Lectures 3 ECTS, lectures + seminar 5 ECTS. 

Programme

Mon 3.9

Jean Monnet Professor Pami Aalto. School of Management, International Relations          

Introduction

International Relations approaches on European integration

Thu 6.9

Jean Monnet Professor Pami Aalto. School of Management, International Relations

International Relations approaches on enlargement: the case of eastern and central Europe

Mon 10.9 no lecture

Thu 13.9 Guest lecturer

Dr. Adam Szymanski. Institute of Political Science, University of Warsaw

European Union Enlargement Policy - the current determinations of the process and its prospects

Mon 17.9 (N.B.: Extended lecture: 14-19)

Professor Tapio Raunio. School of Management, Political Science

Political Science approaches on European integration                                                                 

Political Science approaches on enlargement: political systems, parties and parliaments

Thu 20.9.

Dr. Teemu Palosaari. School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI)

Peace Research approaches on European integration

Mon 24.9. no lecture

Thu 27.9

Ms. Anna Luoti. School of Language, Translation and Literary Studies, French Language

Linguistic approaches to enlargement: the case of Turkey as seen in France and in Finland

Mon 1.10

Docent Jukka Viljanen. School of Management, Law

Legal approaches to enlargement: the case of human rights

Thu 4.10

Docent Jukka Viljanen. School of Management, Law

Legal approaches to enlargement: the case of human rights

Mon 8.10

Docent Ilari Karppi. School of Management, Regional Studies

Regional Studies approaches to enlargement: the case of regional Europe in the making

Thu 11.10

Professor Jouni Häkli. School of Management, Regional Studies

Regional Studies approaches to European integration

Mon 22.10

Exam, Väinö Linna auditorium (Linna K104)

Mon 5.11

Re-take exam, Linna 5014

This course has been organized with the support of the Jean Monnet programme of the European Union.

BRIEF CONTENT OF COURSE:

• Base and role of accounting.
• Basic accounting terms in the SR and according to IFRSs.
• Assets, equity and liabilities, accounting Equation.
• The Balance Sheet – content, form, structure.
• Balance transactions.
• Account, accounting.
• Costs, revenue and profit or loss.
• The Profit and Loss Statement – content, form.
• Income transactions.
• Accounting principles – theoretic summary and solving of summary example.
• Framework.

First 30 students will be taken to the course. First priority will be given to the exchange/degree students of the School of Management. Compulsory and binding enrolment by email to business.school@uta.fi during 06.09.-14.09.2012
Inform your name, home university and student number of UTA (if you already have it).

•    International business communication in English – universal schemes of business language will be presented.
•    Interpersonal skills in communicating and socializing will be practiced.
•    Cultural aspects will be discussed and attitudes to international business.

The course consists of:

Lectures (10 hours, attendance in every lecture is required!)
Home assignment/essay given by the teacher

Enrolment:

First 30 students will be taken to the course. First priority will be given to the exchange/degree students of the School of Management. Compulsory and binding enrolment by email to business.school@uta.fi during 03.09.-11.09.2012
Inform your name, home university and student number of UTA (if you already have it).

Teaching:

18-Sep-2012 – 20-Sep-2012

    Tue 18-Sep-2012 at 13-16, main building, LS A2A
    Wed 19-Sep-2012 at 9-12, main building, LS A2A
    Thu 20-Sep-2012 at 12-14, main building, LS A2B
    Thu 20 Sep-2012 at 14-16, main building, LS A2B

As the European Union (EU) has grown in size and become more powerful, its decisions have come to be ever more significant. This course provides a comprehensive overview of how EU policy-making processes work in theory and in practice. In so doing it takes a close look at the key institutions of the EU – the Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament – and considers how they work together and where the balance of power lies. The role that other actors play in these political games is also analysed, including regional governments, lobbyists, and non-governmental actors (NGOs). Attention is drawn to debates relating to the legitimacy of the EU’s political system and to the democratic deficit that critics claim exists. Finally, it examines the story of the Eurozone – what it is, how it came into being, what went wrong, and whether anything can be done to solve the crisis.

This course is based on lecture-seminars. Attendance at every session is compulsory and students are required to read the appropriate material before every session.

The maximum number of students is 20. Priority is given to students majoring in political science at the University of Tampere. In order to register for the course, you must fill in the registration sheet that is placed on the politics notice board (Pinni A, 4th floor) by the end of Monday, 15th October. Those accepted to the course will receive information (by email) of their acceptance on Wednesday, 17th of October.

Indicative lecture-seminars for the course:

1. Introduction: Studying the EU as a governance system

2. The Commission and Council: Core competences and how they operate in practice

3. The ‘Voice of the People’: The role of the European Parliament in connecting voters to decision-making

4. Policy-making in practice: The role of interest groups in EU politics. Also: The role of the Courts in interpreting EU law

5. Legitimacy and the Democratic Deficit: The case for reform

6. Governing the Euro: The short and troubled life of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

7. Conclusions

This is a course about governments, interest groups and policy-making which proceeds from a review of the various theories of government-group relations to focus on the politics of health policy. In particular it examines government attempts to change unhealthy lifestyles against the backdrop of the sharp rise in the number of people who are harming and killing themselves as a consequence of the way they live. In the United States and across much of Western Europe there has been a startling increase in diabetes' cases whilst obesity has been described as a problem on the scale of climate change. The empirical part of the course will examine the role of the relevant policy actors - inter alia, ministers, departmental officials, doctors', nurses' and patients' associations - in devising and implementing strategies for tackling the soaring rates of obesity, cancer and alcohol misuse and the attendant costs to the state in terms of lost productivity and welfare payments caused by lifestyle-related conditions. The course is about life and premature death. Thus, bans and price rises may reduce smoking but are there known solutions to the alcohol and obesity epidemics? How can governments act without appearing to be a 'nanny state? How is 'lifestyle policy' formulated and what role in its gestation is played by the relevant policy actors? In short, the course will be of interest to students of policy analysis, the welfare state, pressure groups and the rightful relationship between governments and citizens. Should drunks be allowed to die in the streets as long as they do not block the drains? Case-studies will draw on the experience of the UK, Finland and Germany. The assessment would be project-based and tailored to individual students. Pre-registration will be essential.

Pre-registration via email (david.arter@uta.fi) by 19 October.

Indicative lectures for the course:

1. Drink, Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll: Introduction
2. Psychedelia, psychopaths and Narcocorridos: Drugs and Politics
3. Whisky Galore – No More? The Politics and Policy of the Scottish Drink Problem
4. ‘Ei tippa tapa’: the Road to Middle Beer
5. The ‘Koskenkorva index’ and the ‘Why’ question
6. Copy-cat Cameron follows the Jocks on minimum pricing
7. “It’s a person’s inalienable right to get shit-faced drunk” (Tanya Gold)
8. When Lifestyle becomes a Deathstyle: The Politics of the Obesity Epidemic in the United States
9. Will the US eventually ‘fight the fat’?
10. How is health policy made? The value of theoretical approaches

The strange world of British Politics raises many questions for students of political science. How can a political system based on tradition rather than governed by a formal constitution work so well? How can a modern country appoint rather than elect the second legislative chamber (House of Lords), yet still claim to be a democracy? Why does the need to form a government based on a coalition throw the country into crisis? These are only some of the fascinating issues that will be dealt with in this course. Other topics include devolution, the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, and the future of the British State.

This course in also interested in what the British people think, and in the lessons that we can learn about ‘public opinion’ more generally from this. We consider why the two main parties win so many of the votes at elections, and why people vote for different parties depending on the type of election. We also take a closer look at how to conduct research into public opinion. Participants are given guidance on completing their own public attitudes surveys (opinion polls) and on using a simple statistical computer programme to analyse the data. Students may submit a final report based on their findings as the main piece of assessed work.

This is a seminar-based course. Attendance at seminars is compulsory and students are required to read the material distributed electronically before every session.

The maximum number of students is 20. Priority is given to students majoring in political science at the University of Tampere. In order to register for the course, you must fill in the registration sheet that is placed on the politics notice board (Pinni A, 4th floor) before 5pm on Wednesday, 17th of October. Those accepted to the course will receive information (by email) of their acceptance on Thursday, 18th of October.

Indicative seminars for the course:

1. Introduction: The British State, and how to conduct a (very good) public attitudes survey.

2. Westminster Politics: The ‘Mother of Parliaments’ and No. 10 Downing Street

3. Elections in the UK

4. The novelty of the Coalition Government, and Britain and the EU

5. Computer lab session: A simple introduction to analysing your survey data

6. Devolution and the future of the British State

7. Final Presentations and Conclusions

EACH STUDENT ATTENDS TO TWO SEMINAR DAYS. DAYS ARE AGREED ON FIRST LECTURE.

2 and 3 periods according to the rule that the students staying in Tampere only in autumn semester are able to perform the course on 2nd period.

Virtual course in Moodle.

Registering 27.12.2012.-7.1.2013 by email to eero.palmujoki(at)uta.fi.

The course consists of student seminar part (presentation and discussion of course readings, 28.2. and 6.3., 3 ECTS); and a public-private seminar part. In the first part of the public-private seminar public and private actors present and scholars act as discussants (7.3), and in the second part scholars present while public and private actors act as discussants in order to create genuine public-private-academic dialogue (8.3.). Students attend the public-private seminar and prepare a learning diary (2 ECTS), as well as an independent essay (5 ECTS, by the end of the IV period). The aim is to understand the need for and conditions of a dialogue between policy makers (public actors which regulate economic policy), companies and their unions (private actors) and scholars (who assess and envision economic policies), to better understand the politics of European/Eurasian economy and its prospects of long-term sustainability at the face of state debt, slow growth vis-à-vis the BRIC and shrinking share of world GDP in Europe of which several states in wider Eurasia are dependent in terms of markets and investment. For this end the course develops up-to-date theoretical and methodological tools in international political economy.

by 15.2 pami.aalto@uta.fi

pami.aalto@uta.fi by 7th of January

A web-based course

Registration in December 2012 see

Suoritukseen kuuluvan esseen voi tehdä myös suomeksi.

Europe is ageing and increasingly populated by ‘grey panthers’, ‘silver surfers’, seniors, ‘baby boomers’ and ‘matures’. In the last two decades in particular grey-specific political mobilisation has witnessed the emergence of such cohort-based parties as ‘Die Grauen’, ‘Suomen Senioripuolue’, ‘Sveriges pensionärers intresseparti’ and the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, which was represented in the Scottish Parliament between 2003 and 2007. With the proportion of the grey electorate expanding, the cost of care for the elderly mounting, the economic case for raising the retirement age overwhelming and sensitivity to ageism growing, this course focuses on ‘grey politics’. It addresses inter alia i) the emergence of ‘grey parties’ ii) the cohesion of the grey electorate iii) the grey policy agenda iv) grey views on topical questions and v) the impact of the ‘grey lobby’ on the mainstream parties. Comparisons will be made throughout between the silver surfers and the ‘young Turks’ – the political behaviour of the students that traditionally have comprised the most active element among the youngest electoral age-group. How wide is the gap in how different generations view politics? Do the traditional voter stereotypes (conservative older voter/left-leaning younger voter) stand up to scrutiny? And how do government respond when ‘greys’ can decide the outcome of elections? 

The course will be seminar based with lecture input followed by thematic discussion. Assessment will be by class participation and student assignments.

The 4-week course will be organised around four overarching themes

1. Age and Political Learning

• How and when do people learn their politics?

• Age-related patterns of political socialisation/education/participation

• First-time voting; abstainers; generational differences in electoral behaviour

• When should young people get the vote? Should there be an upper age-limit on voting?

2. Age and Party Politics

• Are there ‘generational parties’ which target and/or derive most of their support from a particular age-group?

• Democrats ’66; Greens; Young Finns; Seniors’ parties

• Political parties and age-group mobilisation: party youth organisations; new campaign techniques, use of social media etc

3. Age and Political Representation

• Are we effectively represented by one age-group?

• Age patterns in candidate recruitment; the age structure of national legislatures; age and political leadership

• -Descriptive representation would require a legislative body that is a mirror-image of the age structure of the population as a whole. Is this feasible/desirable?

 http://www.uta.fi/jkk/pol/kurssiaineistot/POLVOA41_Arter_lecture_3.pdf

4. Age and Policy-Making

• Is there an age-related policy agenda and how do age-groups seek to influence it?

• Child care provision; youth unemployment; university tuition fees; age-related concessions (transport/leisure facilities etc); retirement age;  personal care for the elderly

• ‘Grey panther’ and ‘silver surfer’ lobby groups

Pre-registration to david.arter@uta.fi by 9th of March.