Transnational Social Movements, Risk and Public Space

Recommended Prerequisites

Students should have solid training in their area of expertise and should, additionally, have enough references of a transversal character that allow them to follow a transdisciplinary programme. They should also possess a command of the English language that enables them to read texts of a high level of complexity (level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Teaching Methods

Classes are theoretical-practical and composed of an expositive part followed by a discussion of pre-assigned texts with students. Specially valued is the application of the learned concepts to contemporary issues and debates and to ongoing research projects. In classes where the mandatory texts are presented, the teacher begins to make an introductory synthesis of those texts followed by the student’s presentation and collective discussion. The main objective is to develop student’s autonomous interpretation capabilities.

Learning Outcomes

This curricular unit has two main objectives: the analysis of New Social Movements (NSM) with the integration of the theoretical and historical experiences of social movements in a broad sense; discussing of the present experiences of the anti-globalization movements.

This seminar is organized on the analysis of mass media and the central role that they play in global societies as public opinion modulating factors and also as promoters/neutralizers of collective protest forms of civil society. Taken into account is also their role in the mediatisation of social relations and political agendas that influence both the governmental actions and the political and sociocultural struggles of the NSM. The thematic of risk will be used as the guiding principle to analyze the interventions of States, international agencies and the NSM.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

- Public spheres and forms of participation

- Media critical theory

- Language and the critique of capitalism

- Extreme events and the production of citizenship

- Alternative media and the possibility of global citizenship

- Media and international solidarity

- Social media and global activism

- Context and the role of media

Head Lecturer(s)

José Manuel Oliveira Mendes

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Periodic or by final exam as given in the course information: 100.0%

Bibliography

Chomsky, Noam (2002), Propaganda e opinião pública. Porto: Campo das Letras.

Chouliaraki, Lilie (2012), The ironic spectator: solidarity in the age of post-humanitarianism. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Downing, John D. H. et al (2001), Radical Media. Rebellious Communication and Social Movements. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Fairclough, Norman (1995), Media Discourse. London: Arnold.

Langran, Irene; Birk, Tammy (eds.) (2016), Globalization and Global Citizenship. Interdisciplinary Approaches. Abingdon: Routledge.

Santos, Boaventura de Sousa; Mendes, José Manuel (orgs.) (2017), Demodiversidad. Imaginar nuevas posibilidades democráticas. Ciudad de México: Akal.

van de Wonk, Wim et al. (2004), Cyberprotest: New Media, Citizens and Social Movements. London: Taylor and Francis.