POWER, PEOPLE, STATES, AND CONSTITUTIONS

Course Objectives: This course provides an introduction to the debates on the concepts of power, state and nation building, social movements, and modern constitutions from an interdisciplinary perspective. It also provides a framework for students to get to know some core concepts heavily used in social and political sciences such as majority rule, equality, human rights, racism, colonialism, and sovereignty. Students will have a hands-on experience in understanding social conflict and will also gain practical skills in preparing and delivering speeches. They will also have the chance to better understand how constitutional norms affect the daily lives of citizens.

Course Content: This course focuses on different political systems and institutions in modern states and how they affect the distribution of power in contemporary nation-states with a specific focus on the constitutional debates in South Africa.