and spread along the pathways of global integration. Far from given by natural law, its practices and institutions are embedded in relations of power and cultural meaning. The anthropology of democracy denaturalizes democracy and draws attention to its cultural dimensions. It asks how democracy is made in specific contexts, and how people around the world appropriate, vernacularize, and combine its ideals, practices and institutions with other, cultural styles of political organization.

In this seminar, we will review some foundational contributions to the theory of democracy to establish its core themes and cultural contents. We will then read and discuss recent ethnographic descriptions of democratic practice in a variety of places. Special attention will be afforded to the question how religious convictions and the participation in faith based civil society organizations inform local practices of democracy.

Teaching staff

Dates ( Calendar view )

Frequency Weekday Time Format / Place Period  
weekly Di 10-12 C01-239 14.10.2013-07.02.2014
not on: 12/24/13 / 12/31/13

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Subject assignments

Module Course Requirements  
30-M-Soz-M8a Soziologie der globalen Welt a Seminar 1 Study requirement
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Seminar 2 Study requirement
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- Graded examination Student information
30-M-Soz-M8b Soziologie der globalen Welt b Seminar 1 Study requirement
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Seminar 2 Study requirement
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- Graded examination Student information
30-M-Soz-M8c Soziologie der globalen Welt c Seminar 1 Study requirement
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Seminar 2 Study requirement
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- Graded examination Student information

The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.

Degree programme/academic programme Validity Variant Subdivision Status Semester LP  
Pädagogik / Erziehungswissenschaft / Diplom (Enrollment until SoSe 2008) H.S.2; H.S.3    
Politische Kommunikation / Master (Enrollment until SoSe 2013) 3.1    
Soziologie / Master (Enrollment until SoSe 2012) Modul 4.2 Wahl 3 (bei Einzelleistung 3 LP zusätzlich)  

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Last update basic details/teaching staff:
Friday, December 11, 2015 
Last update times:
Thursday, September 19, 2013 
Last update rooms:
Thursday, September 19, 2013 
Type(s) / SWS (hours per week per semester)
seminar (S) / 2
Language
This lecture is taught in english
Department
Faculty of Sociology
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31926986