85
ÅboAkademiUniversity2014/2015
ÅBO CAMPUS
t
Tools for measuring corruption and why these often
arecriticized
t
Thecausesof corruption
t
The consequencesof corruptionand linkagesbetween
corruptionandthe likelihoodofachievingdevelopment
goals
t
How different actors are engaged in the fight against
corruption
t
Analyzingrealcasesandtryingtofindpracticalsolutions
Modeofstudy:Self-study,virtualdiscussionsandassignments
using the learningplatformMoodle
Entry requirements: The course is especially targetedat stu-
dentsofpoliticalscience,publicadministrationbutcan,dueto
themultidisciplinarynaturesofcorruptionanddevelopment,
alsobecompletedbystudentsofotherdisciplines. Students
shouldhavecompleted theirfirst yearof studies.
Formofassessment:Gradedvirtualdiscussions,assignments
andendof courseexam
Length: 6weeks (virtual course)
Citizensand theState
375114.0
5credits (PoliticalScience)
Intermediate level
Virtual course
Offered:Spring2015
Lecturer: PDCatharinaGroop (
)
Introduction
Inmost liberaldemocraciestherelationshipbetweencitizens
andthepoliticaldecision-makers israpidlybeingtransformed.
In several countries, declining levels of party membership
andpartisanshiphavebeendocumented, aswell asdeclines
invoter turnout. Voters are less loyal topolitical parties and
especially populist and anti-system political parties have
gainedpopularity in recentdecades. For somecountries,we
canalsoobserveadecline in levelsofpolitical trust.
As a result, various scholars have claimed thatwe arewit-
nessing a crisis of democracy. However, other authors are
more optimistic about current trends in citizens' attitudes
and behaviours. They state we are witnessing the rise of a
new generation of "critical citizens" who are not satisfied
with thewaydemocracy is currentlyworkingbut adhere to
thebasicnormsof liberaldemocracy.Thisnewgenerationof
critical citizensprobablywillno longerbecomeamemberof
politicalparties,buttheydoparticipate invariousother,more
informal forms of politics. The question remains, however,
how these 'new' formscontribute toa real representationof
people's interests.Whiletheirsymbolic importancemightbe
highly relevant, wedonot knowwhether these 'new' forms
actually contribute to a further democratization of political
decision-making.
Aim:Thecourseathandaimstoshed lightontherelationship
betweencitizens and the state, andhow ithasevolvedover
time.Morespecifically, thecourse focusesondifferentmodes
of engagement on thepart of citizens vis-à-vis the state. At
theendof thecourse, participantswill beconversantwith:
t
Theoreticaldebatesandempiricalarguments related to
citizen'sengagementwith the state
t
The relationship between civic engagement and de-
mocracy
t
Formsofengagement,howthesehaveevolvedovertime
t
The segments of the populationwho do engagewith
the stateusingdifferent channels
t
Theobjectives linked toengagement
Modeofstudy:Self-study,virtualdiscussionsandassignments
using the learningplatformMoodle
Entry requirements: The course is especially targeted at
students of political science but can also be completed by
studentsofotherdisciplines.Studentsshouldhavecompleted
theirfirst yearof studies.
Formofassessment:Gradedvirtualdiscussions,assignments
andendof courseexam
Length: 6weeks (virtual course)
(PWFSOBODFPG4VTUBJOBCMF%FWFMPQNFOU
B#BMUJD4FB3FHJPOQFSTQFDUJWF
EnvironmentalPolitics I
375105.0
5credits (PoliticalScience)
Intermediate level
-FDUVSFEFS
course
5eacher: 4BN(SÚOIPMN
ProjectSociety
370189.0
5credits (PublicAdministration)
Intermediate level
Lecturedcourse
Offered:Spring2015
Lecturer: PMSamGrönholm (sam.gronholm[a]abo.fi)
Contactperson:Marko Joas (marko.joas[a]abo.fi)
Aimandcontents:Asaresultofabroadsocietaldevelopment
whichhas takenplaceduring the lastdecades,often referred
to fromapolitical perspectiveas "fromgovernment togov-
ernance", projects have emerged as important governance
instruments. This course describes how and why projects
havebecomesuchan importantpartofcontemporarypublic
policies,andthemainchallengesrelatedtothisdevelopment.
Thecourse introduces thestudents tohowprojectsareused
in the society, for exampleas steering instruments, andalso
elaboratingonthevariousformsofprojects,andwithinwhich
policy fields projects aremost commonly used. Given the
emergence and the commonplace of project relatedwork,
the course touches also upon the practical side of project
basedwork, via constructivediscussions andexamples. The
aimof this is to introduce the students towhat itmeans to
beemployedasaprojectworker,how toprepare for thisand
how to successfully steer and implementprojects.
Learningoutcomes:Aftercompleting thecourse thestudent
shouldbeable to
1.
describehow to successfully steer and implement pro-
jects
2.
explain how and why projects have become such an
importantpartof contemporarypublicpolicies
3.
identifyhowprojectsareused inthesociety, forexample
as steering instruments
4.
give examples of what it means to be employed as a
projectworker
Teachingmethods: Lectures (15 h), discussions and read-
ings
Entry requirements: Basic or intermediate studies in Public
Administration
Target group: a) exchange students, b) undergraduate and
graduate studentsatÅboAkademi
Form of assessment: Exam. Although awritten exam is the
basisof thegrading, thestudentsareencouraged toactively
participate in the course discussions, reflecting upon the
multi-levelgovernancechanges,both fromanationalaswell
as international perspective, theemergenceof projects and
their use from a policy perspective and the implications of
this, aswell as takingpart in theconstructivediscussionson
projectbasedwork.
Course literature:
1. Sjöblom, Stefan, K. Andersson, T. Marsden and S. Skerratt
eds. Improving Governance in Spatial Policy Interventions.
2012. Ashgate.
