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CDM 5284 DEMOCRACY, PUBLIC SPHERE AND COMMUNICATION

GENERAL INFORMATION
COURSE DESCRIPTION

LEVEL OF STUDY: UNDERGRADUATE

COURSE UNIT CODE: CDM 5284

SEMESTER: 5th

COURSE TITLE: DEMOCRACY, PUBLIC SPHERE AND COMMUNICATION

TEACHING WEEKLY HOURS: 3 H/W LECTURES

ECTS: 4

COURSE TYPE: CORE ELECTIVE

TEACHING AND EXAM LANGUAGE: GREEK

COURSE DELIVERY TO ERASMUS STUDENTS: YES (in English)

The course examines the notion of Democracy, as an ideal and government system, focusing both on public debates and decision-making processes, which lead to the implementation of specific policies.  The course examines different models of democracy and studies the challenges that democracy faces, due to globalization and the decrease in the power of the representational institutions and the nation states. In addition, the course approaches the notion of the public sphere in an interdisciplinary way, so as to discuss it in terms of analyzing (contemporary) social contexts. Last, this course outlines the importance of the internet and the recently emerged digital social media in the structure of the contemporary public sphere, putting emphasis on the emergence of grassroots social movements. 

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to: 

  • acquire critical understanding of the notions of democracy and public sphere  
  • point out and critically assess the issues raised in contemporary democracies  
  • cultivate their critical thinking in terms of the (debatable) issues of public interest that emerge in the public sphere.