Syllabus Information

1. General information

In recent decades, Spain has experienced an expansion of associations of various kinds (neighbourhood, cultural, educational, family, consumer and user, international cooperation, etc.), foundations, federations and other forms of economic association (cooperatives, mutual societies, insertion companies, etc.). The variety of associative typologies (sometimes grouped under the generic category of NGOs) helps to explain their strong social and economic impact. One of the key debates revolves around the level and nature of involvement of third sector organizations in the provision of public and social services. On the one hand, there are two antagonistic positions that criticize the growing involvement of the third sector as a component of a global policy of reducing the size of the State. On the other hand, a defence of social initiative in the attention and defence of social, economic, cultural and environmental rights as a manifestation of democratic participation. 

2. Learning results

-To critically analyse the implications of participation, both as an objective and as an instrument in the design, management and evaluation of public policies. -To identify the sociological bases of citizen participation and the third sector in western societies.

-To analyse the changes in the conventional forms of participation and the emergence of new forms of participation, especially through social movements and volunteering in third sector organizations.

-To know how to apply theoretical and conceptual notions to concrete cases related to public and social policies (urban planning, education, family, health, social services, employment, development cooperation, etc.)

3. Syllabus

1. Presentation and organization of the subject

2. Citizen participation: rights, instruments and public policies

3. Social movements, democracy and citizenship

3. Participation, volunteering and society: sociological foundations

4. Citizen participation in the public policy cycle

6. Civil society and the third sector: towards the depoliticization of citizens and the outsourcing of the State?

4. Academic activities

1. The methodology used combines the exposition and discussion of the main contents of the subject with the encouragement of students to actively participate in the search and critique of materials on the topics of study.

2. Active participation in classes: discussion of texts, videos, attendance to lectures given by teachers and guest experts, etc.

3. Out-of-class work: completion of required readings, preparation of discussions and writing of final papers.

5. Assessment system

Attendance and active participation in the sessions is mandatory (90% of the sessions). 

Continuous evaluation is deployed along three axes:

a) Active participation in the classes (10%) through the proposed readings and comments on the same. 

b) Written work in the form of an academic essay (50%). Its length shall not exceed 6,000 words and shall not be less than 4,000 words.

c) Public defence (40%). Students will publicly defend their essay for 15 minutes and answer questions from the teacher and their peers.

The essay will be evaluated on the quality of its content and writing style, as well as the presentation and ability to respond orally to the questions posed. To pass the subject it is necessary to obtain at least a grade of 5 points in each of the mentioned axes.

Attendance to the sessions is a mandatory condition for the continuous evaluation modality. Those who are unable to attend the required sessions must use the single evaluation system.

SINGLE EVALUATION:

It will consist of a five-question written exam on the contents of the subject.