Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Democracy and Communication
Module Code	CM515
School	School of Communications
Online Module Resources
Module Teacher	Des McGuinness
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

The central focus of this module are the theories and practices of democracy directly linked to debates on the factors that enhance and impede its advance across communication and socio-political domains.These issues will be analysed and explored in terms of the possibilities of democratic transformation in various societies and with particular reference to questions of citizenship, civil society, states, social movements and social revolution. The module will also include discussion of the obstacles to democratic change such as bureaucracy, (new) imperialism, neo-liberal capitalism and various forms of oppression centred on class, gender and ethnicity.The Long Revolution, as theorised by Raymond Williams posited three linked processes of democratic, industrial and cultural revolutions. That and the concept of national democratic revolution are two alternative models for the pursuit of democracy that will be investigated. Finally, the module will be informed by democratic models of communication as developed in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies.

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop a theoretically grounded understanding of the workings of democracy in geo-spatial contexts.
2. Problematise the concept of democracy in terms of colonial, imperial, oligarchical and other power relations.
3. Examine radical conceptualisations of democracy.
4. Conduct ideological analysis of socio-political material associated with democratic processes.
5. Present seminar papers the relationship of citizenship, social movements, state social movements etc. to democracy.
6. Evaluate socio-political frameworks for the analysis of democracy.
7. Access print and electronic resources to produce seminar presentations and assignments that are empirically and theoretically informed.

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	24	Weekly two hour lecture
Seminars	48	Research, presentation and uploading to moodlet
Independent learning time	178	Weekly readings and research
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to 'Democracy and Communication'(CM515).
Democracy and Revolutions.

National Democratic Revolution- Ireland.
Nation-States.

Civil Societies.
Assignment Guidelines.

Citizenship.
Communication Models and Democracy.

Social Movements.
Radical Models of Democracy.

Palestine and Democracy.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Presentation	Seminar: research, presentation and upload to Moodle.	30%	Every Week
Assignment	Annotated Bibliography	10%	Week 8
Essay	Academic assignment	60%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List