30481 - CURRENT POLITICAL PHENOMENA I

Part I - "The Franco-German Relations - Quo Vadis?" (prof. Beda Romano)

This 12-hours module aims to give undergraduate students a political and economic overview of the current Franco-German relations, showing how they evolved after the Fall of the Berlin Wall and how they will possibly develop in the future. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent decision by the UK to leave the European Union are dramatic factors at play. German reunification has changed the balance of power between the two partners as will Brexit and the current health crisis do. While at first the relationship was characterized by a common interest to reconciliate, nowadays it is marked mainly by the need to reconciliate interests. Students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions, ask questions and intervene on the issues at stake. They will be called upon to read academic works as well as institutional documentation and media articles in advance. The main objective of this module is to enable students to understand the bilateral relation and put it into perspective at the European level.

Part II - "Exploring the "Security Phenomenon" (prof. Camilla Pagani)

Security is a fundamental topic in international relations theories, but its meanings and uses are much broader and overlap with many other disciplines. This preliminary module intends to explore the "security phenomenon" by analysing it from a philosophical and critical perspective. What are the origins and political implications behind the concepts of human security, biosecurity, the securitization of migration and others? How has "security" become a political and dogmatic object? Through the analysis of fundamental philosophical texts as well as contemporary case studies, security will be assessed in relation to the main topics of political theory: the state, the individual, warfare, liberty, migration, human rights, health and development. The main objective of this module is to help students to develop analytical and critical skills in the field of security.

Part I (prof. Beda Romano)

Students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions, ask questions and intervene on the issues at stake. They will be called upon to read academic works as well as institutional documentation and media articles in advance.

Part II (prof. Camilla Pagani)

During each lecture there will be an interactive session where students will have the opportunity to discuss a text or a case study. Students are expected to actively participate in class debates and share their personal viewpoints with their peers. They will be encouraged to read all materials in advance.

Part I (prof. Beda Romano)

Attending students are required to write an essay (ca. 1,000 words) on a specific topic between two options and send it by email to beda.romano@unibocconi.it by the 30th of October 2021 (50% of the final grade).

This individual assignment will permit to verify students' knowledge and understanding of the course as expressed in the ILO section. In particular the ability of the student to understand the cultural differences between France and Germany; to interpret current affairs through the lens of classics and to have an understanding of current European politics.

Part II (prof. Camilla Pagani)

Attending students are required to write an essay (ca. 1,000 words) on a specific topic between two options (to be chosen after the first lecture) and send it by email to camilla.pagani@unibocconi.it by the 15th of November 2021 (50% of the final grade).

This individual assignment is aimed at verifying students' knowledge and understanding of the course as expressed in the ILO section. In particular the ability to critically analyse the concept of "security"; the ability to properly identify the main theoretical and political fields to which security can be applied; the ability to discuss and compare different texts and articles of political theory, philosophy and international relations with regard to the topic of security.