Degree | Type | Year |
---|---|---|
East Asian Studies | FB | 1 |
You can view this information at the end of this document.
There are no specific prerequisites to enroll in this course. However, students are expected to have a basic knowledge of and interest in politics and international relations. A regular habit of reading news and analytical articles from diverse perspectives is highly recommended. Students should also possess basic computer skills and a sufficient command of English (e.g., B2 level of the CEFR) in order to follow the classes and understand written and audiovisual materials in that language.
This is a foundational course designed to help students develop analytical skills applicable to political science, political theory, and international relations. It aims to equip students with basic analytical tools that enable them to situate the key debates and issues of their area of specialisation—East Asia—within a broader theoretical and global political context.
Throughout the semester, the course will focus on the development and application of basic concepts and approaches in political theory and science to understand and analyse political processes, structures, actors, and discourses. Students will also be introduced to major debates and theoretical frameworks that have helped shape and interpret international reality.
By the end of the course, students are expected to:
Part 1: The Foundations of Politics
What is power?
What is the state?
Overview of major traditions in political philosophy
Political regimes: concepts and classification
Dictatorships
Democracy, polyarchy, and global trends
Part 2: Political Institutions
Separation of powers: legislative, executive, and judiciary
Functional distribution of power
Origins and roles of parliaments
Legislative functions
Bicameralism vs. unicameralism
Forms of government: parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential systems
Territorial distribution of power
Part 3: Political Interaction and Participation
Individual and collective political participation
Political parties, elections, and electoral systems
Electoral systems and their consequences
Electoral processes
Political communication and agenda-setting
Interest groups and lobbying
Part 4: What Do Political Systems Do?
Easton’s model of the political system
Political economy
System breakdowns and political violence
Part 5: Introduction to International Relations
The international system: structure and key concepts
National interest and power in international politics
Evolution of international relations as a discipline
Theoretical perspectives on war and peace:
Realism
Liberalism
Constructivism
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Exercises | 9.5 | 0.38 | 2, 3, 8, 9, 6, 11, 5 |
Lectures | 40 | 1.6 | 2, 7, 11 |
Type: Supervised | |||
Individual work, guided reading assignments and tutorials | 18 | 0.72 | 1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 8, 9, 6, 10, 11, 5 |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Reading and documentation | 71 | 2.84 | 4, 10 |
To achieve the established objectives, this subject combines lectures with cooperative and collaborative work in class, as well as individual study. The subject’s essential content will be introduced in lectures and further developed through reading assignments and classroom activities. Whenever possible, the course follows a discovery-based approach that encourages students to engage actively with key questions and concepts, rather than relying solely on deductive instruction. Students will be encouraged to use the Moodle virtual classroom as a shared space for exchanging information related to the course (announcements, debates, materials, complementary resources, etc.).
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Content development assignment, individual or groupwork | 30% | 4 | 0.16 | 1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 8, 9, 6, 10, 11, 5 |
Evaluation tests (2 tests) | 70% (35% x 2) | 7.5 | 0.3 | 2, 4, 3, 7, 11, 5 |
Continuous assessment
Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing various tasks and tests. These activities are detailed in the table at the end of this section of the Study Guide.
Review
When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.
Missed/failed assessment activities
Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.
The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.
Classification as "not assessable"
In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript.
Misconduct in assessment activities
Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the student involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred (e.g. plagiarism, copying, impersonation) are excluded from resitting.
Single assessment
This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.
Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.
Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.
On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).
Single assessment activities
The final grade for the subject will be calculated according to the following percentages:
Grade revision and resit procedures for thesubject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above inthis study guide.
More information: http://www.uab.cat/web/study-abroad/undergraduate/academic-information/evaluation/what-is-it-about-1345670077352.html
Recommended bibliography
Other reference resources
No specific software will be used.
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
---|---|---|---|---|
(TE) Theory | 1 | English | second semester | morning-mixed |