PT|EN
Elites and Social Movements
Courses Degree in Applied Languages | Degree in European Studies | Degree in Social Sciences
Cod: 41024
Department: DCSG
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Political Sciences
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

The chief aim of this curricular unit is to provide students, in the context of the use of distance learning methodologies, knowledge on two related topics studied by social science, in particular by political science and political sociology: elites and social movements.
Students are asked to understand elites and social movements and their importance in contemporary societies, such as preserving or transforming agents. The main authors who reflected on both subjects are studied, particularly authors of the 19th century onwards.
The learning process will have a strong theoretical and practical component aimed at student participation in teaching activities and their introduction to research practices.
 

Elite
Mass
Social Movement
Non-institutional action

At the end of the semester, each student is supposed to be able to:
• Understand what elites and social movements are, as well as their importance in contemporary societies;
• Use the concepts studied during the course in order to understand the existing political and social reality, in Portugal and in the world, and apply them to new potential, possible and imagined situations;
• Use the basic tools of initiation to scientific work;
• Develop a critical thinking and an active citizenship;
• Integrate the acquired knowledge in their present and future work with the awareness of their personal value and how much they can do for their country.

1. Social elites 1.1 Introduction to the Theme 1.2 Factors of Change 1.3 The Concept of Elite 1.4 Theoretical Contributions 1.5 Towards a Typology of Social Elites 1.6 The Transformation of Political Elite 1.7 Other Influential Elites 1.8 The Action of the Elites 2. Social movements 2.1 Limits of Institutional Policy and Emergence of New Social Movements 2.2 Definition and Types of Social Movements 2.3 Studying the Social Movements 2.4 Origins, Development and Triumph of the New Social Movements 2.5 The New Social Movements and the systemic interactions 2.6 The New Social Movements, the Ideological Issue and Challenges to Democracy

1. Educational resources developed by the teacher.
2. Bessa, António Marques, Elites e Movimentos Sociais, Lisboa, Universidade Aberta, 2012 edition.
3. Stock, Maria José (coord.), Velhos e Novos Actores Políticos. Partidos e Movimentos Sociais (2ª parte - Os Novos Movimentos Sociais), Lisboa, Universidade Aberta, 2005, pp. 225-414 (see also pp. 5-22).

E-learning.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).