Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Scope of the course:
Comparing means traveling. Travel across cultures, political systems, and intellectual traditions. This course of comparative politics is conceived as travel among different sociopolitical worlds. Comparative politics is certainly one of the most common and consolidated subdisciplines of political science. Comparative politics is, in essence, transversal, as it touches on a variety of realities covered and studied by political and social sciences, with the aim of comparing them, essentially among the political units of reference, which are the nation-states. Democracy, autoritarism, and political regimes are classical objects of comparative politics, but the sub-discipline has recently paid more attention to other phenomena, such as globalization, wars, and gender.
This course is introductory, with the aim of familiarizing students with the main theories and themes developed in comparative politics. The objective is not to provide an exhaustive view of the sub-field, but to initiate the students' scientific and empirically informed practice of comparison. To do so, the sessions rely on a nuanced, but also problematized, trenchant, and global approach to themes such as the (non)Western trajectory of the nation-state, democratization, political parties, gendered politics, social and racial inequalities, and war.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of the course, the students will:
- have a consolidated understanding of the comparative approach and method in political science
- be able to use the comparative approach to analyse concrete socio-political dynamics
- have a strengthened ability to comment and analytically read scientific texts (articles, chapters, etc.)
- be in possession of a significant knowledge about the classical and new debates in the field of comparative politics
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
The course will be taught entirely in English. Students will be required to read scientific articles, to have oral presentations, participate in class and to pass a written exam, all in English (except for the written exam, with a possibility to answer in French). Therefore advanced notions of English are required.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course prioritizes understanding over substance. This means that the objective is not to provide an exhaustive and unilateral panorama of comparative political issues, but rather to focus on the essentials and take time to listen to the students. Consequently, a significant space will be dedicated during the sessions to the exchange between the teacher and audience, whether through questions or collective activities.
Most sessions will be combining oral presentations and lectures. Oral presentations are parts of the students' final grade. These presentations will be followed by an exchange with the audience to encourage collective discussion. The lectures will complement the oral presentations by returning to certain points, providing context and amplifying the analysis.
Two sessions will be taught by Dealan Riga, PhD candidate and Assistant in the Political Science Department. Depending on the number of students enrolled on the course, oral presentations will eventually have to be held during these sessions. The grade of the presentations will be established in coordination with the teacher in charge of the course.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
The presence to the sessions is mandatory. To pass the course, students are strongly encouraged to be present.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
The course is based readings, essential for the oral presentations. A full list of readings is available below in the course plan, which provide an in-depth analysis of the issues addressed. They are very useful in consolidating your knowledge of comparative politics. By extension, it would be a plus for the exam, which aims to assess the way one masters the learning objectives described above.
To stimulate the use of readings among students, the texts will also serve as a basis for the oral presentations and the lectures.
Helpful manuals:
Daniele Caramani. 2017. Comparative politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carles Boix, Susan Stokes (eds.). 2007. The Oxford handbook of comparative politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jeffrey Haynes. 2005. Comparative politics in a globalizing world. Cambridge: Polity.
Rod Hague, Martin Harrop. 2004. Comparative government and politics. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
John Baylis, Steve Smith, Patricia Owens. 2017. The globalisation of world politics: an introduction to international relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
Out-of-session test(s)
Further information:
The final grade has two components: 1) The oral presentations; 2) A written exam in January.
- Oral presentations (50% of the final grade)
Students must prepare a powerpoint and email it to the teacher at least one hour before the lesson (julien.pomarede@uliege.be). The powerpoint will be made available to all students on MyULiège to facilitate revision for the final exam.
The marking criteria are as follows:
Content Mastery: The depth and accuracy of your understanding of the topic are paramount. This criterion assesses your ability to present an empirically well-researched and coherent argument, demonstrating a grasp of the comparative approach. The students are expected to engage critically with the material and provide insights that go beyond basic descriptions.
Structure and Organization: A clear, logical structure is essential for effectively communicating your ideas. This criterion evaluates how well your presentation is organized, including the clarity of your introduction, the logical flow between sections. A well-structured presentation helps the audience follow your argument and understand your conclusions.
Engagement and Interaction: Your ability to engage with the audience and respond to questions or comments is an important aspect of oral presentations. This criterion assesses how well you handle the Q&A session, your ability to think on your feet, and your responsiveness to feedback during the presentation. Effective interaction demonstrates a deeper understanding of your topic and your ability to discuss it dynamically.
Students in the same group will all have the same final mark. It is therefore important to have a good internal organisation and to prepare sufficiently in advance.
Artificial intelligence:
The use of AI applications such as Chat GPT is allowed must be mentioned in the final work, in the form of a footnote for example. Its use must be reasonable and will be systematically checked using detection tools. Excessive use will be considered plagiarism in two situations:
- work based on whole sentences or paragraphs generated by the AI
- portions of texts inspired by the use of AI that are not referenced (articles, books, etc.).
- Written exam (50% of the final grade) - January 2025
The exam aims to assess the students' ability to master the main learning outcomes of the course (see "Purpose of the course").
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Schedule
Tuesdays, 11.00am-01.00 pm
B.31 Marx
In-class sessions
Contacts
Dr. Julien Pomarède
Associate Professor in International Politics, Departement of Political Science
https://www.uliege.be/cms/c_9054334/en/directory?uid=u240686
Bât. B31 International Politics
Quartier Agora
place des Orateurs 3
4000 Liège 1
Belgique
Office R.77, level 0
email: julien.pomarede@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
Readings
Readings of the course