Contemporary Social Sciences

Short Description 

The course examines ten contemporary transformations of democratic practices, ten modes that are today systematically used to facilitate the implementation of participatory democracy : 1. Playfulness, 2. Make-believe, 3. Ritual, 4. Agôn, 5. Therapy, 6. Training, 7. Testing, 8. Reflexivity, 9. Reduction, 10. Muting.

Long description

Most contemporay processes of participatory democracy, while insisting on discussion, debate, dialogue, actually create situations where 'communicative action' is improbable. While such a framework of 'dialogue' is still needed by the organizers of participation, it most often proves to be inapplicable in a straight mode. What are then the 'secondary frameworks' used by the organizers and participants to make some sense of what they are doing together? And what are the consequences of such transformations on people’s understanding of what participatory democracy means? This cours examines ten contemporary transformations of democratic practices, ten 'modes' that are today systematically used to facilitate the implementation of participatory democracy, while at the same time altering its meaning and its consequences : 1. Playfulness, 2. Make-believe, 3. Ritual, 4. Agôn, 5. Therapy, 6. Training, 7. Testing, 8. Reflexivity, 9. Reduction, 10. Muting.

• Duration (weeks) : 6
• Number of hours per week (optional) : 4 hours (09:00AM-01:00PM)

Objectives : The course examines ten contemporary transformations of democratic practices, ten modes that are today systematically used to facilitate the implementation of participatory democracy : 1. Playfulness, 2. Make-believe, 3. Ritual, 4. Agôn, 5. Therapy, 6. Training, 7. Testing, 8. Reflexivity, 9. Reduction, 10. Muting.

Prerequisites (language, special knowledge, other courses, BA MA)

Bachelor 3 

Assessment methods (exams), prerequisites for exams

Continuous assessment

Study at our Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities  

https://shs.u-paris.fr/international/venir-etudier-a-la-faculte-shs/