Description
The broad theme of this year’s Thesis Seminar in Comparative Government and Politics is “Regime Change and Stability”, but students are welcome to propose their own research topics in the field of Comparative Politics.
The seminar has two basic goals. The first is to introduce students to the major themes, debates, and puzzles in the scholarly discussion about why some regimes change while others remain stable. The second goal is to allow students to grow familiar with some of the methodological challenges of conducting comparative research and then to develop a research proposal of their own that sets out a research question and a research design for answering that question. This proposal will form the basis of the maste thesis they will write in the second half of the Thesis Seminar. The course is designed around engaged and lively debate on the issues and giving constructive feedback on each others work; therefore, student participation is absolutely necessary.
Methods of Instruction
Lectures, class discussions, and thesis supervision.
Literature
Approximately 600 pages based on a course pack and additional material made available through Blackboard.
Examination
Block III: Research proposal
Block IV: Masterthesis
Schedule
Monday 6 Feb till 28 May, 13.00 – 15.00 hrs., in SA05 (except 9 Apr Easter Monday, 30 Apr Queensday, 28 May Pinksteren) and
Thursday 9 Feb, till 31 May, 13.00 – 15.00 hrs., in SA23 (except 23 Feb room 1A22 and 8 March room 5A33)