Aims

An understanding of the global and interdisciplinary issue of the state from a historico-critical perspective.
An understanding of the question of the state from the standpoint of various paradigms.

Main themes

The question of modernity and the emergence of the state.
The main issues of the development of the state (centralisation, differentiation and solidarisation).
The typologising of modern states.
Explanation of the main socio-political paradigms compared with various aspects of the state.

Content and teaching methods

History of political and cultural modernity, stateless societies and modern societies.
Key institutions in the modern state.
Issues of state modelling. Centre and periphery. Empire and nations. Globalisation and regionalisation. Social stratification and élites. Bureaucracies and governments. The liberal state, social democracy, corporatism and socialism. Solidarities, citizenship, anomy and multinamia. Positivist, dialectic, comprehensive, structural-functionalist, structuralist and praxeological paradigms.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

There will be a syllabus and a reference book.