This course provides a comprehensive introduction to political citizenship from both a theoretical and empirical perspective, with a particular emphasis on its participatory dimension. Participants will engage with fresh teaching materials, alongside insightful interviews and case studies, thanks to contributions from researchers in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Geneva as well as international experts on political participation, citizenship, and migration. The various components of the MOOC offer a diverse and well-rounded approach to understanding citizenship.
Citizenship consists of membership in a political community and involves both rights and duties, including the duty to actively engage with and contribute to that community. It also entails addressing the challenges encountered by specific groups, such as migrants and young people, in relation to their citizenship status, rights, and participation. This course aims to offer a deeper comprehension of the features and complexities of citizenship in today's globalized world, while also fostering the development of critical thinking.
Whether you are already familiar with the notion of citizenship or not, this course offers you fresh insights into some of the key contemporary challenges surrounding citizenship and their far-reaching social impacts on citizens.
This module will provide you with the basic theoretical tools for the entire course. You will discover how the concept of citizenship has come into being, the values that can justify different views of citizenship and its components (membership, rights, participation). Together, we will examine how citizenship can hold diverse meanings and implications for various groups, such as migrants, young people and the unemployed. After completing the module, you will be able to identify various models of citizenship and understand the impact of being a citizen on people's lives, both in general and within democracies.
Introduction to political citizenship: trailer•2 minutes
Welcome to this MOOC•7 minutes
Theories of citizenship: Overview•2 minutes
Introducing the concept of citizenship•5 minutes
The components of citizenship•6 minutes
Studying citizenship from a normative point view•2 minutes
Liberal and Republican theories of citizenship•4 minutes
Democratic citizenship•7 minutes
Multicultural citizenship•13 minutes
Studying citizenship from an empirical point of view•6 minutes
Combining normative and empirical perspectives in the study of citizenship - Part 1•9 minutes
Combining normative and empirical perspectives in the study of citizenship - Part 2•7 minutes
The evolution of modern democratic citizenship: Preconditions•7 minutes
The evolution of modern democratic citizenship: Stages•7 minutes
What is citizenship and why it matters•4 minutes
8 readings•Total 87 minutes
Bibliographic references•10 minutes
📢 Important preliminary information: Evaluations and subtitles•10 minutes
Defining citizenship: Our answer•2 minutes
Citizens, Non-Citizens and Rights•15 minutes
Dimensions of citizenship•5 minutes
Participation and democracy•15 minutes
Gender Perspectives on Citizenship•15 minutes
Citizenship and Nationhood•15 minutes
3 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Why does citizenship matters for political participation?•10 minutes
Normative justifications of citizenship•10 minutes
Theories of citizenship: Certifying quiz•20 minutes
2 app items
Comparing liberal and republican theories of citizenship•0 minutes
Comparing civil, political and social rights•0 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 5 minutes
Defining citizenship•5 minutes
Citizenship and Participation
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on the participatory dimension of citizenship from a general point of view. You will discover the various forms of political participation (electoral and non-electoral, voting and social movements), how they have evolved over time, and how they help to define the outline of citizenship in contemporary societies. We shall touch upon, amongst other, concepts such as "active citizenship" and "participatory citizenship". After completing this module, you should be able to identify the main issues related to the relationship between citizenship and political participation.
What's included
15 videos2 readings6 assignments3 app items
Show info about module content
15 videos•Total 102 minutes
Citizenship and participation: Overview•3 minutes
Defining political participation•6 minutes
Forms and modes of political participation•9 minutes
Theories of political participation•7 minutes
Civil society associations as schools of democracy•5 minutes
Models of voting•6 minutes
Types of voters and political representation•8 minutes
Protest participation•9 minutes
Historical transformation of action repertoires•9 minutes
From representative to participatory democracy•9 minutes
Lifestyle politics•3 minutes
Online participation and digital citizenship - Part 1•8 minutes
Online participation and digital citizenship - Part 2•9 minutes
New forms of participatory democracy: Mini publics•8 minutes
Citizenship, participation and political equality•4 minutes
2 readings•Total 25 minutes
Who Participates•10 minutes
Political Inequality•15 minutes
6 assignments•Total 77 minutes
Initial survey•10 minutes
Defining and measuring political participation•20 minutes
The civic voluntarism model•15 minutes
Individualized and online participation•5 minutes
Mini publics•7 minutes
Citizenship and participation: Certifying quiz•20 minutes
3 app items
Explaining electoral participation•0 minutes
Explaining protest participation•0 minutes
Old and new repertoires•0 minutes
Citizenship and Migration
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module examines the conceptual and practical connections between citizenship and participation in the field of migration. You will discover how the conceptions and institutional practices of citizenship, as seen in the first module, shape the migration field and how they relate to both discourses and actions that influence the degree of political inclusion of immigrant groups. You will gain familiarity with the historical emergence of integration policies and observe how these relate to collective mobilization and individual participation in migration politics. The module will allow you to assess key determinants of the political inclusion of immigrants in contemporary democracies. After completing this module, you should be able to identify the main issues related to the relationship between citizenship and political participation with respect to migration politics.
Citizenship regimes and political contention on migration - Part 1•8 minutes
Citizenship regimes and political contention on migration - Part 2•10 minutes
Protest and movements on migration•10 minutes
Solidarity organizations with migrants•8 minutes
Immigrant organizations•8 minutes
Voices of Immigrants: Organizational Politics•12 minutes
Citizens' attitudes towards migration•7 minutes
Citizens' solidarity with migrants•7 minutes
The political participation of migrants•8 minutes
Citizenship and the welfare state for migrants•6 minutes
Deservingness•7 minutes
Institutional solidarity and welfare chauvinism•10 minutes
Citizenship, migration and the political inclusion of migrants and refugees•4 minutes
4 readings•Total 47 minutes
Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism•15 minutes
Immigration, Protest and Social Movements•15 minutes
Citizenship, Migration and Voting Behavior•15 minutes
Defining welfare chauvinism: our answer•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 52 minutes
Initial survey•5 minutes
Explaining citizens' participation in migration politics•10 minutes
Deservingness criteria•7 minutes
Citizenship and migration: certifying quiz•30 minutes
3 app items
Classifying citizenship regimes•0 minutes
Citizenship regimes and contention on migration•0 minutes
The role of organizations for migrants' integration•0 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 5 minutes
Defining welfare chauvinism•5 minutes
Youth Citizenship
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module examines the conceptual and practical connections between young citizens and political participation. You will discover how young people are seen in the public sphere and how they challenge the conceptions of citizenship. Specifically, you will understand how young people relate to both discourses and actions pertaining to young people, and how this affects their political inclusion. Moreover, you will gain familiarity with the social and political inclusion of young people, how and under what circumstances young people are socialized to the public life, and how they relate to collective mobilization and individual participation. After completing this module, you should be able to identify the main issues related to the relationship between citizenship and young people.
Founded in 1559, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) is one of Europe's leading universities. Devoted to research, education and dialogue, the UNIGE shares the international calling of its host city, Geneva, a centre of international and multicultural activities with a venerable cosmopolitan tradition.
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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.