Sociology of Power and Politics

Code:

SOCI035

Acronym:

SPPOL

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Sociology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Sociology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Sociology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
SOCI	46	SOCI - Study Plan	2	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Knowledge of the main sociological patterns of analysis of power and political power phenomena; identification and knowledge of the process of historical genesis of the State in Europe; knowledge of the implications of the different views of society in the formulation of alternative frameworks of political power; knowledge of the historical and social dimensions that are the base of the production of contemporary totalitarian and authoritative phenomena, maintaining the specificities of the Portuguese example; knowledge of the genesis and structure of the democratic political-partisan field. 

Learning outcomes and competences

Capacity for well-founded critical analysis of contemporary societies, using sociological concepts; ability to anticipate in a scientific way the phenomena of power inside societies and the dynamics of its transformation in political power and political-partisan power; culture of critical and reflexive citizenship and of professional attitudes based on ethical principles.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction.

2. Sociological knowledge of the specific nature of the political power: patterns of analysis.

3. Knowledge of the historical genesis of the political power: of the claims of legitimacy to the problematic of formation of national states.

4. Knowledge of the structure of democracy: voting, electoral systems, political parties and the field of power.

5. Knowledge of the historical genesis of concentrated political power and the fall of contemporary democracies: totalitarianism, authoritarianism and Salazar period.

Mandatory literature

Benedicto, Jorge; Morán, María Luz (Org.s); Sociedad y Política, Alianza Universidad Textos, 1995
Bourdieu, Pierre; Sur l'État, Seuil, 2012
Fernandes, A. Teixeira ; Os Fenómenos Políticos, Afrontamento, 1988
Freire, André ; Modelos de Comportamento Eleitoral. Uma introdução crítica, Celta, 2001
Lehingue, Patrick; Le Vote: approches sociologiques de l'institution et des comportements électoraux, La Découverte, 2011. ISBN: 978-2-7071-5449-1
Lopes, Fernando Farelo; Os Partidos Políticos. Modelos e realidades da Europa Ocidental e de Portugal, Celta, 2004
Held, David; Models of Democracy, Cambridge University Press, 2006
Bruno Monteiro; A^política em estado vivo. ISBN: 978-972-44-1762-2
Pinto, José Madureira ; Ideologias: inventário crítico de um conceito, Presença, 1978
Tilly, Charles; Coercion, Capital and European States AD 990-1992, Blackwell, 1990. ISBN: 1-55786-368-7
Weber, Max ; Economía y Sociedad, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1964

Comments from the literature

Additional references will be provided.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The classes have a theoretical and practical component (TP) and are complemented by specific bibliography and pedagogical tools available in Sigarra (slides, texts, ST outputs, developed summaries, conferences).
Still be held Tutorial Sessions (ST), consisting in the analysis of texts from key authors and aiming to question and deepen the course contents. 

Software

Não se aplica

keywords

Social sciences > Sociology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	89,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho de investigação	34,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

The grade for each assessment may not be less than 8 (out of 20). The assessment corresponds to a weighted average of the grade obtained in the final exam and in the work done in tutorials, as shown in the next paragraph. Students who fail may sit the final exam in the Resit period.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final exam grade counts for 70% in the final grade.
The grade for the reports counts for 30% of the final grade.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students who, by law, are exempt from class attendance are obliged to contact the teacher in the early period of functioning of the course, for purposes of establishing of the procedures for the knowledge evaluation.
Students with special status, namely those covered by the status of Association Manager, Student Athlete, Student Firefighter, Military Student, National Team Athlete, High-Performance Sports Practitioner or Student Worker" (Art. 14, point 1) they must contact the teacher to set special deadlines for the assessment component distributed. These students have the right to be evaluated during the special evaluation period. 

Classification improvement

Students may ask to improve their grades. The improvement of grades applies to one component: final exam. The formula for calculating the final classification is kept. The new exam will count for 70% of the final classification; the other 30% will use the results of the activities of the tutorial sessions.

Observations

The lecturer’s contact hours will be announced at the beginning of classes; students, however, must book the meetings the lecturer beforehand.