Analysis of Political Discourse
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with tools for understanding political language, both in relation to the ostensiveness (mise-en-scene) of power, and in relation to the differences between democratic language and non-democratic languages.
Within this general framework, the course aims to provide students with the acquisition of knowledge and concepts related to:
- what the institutions are, how they think and how they speak;
- power and legitimacy;
- the foundations of political action: from fear to sympathy;
- what is public history, between identity and belonging, between obedience and freedom;
- nature, tradition, society and community in political language.
- democracy and secularism: their meaning and their fragility with respect to populisms, ethnisms, fundamentalisms.
The objectives of the course are to provide students with an appropriate vocabulary for understanding and expressing themselves on the phenomena examined, as well as offering a key to interpreting topical political dynamics, in the Italian, European and global context, developing on them critical thinking skills and independent judgment.
Within this general framework, the course aims to provide students with the acquisition of knowledge and concepts related to:
- what the institutions are, how they think and how they speak;
- power and legitimacy;
- the foundations of political action: from fear to sympathy;
- what is public history, between identity and belonging, between obedience and freedom;
- nature, tradition, society and community in political language.
- democracy and secularism: their meaning and their fragility with respect to populisms, ethnisms, fundamentalisms.
The objectives of the course are to provide students with an appropriate vocabulary for understanding and expressing themselves on the phenomena examined, as well as offering a key to interpreting topical political dynamics, in the Italian, European and global context, developing on them critical thinking skills and independent judgment.
Expected learning outcomes
A) Knowledge and understanding:
Knowledge and understanding of the concepts and theories exposed on institutional thought and political language, on power and its exercise, on democracy and the forms of its crisis, on the characteristics of populism and its language.
B) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Ability to apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of the political scenario and of the national and international public debate;
C) Autonomy of judgment:
Ability to critically and autonomously interpret the dynamics of transformation of contemporary political language, also with reference to the new forms of political communication in the era of social media;
D) Communication skills:
Ability to express the knowledge acquired with argumentative consistency and language properties.
E) Learning skills:
Develop understanding and autonomous argumentation skills by relating the different thematic areas of the course.
Knowledge and understanding of the concepts and theories exposed on institutional thought and political language, on power and its exercise, on democracy and the forms of its crisis, on the characteristics of populism and its language.
B) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Ability to apply the acquired knowledge to the analysis of the political scenario and of the national and international public debate;
C) Autonomy of judgment:
Ability to critically and autonomously interpret the dynamics of transformation of contemporary political language, also with reference to the new forms of political communication in the era of social media;
D) Communication skills:
Ability to express the knowledge acquired with argumentative consistency and language properties.
E) Learning skills:
Develop understanding and autonomous argumentation skills by relating the different thematic areas of the course.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
What institutions are, how they think and how they speak.
An analysis of power and democratic political language compared to populistic, ethnistic and totalitarian ones.
Particular attention will be paid to the categories of fear and empathy as fundamental elements of political action.
A reflection on the themes of public history, belonging, obedience, as well as those of analogy with nature, invention of tradition and community building in the language of power.
An analysis of power and democratic political language compared to populistic, ethnistic and totalitarian ones.
Particular attention will be paid to the categories of fear and empathy as fundamental elements of political action.
A reflection on the themes of public history, belonging, obedience, as well as those of analogy with nature, invention of tradition and community building in the language of power.
Prerequisites for admission
No particular preliminary knowledge is required.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons. Some lessons will be dedicated to viewing and analyzing some movies useful to deepen the course topics.
A part of the course will be conducted in a seminar mode on exemplary texts and video, also with the active participation of students who will be able to produce specific researches to be presented during the lessons.
A part of the course will be conducted in a seminar mode on exemplary texts and video, also with the active participation of students who will be able to produce specific researches to be presented during the lessons.
Teaching Resources
For attending students:
R. Escobar, Eroi della politica. Storie di re, capi e fondatori, il Mulino, 2012;
R. Cammarata (a cura di) Dalla paura alla simpatia. Alla ricerca dei fondamenti della politica, Giappichelli, 2019;
R. Escobar, Il buono del mondo, Il Mulino, 2018;
Un testo a scelta tra C. Galli, Il disagio della democrazia, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2011 e M. Flinders, In difesa della politica, Mulino, 2014, solo pp. 7-156;
L. Zanatta, Il populismo, Carocci, 2013;
Materiali e dispense che verranno consegnate durante le lezioni.
For non-attending students:
Un testo a scelta tra R. Escobar, Metamorfosi della paura, il Mulino, 2015 e R. Escobar, Eroi della politica. Storie di re, capi e fondatori, il Mulino, 2012;
E. Canetti, Massa e potere, Adelphi, 1981, solo il paragrafgo "L'essenza del sistema parlamentare" (pp. 224-227);
R. Cammarata (a cura di) Dalla paura alla simpatia. Alla ricerca dei fondamenti della politica, Giappichelli, 2019;
R. Escobar, Il buono del mondo, Il Mulino, 2018;
Un testo a scelta tra C. Galli, Il disagio della democrazia, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2011 e M. Flinders, In difesa della politica, Mulino, 2014, solo pp. 7-156;
L. Zanatta, Il populismo, Carocci, 2013.
R. Escobar, Eroi della politica. Storie di re, capi e fondatori, il Mulino, 2012;
R. Cammarata (a cura di) Dalla paura alla simpatia. Alla ricerca dei fondamenti della politica, Giappichelli, 2019;
R. Escobar, Il buono del mondo, Il Mulino, 2018;
Un testo a scelta tra C. Galli, Il disagio della democrazia, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2011 e M. Flinders, In difesa della politica, Mulino, 2014, solo pp. 7-156;
L. Zanatta, Il populismo, Carocci, 2013;
Materiali e dispense che verranno consegnate durante le lezioni.
For non-attending students:
Un testo a scelta tra R. Escobar, Metamorfosi della paura, il Mulino, 2015 e R. Escobar, Eroi della politica. Storie di re, capi e fondatori, il Mulino, 2012;
E. Canetti, Massa e potere, Adelphi, 1981, solo il paragrafgo "L'essenza del sistema parlamentare" (pp. 224-227);
R. Cammarata (a cura di) Dalla paura alla simpatia. Alla ricerca dei fondamenti della politica, Giappichelli, 2019;
R. Escobar, Il buono del mondo, Il Mulino, 2018;
Un testo a scelta tra C. Galli, Il disagio della democrazia, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2011 e M. Flinders, In difesa della politica, Mulino, 2014, solo pp. 7-156;
L. Zanatta, Il populismo, Carocci, 2013.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral exam on the bibliography and, for attending students, on the contents of the lessons.
Other methods will be indicated in class.
Other methods will be indicated in class.
SPS/01 - POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Cammarata Roberto
Shifts:
-
Professor:
Cammarata RobertoProfessor(s)