This course provides

- a historical overview of the development of social policy in European welfare states

- describtion of contemporary aspects of providing welfare

- some of the theoretical background to understanding social policy and welfare provisions - philosophically, ideologically and methodologically.

- an overview and examination of the key areas of social policy and welfare services

In addition, the course aims to answer following questions: what are the main characteristics of different types of European welfare states and what are substantial similarities and differences between the various welfare state regimes.

Introductory lectures during intensive period in Vilnius and a book exam. The examination dates will be annouced in September.

The Lithuanian model is in transition. For this reason, the introduction focuses on ideology and theory of the main welfare state regimes. The students will develop a common understanding of the concept of welfare modelling, the system of welfare institutions.
Lithuanian work and social security system is discussed regarding contemporary changes on the national and regional level. Students will be introduced to the different sectors of national work, social security and social services system, the roles and responsibilities of key players.
Students will evaluate the design and supply of social security and services in Lithuania. For this reason, various fields of applied social policy will be analysed and discussed – standards, costs, coverage and control.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues on-line in Moodle learning environment.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Focusing on contemporary developments of social policies in the tradition of the Bismarckian welfare state, the structural influences of social protection institutions on society, on organized interests, as well as individuals will be discussed.
The Austrian model follows the continental tradition. First of all, the students develop an understanding of the concept of the Continental Model, Austrian Corporatism and Social Partnership, as well as the contemporary debates about these institutional arrangements.
Secondly, the general structure, and recent developments of the Austrian Model of work and social security will be examined. The organization and structure of employment and social security are main issues for critical social policy analyses and discussions.
Thirdly, students evaluate the design and delivery of social insurance and social services in Austria. For this reason, various fields of social policy will be analyzed and discussed by the students. Students are encouraged to critically challenge the design and supply of social insurance and social services.
Finally the focus shifts to the European Union. European Union policy has an effect on national social policies, and the question is, how targets defined by European Union institutions affect the member states of the Union, specifically, Austria. Another question in this context is how the discussion about the European Social Model influences the Continental Model and vice versa.
Major Topics:
• The characteristics of the Continental model
• Austrian Corporatism and Social Partnership
• The general structure of Austrian model of work and social security
• Labor market structures and labor market policy in Austria: employment and unemployment
• The design and supply of social services in Austria

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course offers an introduction to the main features of the Nordic welfare states and welfare model. Some of the following social policy themes will be covered: Nordic welfare model and universalism, labour markets and employment, work and equality, poverty and basic security, child care policies and citizenship.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius. Afterwords the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The "social politics" of Liberalism and residualism will first be explored on a theoretical level. Then the course examines a set of country cases, in which core features of the Liberal Welfare State can be observed. Examining historical lineages of Liberal welfare policy serves as a backdrop for analyses of current challenges and trends in the social protection systems of the countries under review. The course also discusses (Continental) European perceptions and evaluations of the "Liberal Model".

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course includes an introduction lecture and a book exam. The aim of the literature examination is to give students the opportunity to gain insight into the discourse on methodology of social research. This includes the main ideas and methods of quantitative and qualitative research.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam. The examination dates will be announced in September.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course provides students with the basis for making sense of globalization and transnational connections in the contemporary world. National policies and cultures are increasingly and obviously related to events and forces outside national borders. Policies, politics, cultural trends and organizations are now intimately and broadly inter-connected across the world. The course will depart from the view of nations as container societies, and build a basis for students to gain a critical understanding of transnational connections. Students will learn of the variety of perspectives on understanding the contemporary world as divided into comparable nation-states. Students will also be guided on theoretical frameworks to understand: global history, global economy, European politics, national policies in the modern world society, media interactions with global and national politics, and global culture. 

Please note that unlike mentioned in the curriculum of the GTS programme, students are required to complete full 10 ECTS credits (lectures + seminar) on this course. It is not possible to participate only the lecture part.

In order to be able to participate the course, students are required to complete both lectures and the seminar (10 ECTS).

Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

The course deepens the students’ understanding of the functioning of world society and the role of epistemic governance in it. In addition to showing how world culture is seen in the global spread of world models, the course approaches the circulation of global ideas from the perspective of national actors, especially policymakers. In the national political fields, actors justify new policies by international comparisons and by the successes and failures of models adopted in other countries. Consequently, national policies are synchronized with each other. Yet, because of the way such domestication of global trends takes place, citizens retain and reproduce the understanding that they follow a sovereign national trajectory.
The lectures introduce the key ideas of the Stanford School of New Institutionalism coupled with Foucault-inspired governmentality approach and the advances made in discursive institutionalist research. Through required reading the students will get a holistic view on neoinstitutionalist global sociology.

In order to complete the course, students are required to participate both the lectures and the seminar.

Maximum 20 students are accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

The course includes 10 hour lecture series by a visiting Professor Roderick Kiewiet from California Institute of Technology:

1. Externalities 1:  Contagious Disease and Public Health Regulation
2. Externalities 2: Labor Markets: Working Conditions and Child Labor Laws
3. Externalities 3: Air Pollution: Command and Control vs. Market-based Regulation
4. Monopolies:  Telecommunications and the Airline Industries
5. Democracy and Discount Rates: The Crisis in Social Security and Public Employee Pensions

The course examines the consequences of democratic and dictatorial regimes in

a comparative perspective. We will explore how these broad types of regimes

are defined in the literature, how they structure political participation by citizens,

how they change over time and as a result from demands from the people, and

what effects regimes have on relative performance. In addition we'll work with

comparative public opinion datasets commonly used in social science research.

Class meetings: The class will meet once a week. Students should complete

the reading assigned in the syllabus and the homework before each meeting.

Each class period will be devoted to a discussion of the main ideas encountered

in the reading and students are expected to fully participate in the discussions.

Term Papers: 2 term papers will be assigned – one critical review and a final

paper. Both will incorporate the concepts studied in the class. Think of each

paper as an exam – I do. Make sure that you use them to show what you have

learned from the readings and lectures. The final paper is due on the last day of

class.

Critical Review Essay: Semester participants will write 1 paper on any of

the topics covered in this class. These papers are not supposed to be mere

summaries of the readings. Rather, they should be thoughtful critiques of the

assigned readings.

Research Paper: Each seminar participant will prepare a final paper.

Ideally this paper will be an empirical analysis using data from the World Values

Survey (http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/wvs.jsp) or the European Values Study

(http://www.europeanvaluesstudy.eu/) datasets. The topic of this paper is up to

you. Alternatively, students can write a literature review of a topic addressed in

this class (see the Gandhi and Lust-Okar article for an example).

Schedule

Week 1 (Sept 7) Course Introduction
Week 2 (Sept. 14) Summarizing Regime Types
Week 3 (Sept. 21) Measuring Regime Characteristics
Week 4 (Sept 22) Value Change and Postmaterialism
Week 5 (Oct. 12) Political Life in Democracies
Week 6 (Oct. 26) Political Participation in Authoritarian Systems
Week 7 (Nov. 2) Civil Society [Will meet in Pinni B 4113]
Week 8 (Nov. 9) Social Welfare
Week 9 (Nov. 16) Economic Performance
Week 10 (Nov. 23) Corruption
Week 11 (Nov. 30) Protection of Human Rights and Personal Integrity
Week 12 (Dec. 7) War and Regime Type
Week 13 (Dec. 14) Prospects for Democratic Transitions

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Public Choice

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Global and Transnational Studies, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

---------------------------------------

The course can also be taken within the Degree Programme in Politics,

when it will compensate 5 ECTS from one of the following Political

Science study units: POLVOS23 Civil Society and Political Participation

(https://www10.uta.fi/opas/opintojakso.htm?rid=9428&idx=2&uiLang=en&lang=en&lvv=2015),

or POLVOS27 Political Systems

(https://www10.uta.fi/opas/opintojakso.htm?rid=9428&idx=6&uiLang=en&lang=en&lvv=2015).

"Violence is a preventable disease" stated a 2002 Report by the World Health Organization. The accumulation of evidence in the field of violence prevention suggests that we may already know enough to drastically reduce the levels of violence globally. The adoption among the Sustainable Development Goals of several targets focused on significantly reducing all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere call for applying and further expanding existing knowledge. This course will present the socio-ecological model used in the public health approach to stopping violence before it happens through the exploration of existing evidence-based prevention programs.

The course is only for the degree students of the Global Society framework within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. Priority is given to the students of MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research.

This course provides

- a historical overview of the development of social policy in European welfare states

- describtion of contemporary aspects of providing welfare

- some of the theoretical background to understanding social policy and welfare provisions - philosophically, ideologically and methodologically.

- an overview and examination of the key areas of social policy and welfare services

In addition, the course aims to answer following questions: what are the main characteristics of different types of European welfare states and what are substantial similarities and differences between the various welfare state regimes.

Introductory lectures during intensive period in Vilnius and a book exam. The examination dates will be annouced in September.

The Lithuanian model is in transition. For this reason, the introduction focuses on ideology and theory of the main welfare state regimes. The students will develop a common understanding of the concept of welfare modelling, the system of welfare institutions.
Lithuanian work and social security system is discussed regarding contemporary changes on the national and regional level. Students will be introduced to the different sectors of national work, social security and social services system, the roles and responsibilities of key players.
Students will evaluate the design and supply of social security and services in Lithuania. For this reason, various fields of applied social policy will be analysed and discussed – standards, costs, coverage and control.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues on-line in Moodle learning environment.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Focusing on contemporary developments of social policies in the tradition of the Bismarckian welfare state, the structural influences of social protection institutions on society, on organized interests, as well as individuals will be discussed.
The Austrian model follows the continental tradition. First of all, the students develop an understanding of the concept of the Continental Model, Austrian Corporatism and Social Partnership, as well as the contemporary debates about these institutional arrangements.
Secondly, the general structure, and recent developments of the Austrian Model of work and social security will be examined. The organization and structure of employment and social security are main issues for critical social policy analyses and discussions.
Thirdly, students evaluate the design and delivery of social insurance and social services in Austria. For this reason, various fields of social policy will be analyzed and discussed by the students. Students are encouraged to critically challenge the design and supply of social insurance and social services.
Finally the focus shifts to the European Union. European Union policy has an effect on national social policies, and the question is, how targets defined by European Union institutions affect the member states of the Union, specifically, Austria. Another question in this context is how the discussion about the European Social Model influences the Continental Model and vice versa.
Major Topics:
• The characteristics of the Continental model
• Austrian Corporatism and Social Partnership
• The general structure of Austrian model of work and social security
• Labor market structures and labor market policy in Austria: employment and unemployment
• The design and supply of social services in Austria

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course offers an introduction to the main features of the Nordic welfare states and welfare model. Some of the following social policy themes will be covered: Nordic welfare model and universalism, labour markets and employment, work and equality, poverty and basic security, child care policies and citizenship.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius. Afterwords the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The "social politics" of Liberalism and residualism will first be explored on a theoretical level. Then the course examines a set of country cases, in which core features of the Liberal Welfare State can be observed. Examining historical lineages of Liberal welfare policy serves as a backdrop for analyses of current challenges and trends in the social protection systems of the countries under review. The course also discusses (Continental) European perceptions and evaluations of the "Liberal Model".

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius, afterwards the course continues in the on-line learning environment Moodle.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course includes an introduction lecture and a book exam. The aim of the literature examination is to give students the opportunity to gain insight into the discourse on methodology of social research. This includes the main ideas and methods of quantitative and qualitative research.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam. The examination dates will be announced in September.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

This module is made up of class sessions including group work (20 hours), as well as independent out of class tasks (61 hours). The module will be two periods long.

The course provides students with the basis for making sense of globalization and transnational connections in the contemporary world. National policies and cultures are increasingly and obviously related to events and forces outside national borders. Policies, politics, cultural trends and organizations are now intimately and broadly inter-connected across the world. The course will depart from the view of nations as container societies, and build a basis for students to gain a critical understanding of transnational connections. Students will learn of the variety of perspectives on understanding the contemporary world as divided into comparable nation-states. Students will also be guided on theoretical frameworks to understand: global history, global economy, European politics, national policies in the modern world society, media interactions with global and national politics, and global culture. 

Please note that unlike mentioned in the curriculum of the GTS programme, students are required to complete full 10 ECTS credits (lectures + seminar) on this course. It is not possible to participate only the lecture part.

In order to be able to participate the course, students are required to complete both lectures and the seminar (10 ECTS).

Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

The course deepens the students’ understanding of the functioning of world society and the role of epistemic governance in it. In addition to showing how world culture is seen in the global spread of world models, the course approaches the circulation of global ideas from the perspective of national actors, especially policymakers. In the national political fields, actors justify new policies by international comparisons and by the successes and failures of models adopted in other countries. Consequently, national policies are synchronized with each other. Yet, because of the way such domestication of global trends takes place, citizens retain and reproduce the understanding that they follow a sovereign national trajectory.
The lectures introduce the key ideas of the Stanford School of New Institutionalism coupled with Foucault-inspired governmentality approach and the advances made in discursive institutionalist research. Through required reading the students will get a holistic view on neoinstitutionalist global sociology.

In order to complete the course, students are required to participate both the lectures and the seminar.

Maximum 20 students are accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

Many scenarios peace research engages with are mediated either through visual images or text-image hybrids such as those prevalent in
photojournalism: as peace researchers, we (like everyone else) are exposed to images as never before and we experience our subject matter mediated and communicated through visual images. We often do not analyze conditions, but visual representations of conditions. Thus, in a world dominated by images it is necessary for peace researchers to understand the visual construction of peace and war.

Visual peace research is research on the role and function of visual images in wars and conflict situations but also in peace and reconciliation processes on the local, national, regional, international and global levels. It analyzes the relationships among image producers, subjects and spectators because it is here that the meanings of a given image are constantly negotiated.

Visual Peace Research is also interested in the ways images and their interpretations contribute to or even create conflict. It is concerned with the visualization of peace. And it explores new forms of image production (for example, citizen photography, participatory photography and new photojournalism) and how these forms relate to society.

Methodologically hybrid, visual peace research analyzes such different forms of visual representation as film, painting, video, photography, television and comics including the relationships among different genres. It explores both the meaning assigned to images by means of language and the meanings and connotations images carry with them without the explicit support of language.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Global and Transnational Studies, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

The course deals with the role of the gender in war, peace and peacebuilding, including conflict mediation. Gender is used as an analytical tool which opens up a domain of larger theoretical issues which include, for example, the construction of femininities and masculinities in war and peace, cultural trauma, post-conflict exclusion and memory work, political agency, subaltern and the nexus of speech/silence. The course discusses also the ways in which gender can be studied (methods and methodology) and demonstrates the usability of a variety of research material (e.g. policy documents, documentary films, interviews).

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Global and Transnational Studies, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

The course includes 10 hour lecture series by a visiting Professor Roderick Kiewiet from California Institute of Technology:

1. Externalities 1:  Contagious Disease and Public Health Regulation
2. Externalities 2: Labor Markets: Working Conditions and Child Labor Laws
3. Externalities 3: Air Pollution: Command and Control vs. Market-based Regulation
4. Monopolies:  Telecommunications and the Airline Industries
5. Democracy and Discount Rates: The Crisis in Social Security and Public Employee Pensions

The course examines the consequences of democratic and dictatorial regimes in

a comparative perspective. We will explore how these broad types of regimes

are defined in the literature, how they structure political participation by citizens,

how they change over time and as a result from demands from the people, and

what effects regimes have on relative performance. In addition we'll work with

comparative public opinion datasets commonly used in social science research.

Class meetings: The class will meet once a week. Students should complete

the reading assigned in the syllabus and the homework before each meeting.

Each class period will be devoted to a discussion of the main ideas encountered

in the reading and students are expected to fully participate in the discussions.

Term Papers: 2 term papers will be assigned – one critical review and a final

paper. Both will incorporate the concepts studied in the class. Think of each

paper as an exam – I do. Make sure that you use them to show what you have

learned from the readings and lectures. The final paper is due on the last day of

class.

Critical Review Essay: Semester participants will write 1 paper on any of

the topics covered in this class. These papers are not supposed to be mere

summaries of the readings. Rather, they should be thoughtful critiques of the

assigned readings.

Research Paper: Each seminar participant will prepare a final paper.

Ideally this paper will be an empirical analysis using data from the World Values

Survey (http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/wvs.jsp) or the European Values Study

(http://www.europeanvaluesstudy.eu/) datasets. The topic of this paper is up to

you. Alternatively, students can write a literature review of a topic addressed in

this class (see the Gandhi and Lust-Okar article for an example).

Schedule

Week 1 (Sept 7) Course Introduction
Week 2 (Sept. 14) Summarizing Regime Types
Week 3 (Sept. 21) Measuring Regime Characteristics
Week 4 (Sept 22) Value Change and Postmaterialism
Week 5 (Oct. 12) Political Life in Democracies
Week 6 (Oct. 26) Political Participation in Authoritarian Systems
Week 7 (Nov. 2) Civil Society [Will meet in Pinni B 4113]
Week 8 (Nov. 9) Social Welfare
Week 9 (Nov. 16) Economic Performance
Week 10 (Nov. 23) Corruption
Week 11 (Nov. 30) Protection of Human Rights and Personal Integrity
Week 12 (Dec. 7) War and Regime Type
Week 13 (Dec. 14) Prospects for Democratic Transitions

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Public Choice

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Global and Transnational Studies, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

---------------------------------------

The course can also be taken within the Degree Programme in Politics,

when it will compensate 5 ECTS from one of the following Political

Science study units: POLVOS23 Civil Society and Political Participation

(https://www10.uta.fi/opas/opintojakso.htm?rid=9428&idx=2&uiLang=en&lang=en&lvv=2015),

or POLVOS27 Political Systems

(https://www10.uta.fi/opas/opintojakso.htm?rid=9428&idx=6&uiLang=en&lang=en&lvv=2015).

This module is made up of class sessions including group work (20 hours), as well as independent out of class tasks (61 hours). The module will be two periods long.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course is only for the degree students of the following programmes:

- MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare

- MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research

- MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

- MDP in Public Choice

The course is only for the degree students of the MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare.

The course departs from the idea that the media is one of the central actors through which national actors become aware of far-away events and through which these events become integrated with domestic policy discourses. However, this process is a complex one. On one hand, the journalists are central players in it as they decide what is topical or newsworthy for domestic audiences. They also frame the events so that they make good sense to domestic addressees. On the other hand, in domestic contexts there are many other actors that aim to influence the public understanding of the reported events. These actors bring far-way events into their political argumentation in their attempts to advance their own political interests and desires. Interpretations that appear widely convincing are typically taken up and reported by the media.
Starting from these premises, the course suggests, the media serve not merely as an arena through which far-away events are introduced to local audiences. If anything, the media can be seen as a political arena in which different accounts of the reported events meet thus constructing public understanding of these events. Sooner or later, these understandings convert into domestic policy decisions and practices.
The course approaches the above phenomenon especially from the perspective of the traditional news media institution, i.e. of how the national media serve as a forum through which foreign news events are incorporated into domestic policy discourses. Additionally, the course discusses the role of social media in processes in which far-way news events are brought into local political argumentation, thus affecting domestic policies.

Students of the MDP in Global and Trasnational Studies must complete lectures + seminar 10 ECTS.

Other students: it is possible to participate only to the lecture part of the course: lectures + essay 5 ECTS.

Lectures: Max 30 students.

Seminar: Max. 16 students.

Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

Max. 16 students. In order to be able to participate this seminar, students must also attend the lecture part of this course. Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the seminar in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

Schedule:

January 11: Introduction

January 18: Social Choice and Electoral Systems

January 25: Comparative Visions of Representation

February 1: Variety of Electoral Systems

February 8: Proportional Representation in Practice

February 15: Mixed Electoral Systems and the Single Transferable Vote

February 22: Majoritarian Electoral Systems ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE

March 1: Coalition Formation Processes

March 8: No class this week

March 15: Electoral Systems and Interest Representation

March 22: Electoral Systems in Divided Societies: The Case of South Africa

March 29: Elections in Authoritarian Societies ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE

April 5: Representation at the Local Level

April 12: The Power of Agenda Setting

April 26: Final papers are due

IR theories are basically Western centric, based on Western historical experience and intellectual traditions. However, all actors in the international system do not necessarily act according to the rationality of the Western centric theories. Currently emerging powers challenge the international system and that might challenge also the mainstream IR theories. In order to avoid a conflictual behaviour, it is worth of knowing approaches based on non-Western world views. The aim of the course is to find out whether the epistemic communities in the emerging states are challenging our traditional interpretations about the international system and politics. Simultaneously students are encouraged to invent new perspectives in interpreting international politics. The course should also make it possible to evaluate how international IR as an academic discipline is as well as to estimate whether changes in the international system require new approaches in understanding international politics.

Course consist 8 h of lectures and 16 h of seminars.

Lectures give a general overview to the topic of the course: changing international order; Western centric IR and challenging IR approaches from the non-Western world.

For the seminar session each of the students have to read provided articles and each of the articles will be introduced by one student for discussion.

Students also have to write a learning diary about how they have found the texts and also explicate how those texts might affect their own understanding about the international politics.

Compensations in International Relations:

POLKVS33 Rauhan- ja konfliktintutkimus/Peace and Conflict Research

or

POLKVS31 Maailmanpolitiikan tutkimus/The Study of World Politics

The forms of violence in civil wars are quite often more intensified and fatal than in traditional wars among states. Violence is present within the whole society and divides it into antagonist camps. Returning to peace after bloody civil war is therefore also more painful and complex. It takes time to recover from civil wars since the wounds are deeply engrained in the society and they dominate every day experiences among people. This course focuses on the ways to end violence after civil war and build up sustainable and just peace, ways to heal collective and individual trauma and reconstruct destroyed community but also damaged environment. The course examines from various thematic, but also disciplinary perspectives, challenges and obstacles of returning to peace after civil war. It is focused mostly on Finnish Civil War (1917), Irish civil wars and Middle Eastern cases. It offers multi- and inter-disciplinary focus by combining psychological, historical, peace studies and legal approaches.

Themes:

1) Mediation & peace processes

2) Reconciliation, trauma and remembering

3) Transitional justice & reconstruction

4) Refugees and forced displacement

Schedule:

16.1.2017 Marko Lehti (UTA): Introduction 

19.1.2017 Pertti Haapala (History, UTA) –”From Chaos to Compromise. The Civil War 1918 and its aftermath in Finland”

23.1.2016 Jyrki Ruohomäki (TAPRI, UTA): “The politics of memory and re-membering in post-conflict Northern Ireland”

26.1.2017 Anne Heimo (University of Turku): “Coping with the Past: The 1918 Finnish Civil War”

30.1.2017 Jukka Kekkonen (University of Helsinki): “Political and legal repression after Finnish and Spanish civil wars. A comparative analysis.”

2.2.2017 Elise Feron (TAPRI, UTA) "Northern Ireland: Peace without Reconciliation?"

6.2.2017 Laura Huttunen (anthropology, UTA): "Missing persons and the transition to peace:  Bosnia-Herzegovina and beyond"

9.2.2017 Tanja Tamminen (IOS, Germany): ”Kosovo – from dialogue to reconciliation”

13.2.2017 Roland Kostic: “Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Examining top-down approaches and bottom up response”

15.2.2017 Susanne Dahlgren (anthropology, UTA): “ Reconstruction of civil society after violent civil war: the case of Yemen”

20.2.2017 Anitta Kynsilehto (TAPRI): "Fleeing civil war: Syrians in exile"

23.2.2017 Armenak Tokjman (TAPRI, UTA) “Conflict transformation: examples from Syria”

27.2.2017 Bruno Lefort (TAPRI, UTA/ Montreal) “After Lebanese Civil war” (Skype lecture)

2.3.2017 Karim Maiche (TAPRI) “Partial Amnesty and the Confidence-Building in Post-Civil War Algeria”

6.3.2017 Raija-Leena Punamäki: “Traumatic war experiences and possibility of reconciliation: psychological aspects.”

9.3.2017 Aleksi Ylönen (Lisbon): "South Sudan: Endless Instability?"

13.3.2017. Frank Möller (TAPRI,  UTA) Children of Rwanda

16.3.2017 Eeva Puumala (TAPRI):  ”Refugees and asylum seekers: experiencing civil war from a distance”.

20.3.2017 Mahdi Abdile: “From democracy to perpetual chaos and improvement: The case of Somalia”

The course will take place on Mondays and Thursdays at 12-14, except:

Monday 30 January at 16-18

Monday 27 February at 16-18.

Wednesday 15.2.2017 at 12-14

Lectures 38h, literature given by lecturers and student workshops chaired by TAPRI phd-students.

Student write a lecture diary on the basis of lectures and given material.

Students participate to dialogic workshops (4 sessions, 2 hours each) facilitated by TAPRI’s PhD students in which target orientated questions are given beforehand and joint concluding statement are written jointly.

Course: open for all students but targeted specially for students at Faculty of Social Sciences.

Compensations:

Degree Programme in Social Sciences: SOSM7

Degree Programme in Politics (International Relations): POLKVS33 Peace and Conflict Research

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

Introductory lectures during the intensive programme in Vilnius and a book exam.

Only for students in the Cosopo programme.

The course is only for the degree students of the following programmes:

- MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare

- MDP in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research

- MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

- MDP in Public Choice

The course is only for the degree students of the MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare.

The course departs from the idea that the media is one of the central actors through which national actors become aware of far-away events and through which these events become integrated with domestic policy discourses. However, this process is a complex one. On one hand, the journalists are central players in it as they decide what is topical or newsworthy for domestic audiences. They also frame the events so that they make good sense to domestic addressees. On the other hand, in domestic contexts there are many other actors that aim to influence the public understanding of the reported events. These actors bring far-way events into their political argumentation in their attempts to advance their own political interests and desires. Interpretations that appear widely convincing are typically taken up and reported by the media.
Starting from these premises, the course suggests, the media serve not merely as an arena through which far-away events are introduced to local audiences. If anything, the media can be seen as a political arena in which different accounts of the reported events meet thus constructing public understanding of these events. Sooner or later, these understandings convert into domestic policy decisions and practices.
The course approaches the above phenomenon especially from the perspective of the traditional news media institution, i.e. of how the national media serve as a forum through which foreign news events are incorporated into domestic policy discourses. Additionally, the course discusses the role of social media in processes in which far-way news events are brought into local political argumentation, thus affecting domestic policies.

Students of the MDP in Global and Trasnational Studies must complete lectures + seminar 10 ECTS.

Other students: it is possible to participate only to the lecture part of the course: lectures + essay 5 ECTS.

Lectures: Max 30 students.

Seminar: Max. 16 students.

Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the course in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

Max. 16 students. In order to be able to participate this seminar, students must also attend the lecture part of this course. Please note that you must enroll separately for the lectures and the seminar.

Students will be accepted to the seminar in the following order:

1. degree students of the MDP in Global and Transnational Studies

2. degree students of the other Global Society programmes (MDP in in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, MDP in Quantitative Social Research, MDP in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare)

3. other degree students of UTA

4. exchange students

In this module we study different approaches to peace through the examples of specific individuals who have earned recognition for their actions in the cause of peace. Here the term ‘peacebuilder’ is interpreted in a broad sense. The lectures will introduce a selection of individuals, the conflict situations they faced, and the means of their coping with theconflict. These personalities will include some acclaimed peacebuilders and historical figures like Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and Willy Brandt. Their individual positions on non-violence, or their acceptance of qualified violence under certain circumstances, will be discussed. Attention will also be paid to the peacebuilders’ own explanations of their motivations, actions and objectives, and the – potentially different – international perception of their work in hindsight.

Furthermore, each student will present a research paper on a chosen individual and thereby contribute one approach to the complex topic of peacebuilding. Interested students are encouraged to start thinking about the choice of ‘their’ peacebuilder (different from the individuals presented by the teacher) already before the first session. The sources used for the research paper should ideally include original writings and speeches by the selected peacebuilder.

The course primarily targets degree students in the Master's programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research, and secondarily degree students of the Global Society programmes. If places are available, UTA Master's degree students from other programmes can be selected to the course.

Max. 18 students

Schedule:

January 11: Introduction

January 18: Social Choice and Electoral Systems

January 25: Comparative Visions of Representation

February 1: Variety of Electoral Systems

February 8: Proportional Representation in Practice

February 15: Mixed Electoral Systems and the Single Transferable Vote

February 22: Majoritarian Electoral Systems ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE

March 1: Coalition Formation Processes

March 8: No class this week

March 15: Electoral Systems and Interest Representation

March 22: Electoral Systems in Divided Societies: The Case of South Africa

March 29: Elections in Authoritarian Societies ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE

April 5: Representation at the Local Level

April 12: The Power of Agenda Setting

April 26: Final papers are due

The forms of violence in civil wars are quite often more intensified and fatal than in traditional wars among states. Violence is present within the whole society and divides it into antagonist camps. Returning to peace after bloody civil war is therefore also more painful and complex. It takes time to recover from civil wars since the wounds are deeply engrained in the society and they dominate every day experiences among people. This course focuses on the ways to end violence after civil war and build up sustainable and just peace, ways to heal collective and individual trauma and reconstruct destroyed community but also damaged environment. The course examines from various thematic, but also disciplinary perspectives, challenges and obstacles of returning to peace after civil war. It is focused mostly on Finnish Civil War (1917), Irish civil wars and Middle Eastern cases. It offers multi- and inter-disciplinary focus by combining psychological, historical, peace studies and legal approaches.

Themes:

1) Mediation & peace processes

2) Reconciliation, trauma and remembering

3) Transitional justice & reconstruction

4) Refugees and forced displacement

Schedule:

16.1.2017 Marko Lehti (UTA): Introduction 

19.1.2017 Pertti Haapala (History, UTA) –”From Chaos to Compromise. The Civil War 1918 and its aftermath in Finland”

23.1.2016 Jyrki Ruohomäki (TAPRI, UTA): “The politics of memory and re-membering in post-conflict Northern Ireland”

26.1.2017 Anne Heimo (University of Turku): “Coping with the Past: The 1918 Finnish Civil War”

30.1.2017 Jukka Kekkonen (University of Helsinki): “Political and legal repression after Finnish and Spanish civil wars. A comparative analysis.”

2.2.2017 Elise Feron (TAPRI, UTA) "Northern Ireland: Peace without Reconciliation?"

6.2.2017 Laura Huttunen (anthropology, UTA): "Missing persons and the transition to peace:  Bosnia-Herzegovina and beyond"

9.2.2017 Tanja Tamminen (IOS, Germany): ”Kosovo – from dialogue to reconciliation”

13.2.2017 Roland Kostic: “Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Examining top-down approaches and bottom up response”

15.2.2017 Susanne Dahlgren (anthropology, UTA): “ Reconstruction of civil society after violent civil war: the case of Yemen”

20.2.2017 Anitta Kynsilehto (TAPRI): "Fleeing civil war: Syrians in exile"

23.2.2017 Armenak Tokjman (TAPRI, UTA) “Conflict transformation: examples from Syria”

27.2.2017 Bruno Lefort (TAPRI, UTA/ Montreal) “After Lebanese Civil war” (Skype lecture)

2.3.2017 Karim Maiche (TAPRI) “Partial Amnesty and the Confidence-Building in Post-Civil War Algeria”

6.3.2017 Raija-Leena Punamäki: “Traumatic war experiences and possibility of reconciliation: psychological aspects.”

9.3.2017 Aleksi Ylönen (Lisbon): "South Sudan: Endless Instability?"

13.3.2017. Frank Möller (TAPRI,  UTA) Children of Rwanda

16.3.2017 Eeva Puumala (TAPRI):  ”Refugees and asylum seekers: experiencing civil war from a distance”.

20.3.2017 Mahdi Abdile: “From democracy to perpetual chaos and improvement: The case of Somalia”

The course will take place on Mondays and Thursdays at 12-14, except:

Monday 30 January at 16-18

Monday 27 February at 16-18.

Wednesday 15.2.2017 at 12-14

Lectures 38h, literature given by lecturers and student workshops chaired by TAPRI phd-students.

Student write a lecture diary on the basis of lectures and given material.

Students participate to dialogic workshops (4 sessions, 2 hours each) facilitated by TAPRI’s PhD students in which target orientated questions are given beforehand and joint concluding statement are written jointly.

Course: open for all students but targeted specially for students at Faculty of Social Sciences.

Compensations:

Degree Programme in Social Sciences: SOSM7

Degree Programme in Politics (International Relations): POLKVS33 Peace and Conflict Research