|
|
|
||
|
Poslední úprava: doc. PhDr. Pavol Frič, Ph.D. (01.02.2021)
SYLLABUS - online Course: JSM301 „Elite in Transforming Society! AIMS The main aim of the course is to give answer on the question about the role of elites in the process of societal transition in the Czech Republic as a one of the Central European post-communistic country. On the background of elite and leadership theories the course will critically examine the role of post-communist elites in the processes of democratic transition and recent process of democratic backsliding. In this respect it emphasized the importance of the relationships among different elite sectors and also between elite and non-elites or general public. The goal of the course is to show how the problems of moral leadership, systemic corruption and plebeian anti-elitism deform not only society accountability system bud the whole democracy regime. The course offer summarized empirical knowledge about the quality of elites, their leadership capital, collective mentalities, values orientations, elite cohesion, systemic corruption and ascendancy of populist leaders and society polarization. OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course, the attendants will have acquired: 1. understanding the foundations of elite and leadership theories and their possible applications in the post-communist transition analysis. 2. knowledge about historical and cultural background of elite change after the “Velvet Revolution” 3. knowledge about different elite segments cohesion and its consequences on democracy stability in the Czech Republic. 4. understanding of new democratic political elite failure as a consequence institutional mechanisms supportive for systemic corruption 5. an awareness of the relationship between elite and leadership, between elite and non-elites, between elite and “populist revolution” and between populism and democratic erosion in post-communist countries. COURSE STRUCTURE 1. Introduction: Elite Theory and Democracy – Elite Definitions, Mosca (ruling class), Pareto (elite circulation, Lions and Foxes, Inovators and Consolidators), Democratic Elitism (Higley), Demoelitism (Halevy), Relational Elite Theory – The Role of Non-Elites in Elite Theory, Revolt of the Masses (secessio plebis, crowd man) and Revolt of the Elites (Lash) Elite and Stratification Theory 2. Historical Roots – Mythology, Brave – Dark Old World, Communist Darkness, Czech Communist Elite and Dissidence, Nomenklatura, Regime Reformers (Prague Spring 1968), “Normalization”, Old Elite Moral Decline, Dissent, Intellectuals, Anti-Politics (Havel), Velvet Revolution, Dissidents and Technocrats (Eyal) 3. Elite Change and Societal Transformation – Elite, Crises and Regime Change (Dogan and Higley), Grey Zone, The Old and New Elite (persistence of “nomenklatura cadres”, Type of Elite Change (circulation or reproduction – Szelényi, Szelényi), Elite Social and Cultural Capital (Bourdieu), Elite led transformation, its winners and losers 4. Power Elite and Civil Society (CSOs) Relations - process of democracy consolidation, civil society under communism, Civil society ideology, building the system of political parties, forming style of governing, trust to politicians, potiticians attitudes to civil society leaders, Václav Havel vs. Václav Klaus. Political Leaders, Public opinion Leaders, Civil Society Leaders 5. Leadership and Elite Quality – Classic Leadership Theories, Leaders of Crowds and Masses (LeBon, Freud) Leaders of Working Class (Marx), party leaders (Michels) charismatic leadership (Weber), Great Man Theory, leadership reputation (Dowding), Leadership Capital 6. Leadership and Democracy – The Leaderless Democracy (Weber), Competition of Political Leaders (Schumpeter) Leadership and Followership – The New Leadership Paradigm, Leadership Styles: Democratic-Authoritative (Lewin), Transforming Leadership (Burns) 7. Elite Cohesion and Democracy – United Power Elite (Mills), Elite Configuration - Structural Integration and Consensus (Higley), Informal Elite Networks, Elite Circles, Inner Elite Circle (Useem), Democratic Elite Cohesion and its Sustainability 8. Elite and Moral Leadership – Elite Degeneration (Pareto) – The Czech Systemic Corruption, Elite Predatory Networks, State Capture + Business Capture, Simulated Democracy (Lengyel), Deffective Democracy () Sate-ting Democracy 9. Non-Elite Degeneration – The real public (Mills), Phantom Public (Lipmann), Public Darknes (Dewey), Elite and Non-Elite Role in the Societal Accountability System, The Quiet Pact between Elite and Non-Elite in the communist era and in the democratic era, 10. Elitism and Anti-Elitism – Elitism as Obligation (Field, Higley), The Czech Elite Historical Discontinuity, The Czech Elite Mentalities (Aristocratic and Plebeian), Plebiscit Leader (Weber), Plebeian Leaders (LeBon), Populist leaders 11. Populism – theory of populism, ideational and performative perspective, populist mobilization, populist attitudes, populist leadership style (the role of emotions), society polarization, attacks on civil society, entrepreneurial (technocratic) and presidency populism in the Czech Republic. 12. Populism and Civil Society – is populism hope or threat to democracy? populism and political participation, populism and civil society organizations, power structure, accountability. 13. Future of Elites-Non-Elites relationships – How democracy can gain immunity against the virus of populism and how could it be resilient against corruption and clientelism? What is the role of elites, civil society organizations, non-elite citizens and political leaders in the process of democracy revitalization? TEACHING METHOD The lectures will start on February 24 and will take place using the Zoom platform. The lectures will be held online every second Wednesday from 09:30 to 10:50 with a break for discussion. Every other week, between lectures, students will submit written answers of approximately 60 lines to the homework questions posed at the end of the lectures to the "Task" created in Moodle by a specified deadline. Each new lecture will begin with a discussion of the answers to the questions. The homework questions will relate to the content of the compulsory literature. One text for compulsory reading will be assigned to each lecture. At the end of the semester, each student will produce approximately 12 pages of homework text, which will be the subject of evaluation. The final exam will take place in the form of final text of a minimum 10 and a maximum of 15 standard pages (each standard page has 30 lines of font size 12). Each student can determine the topic in the boundaries of the course lectures. The genre of the work is an essay, or rather a reflection on the problems of relations between elites and non-elites in the Czech Republic after Velvet Revolution. EVALUATION - written answers to homework questions = max. 45 points - final essay = max. 55 points To complete the course, the student must achieve at least 75 points! If the student does not get the required number of points on the first attempt (given by the sum of points for answers and for written work), then s/he has two more options to correct the essay according to the teacher's recommendations. ELECTRONIC SUPPORT At Moodles, students will also find presentations for particular lectures, including questions to answer, as well as all study texts for compulsory reading. COMPULSORY TEXTS: 1. Introduction: Elite Theory and Democracy John Higley, Jan Pakulski. 2012. Pareto's Theory of Elite Cycles: A Reconsideration and Application. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315084312 2. Historical Roots Gil Eyal (2000), ‘Anti-politics and the Spirit of Capitalism: Dissidents, Monetarists, and the Czech Transition to Capitalism’, Theory and Society, Vol. 29. No. 1. February, 50-92. 3. Elite Change and Societal Transformation Szelényi, Iván & Szonja Szelényi (1995), „Circulation or Reproduction of Elites During the Postcommunist Transformation of Eastern Europe” Theory and Society, Vol. 24. No. 5. October, 615-38. 4. Power Elite and Civil Society (CSOs) Relations Potůček, M. 1999. Havel versus Klaus: Public Policy Making in the Czech Republic. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice 1:163-176. 5. Leadership and Elite Quality Jennifer L. Hochschild Published online: 09 Jul 2013. Should the Mass Public Follow Elite Opinion? It Depends… Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society, 24:4, 527-543, DOI: 10.1080/08913811.2012.788280 6. Leadership and Democracy Jan Pakulski and John Higley (2008). Towards Leader Democracy? In P. ‘t Hart and J. Uhr, eds., Public Leadership: Perspectives and Practices. Canberra: ANU E Press, 45-56. 7. Elite Cohesion and Democracy Ilkka Ruostetsaari Coexistence of Elites and Democracy in an Information Society. 8. Elite and Moral Leadership Higley, J. and Pakulski, J. (2011). Do Ruling Elites Degenerate? American and British Elites Viewed Through Pareto’s Lens. Comparative Sociology. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 949-67. 9. Non-Elite Degeneration Milan Školník (2020) Corruption and Political Participation: A Review. Sociálnístudia / Social Studies, Vol 17, No 1 (2020), str. 89-105. 10. Elitism and Anti-Elitism Higley, J. And Pakulski, J. Elite, Elitism and Elite Theory: Unending Confusion? 11. Populism Cas Mudde1 and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser 2018. Studying Populism in Comparative Perspective: Reflections on the Contemporary and Future Research Agenda. Comparative Political Studies 1–27. 12. Populism and Civil Society Kopecký, Petr 2005. Civil society, uncivil society and contentious politics in post-communist Europe. In: Kopecký, P.and Mudde, C. Uncivil Society? Contentious Poltics in post-communist Europe, New York: Routledge, pp. 1 -17. |