Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Political Theories
Course Code
SZF_009
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
4.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Elvīra Šimfa
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
The course aims to look at political theories of the 20th century, with particular emphasis on those that have maintained their relevance also in the early 21st century. The course is intended as a follow-up to the course “Introduction to Political Theory”, which covered key political theories until the 20th century. So listeners should have preliminary knowledge of political theories of Hobbes and Locke, utilitarists and Marx. As we know, there is no clear agreement on what the concept of “political theory” means in special or popular literature.
Preliminary Knowledge
For successful completion of the study course, students must have a prior knowledge of the basic concepts of political science.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Following completion of the course, the student will acquire knowledge of principles on which the governance of society should be based and how to ensure compliance with these principles.
Skills
1.Will be able to understand both the philosophy of politics, conceptual and methodological issues of political science, and predicting theories of political processes.
Competences
1.To be able to understand and apply political theories in research.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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1.
Individual work |
-
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-
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As part of the study course, students will be required to study the required readings (up to 100 pages of text for each class), write essays on the specified topics, pass seminars, write a report, and pass the final course examination.
To assess the overall quality of the study course, the student must complete the course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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|---|---|---|
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1.
Examination |
-
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-
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• attendance of lectures and seminars 5%;
• participation in seminars 15%;
• summaries 30%;
• report 25%;
• final examination 25%.
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Political theory in the 20th century
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Political theory of liberalism
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Political theory of liberalism
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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John Stuart Mill “On Liberty”
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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John Stuart Mill “On Liberty”
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Isaiah Berlin “Two Concepts of Liberty”
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Theory of justice
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Theory of justice
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Theory of justice
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Marxism and Frankfurt School
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Marxism and Frankfurt School
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Post-Modernism and political theories
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Post-Modernism and political theories
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Criticism of capitalist society in Marxism and Post-Marxism
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Criticism of capitalist society in Marxism and Post-Marxism
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Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Post-modernists about power and liberal society
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Feminist and “green” political theory
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Feminist and “green” political theory
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Gender and sex in politics
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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2
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Topics
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Gender and sex in politics
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Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
4.00
Contact hours:
40 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Visa literatūra ir angļu valodā un piemērota gan latviešu, gan angļu plūsmas studentiem
2.
M., Reus-Smit, C., True, J. 2022. Theories of International Relations. Houndmills, New York. Palgrave Macmillan.
3.
Kenneth Waltz. Man, the State, and War. Columbia University Press. New York: 2018.
4.
John W.Creswell, Research Desing. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd ed. Sage, 2018.
5.
Jurgensen, Knud E. International Relations Theory – A New Introduction. 2nd edition. Palgrave, 2018.
Additional Reading
1.
Kenneth Waltz. Theory of International Politics. Boston etc.: McGraw Hills, 1979.
2.
Stephen Van Evera. Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. – Cornell University Press. – Ithaca and London. – 1997.