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CATALAN STUDIES

51600 - Barcelona, the City and its History

Professor: Meritxell Ferrer

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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Once labeled by Newsweek magazine as the “coolest city in Europe,” Barcelona enjoys the reputation of a cosmopolitan city with a great international projection. Like all places, however, it is not without its complexities and contradictions. Behind a glossy and tourist-friendly façade, the city has a complex history.

This course introduces the student to the city of Barcelona by studying its past and analyzing its present. This interdisciplinary course covers subject in history, geography, art, architecture, and urban planning.  Materials include images, maps, academic and literary texts, videos, field studies, and documentaries. We will also discuss issues relevant to people living within the city of Barcelona today.

51601 - Barcelona, la ciudad y su historia  

Professor: Meritxell Ferrer

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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Barcelona ha sido etiquetada por Newsweek Magazine como la “coolest city in Europe”, otorgándole a su vez la reputación de una ciudad cosmopolita con una gran proyección internacional. Sin embargo, al igual que sucede con otras ciudades, esta ciudad también presenta sus propias complejidades y contradicciones.

Este curso pretende introducir la ciudad de Barcelona al estudiante mediante el estudio de su pasado y el análisis de su presente. Este estudio interdisciplinar constituido por la historia, la geografía, el arte, la arquitectura y el urbanismo cubre los múltiples ángulos que han conformado esta ciudad. Para ello se usaran imágenes, mapas, textos académicos y literarios, videos, estudios de campo y documentales. Asimismo, también se discutirán los asuntos más relevantes para la gente que en la actualidad conforma esta ciudad.

51664 - Global Marketing & Culture of FC Barcelona

Professor: Frederic Guerrero, Hibai López

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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European football (soccer) has become a major cultural vehicle in the global world, both in terms of economical impact and social influence. This course focuses on how this sport shapes the social, economical and cultural realms, and tries to interpret the different links between the game itself and the dimensions surrounding it: media coverage, aesthetic value, political targeting, public and corporate policies... In that context, FC Barcelona remains a unique case, studied in business schools as an example of global market branding, while passionately lived by millions of fans all over the world. Moreover, Barcelona city offers a privileged standpoint to better understand football as a growing issue within contemporary culture.*this is the former "Playing for fun or for keeps: Global Marketing & Culture of FCB" course. Only the title has been revisited.

51603 - The Barcelona Leadership Journey Towards Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Business Transformations 

Professor: Mathieu Durrande

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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This course celebrates the city of Barcelona and embarks the student in a journey to better understand the concept of Sustainability and its novel applications. Starting with the question "why Barcelona?", we then move to enlightening examples of sustainability in the history and art of the city. Inspired by different concrete realizations, we analyze different approaches to sustainability, experience its emotionally loaded "dark side", visit several research institutions firmly committed to sustainability, visit some natural areas and finish the course with an inspiring experiential session. *this is the former "The Barcelona Journey towards Sustainability" course. Only the title has been revisited.

51622 - Barcelona: the Rise of a Design City

Professor: Sasa Markus

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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'Barcelona, the Rise of a Design City' looks at one of the most exciting periods of the city's recent history: what is known as the 'Barcelona design boom', a cultural phenomenon that helped define the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1980s and the city's Olympic dream in the 1990s. For a few years and in sharp contrast to the preceding decades, design became one of the main cultural frameworks of Barcelona's identity, both locally and abroad. Paired with architecture in a seemingly unavoidable partnership, it provided the seeds from which ultimately emerged the narrative of the city as it is seen today: that of a sophisticated European metropolis, miraculously emerging from the ashes of a decaying post-industrial provincial capital.


Initially addressing local design practice and design retail, and later embracing architecture as well, this course follows the way in which these disciplines turned ideas about local identity, modernity, social and cultural value into everyday material artefacts and environments. Design and architecture were placed at the heart of the city's popular culture, and of its international success to this day.

51753 - Forma, sueño, deseo. Picasso, Miró, Dalí y el arte del s.XX  

Professor: Eduard Cairol

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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El objetivo del curso consiste en introducir al estudiante en los principales episodios del arte del siglo XX. Con un tema de fondo: las complejas relaciones entre tradición y vanguardia, clasicismo y modernidad, revolución y reacción artísticas a lo largo de todo un siglo.

Todo ello se realizará a través de la aproximación a cinco artistas catalanes o estrechamente vinculados a Cataluña, pero de indudable relevancia universal. Y, como se desprende del título del mismo, tomando como punto de partida sus obras más significativas, con un método que alejándose del discurso historiográfico o biográfico sitúa en primer plano las obras concretas y parte siempre del lenguaje plástico.

 

HISPANIC STUDIES

51719 - De los estereotipos culturales al diálogo transcultural

Professor: Alba Milà

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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La asignatura busca desarrollar la competencia intercultural y transcultural del estudiante de español mejorando a la vez su nivel de comunicación en español. Se examinarán los tópicos, malentendidos culturales, estereotipos, prejuicios ligados a la cultura española desde la cultura propia de los estudiantes. Partiendo de ese análisis se persigue llegar a desarrollar la comunicación intercultural y transcultural en español, de manera que con un conocimiento más profundo de lo que supone la cultura española pero también su propia cultura, los estudiantes puedan también comunicarse mejor en español, entendiendo así que la lengua y la cultura van unidas. Asimismo, para desarrollar dicha comunicación se requiere ofrecer a los estudiantes herramientas lingüisticas y discursivas que le permitan comprender y comunicarse interculturalmente en español en distintos ámbitos temáticos donde se manifiestan tópicos, estereotipos y prejuicios (la familia, el trabajo, la comida, el ocio, etc.)

51607 - Contemporary Spanish Art

Professor: Eloy Fernández Porta

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The objective of this course is to offer a survey approach to the history of artistic developments in Spain from Goya to Barceló. A background on this specific field is not required. For this reason not only the main artistic events will be covered, but also some political, historical and cultural issues that might be relevant. Landscape art, gender production, the Spanish take on Primitivism and the dynamics between artistic creation and finance capital are some of its more relevant aspects. Classical examples of oil painting will be combined with references to such contemporary media as performance, videoart or installation art. Although this course is mainly based on lectures and class debate, three visits to galleries and exhibitions plus a self-guided visit will be also part of the course requirements. These visits will be made during the class time, and are equivalent to a usual in-class session.

51609 - Imágenes de España en el cine contemporáneo

Professor: Alan Salvadó

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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El curso ofrece una introducción al cine español desde el inicio de la democracia, en los años setenta, hasta la actualidad, con una atención particular hacia aquellos cineastas que destacan tanto por su valor artístico como por su capacidad para reflejar los rasgos más destacables de la realidad y la cultura española contemporánea. Las diferentes sesiones del curso exponen el imaginario plural del cine español más reciente, a través de la obra de autores como Pedro Almodóvar, Víctor Erice, Julio Médem, Alejandro Amenábar o José Luis Guerín.

51610 - Comunicación y sociedad en España y Europa

Professor: Marcel Mauri, Mònica Figueras

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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La asignatura analiza los medios de comunicación en España y Europa. El curso está muy vinculado a la actualidad informativa en España y Europa. Los alumnos desarrollarán también un taller de radio (Workshop) en la segunda parte del curso, donde pondrán en práctica los conocimientos teóricos adquiridos.

51695 - "Sepharad": History and Heritage of Jewish Spain

Professor: Lucía Conte

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The course presents an itinerary around the human, historical and cultural heritage of the Spanish Jews, from the Middle Ages to present day. The first part of the course keeps a historical focus, studying the cultural history of Sepharad, from the origins to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. The Sephardic Diaspora and the development of the judeo-hispanic culture, the return of the Sephardic Jews from the late 19th Century, of European Jews during the inter-war period and how the Shoah relates to Spain will also be covered. The second part of the course will focus focus on the cultural, architectural and human recovery of the Spanish Jewish heritage. Both the human and patrimonial aspects of such recovery will be analyzed, through the case study of different private and public initiatives aimed to develop tourism or marketing projects revolving around the “myth” of Sepharad. Students will work on individual or group projects to delve into questions such as: How is Jewish heritage and history presented in Spain? What are the strategies and outcomes of such projects? What is the prevalent discourse in these cultural initiatives? How does the Spanish society today face its Jewish cultural roots?

51718 - Spain in Cinema: Global and Local Perspectives

Professor: Sasa Markus

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The course approaches Spanish national cinema as well as transnational/foreign productions related, in a variety of ways, to Spanish culture. The goal is to show how both local and global films shape diverse visions of Spanish history, art and society while constructing inspiring dialogues with above mentioned areas of art/knowledge. Various interactions between cinema and canonic works of Spanish culture (Don Quixote, Don Juan, the paintings of Picasso) are contrasted and the relationship between films and Spanish history (Civil War, Columbus’s travels, Spanish transition) is examined. The diversity within Spanish society, representations of the current economic crisis, effects of globalization on both local cinema and real life are studied through the works of young authors (Lacuesta, Vermut). All filmic examples are also used to analyze the concept of Spanish identity and stereotypes related to Hispanic culture.

 

EUROPEAN STUDIES

51627 - Ancient Mediterranean

Professor: Marina Picazo

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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This course will examine the nature and complexity of interactions between the regions of the Mediterranean during the second and the first millennia BC. The cultural florescence of the Ancient Mediterranean civilizations had its origins in a series of colonial entanglements beginning first in the eastern Mediterranean. Minoan and Mycenaean communities began to establish links with Egypt and the Near East in the first centuries of the II millennium BC. From then, over a period spanning more than two thousand years, and ending with the Roman conquest, colonists, merchants, sailors and conquerors sought to benefit from the commercial and cultural opportunities provided by the riches of the eastern, central and western Mediterranean.

51697 - Brand Equity Communications and its Unique Corporate Value

Professor: Blanca Fullana

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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Since the globalization of the economy at the end of the last century, the context of brand communications in today's businesses has radically changed. Communication strategies to reach any type of target group are challenged to anticipate stakeholders' interests, build brand equity beyond good products and services and be able to remain competitive in a highly-active technological context that has reversed some of the traditional ways of managing businesses.

In this global environment, corporate communications demand greater levels of ethics and responsibility towards the society in which it operates and larger collaborative synergies and collaboration processes. To this respect, Europe's competitive-edge is like any other's, at stake, but the asset of intellectual capital and cultural identity it portrays in its legacy, may be just the right kind of differentiation brands need to successfully compete in the 21st C.

51747-Innovation and the Law. How Technology Changes the Legal System

Professor: Carlos Gómez

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The course will introduce students to the main legal
problems attached to the new technologies. The reading assignments and the classroom discussions will illustrate how technology changes traditional legal concepts and the way in which the legal rules are applied.
A basic introduction to contracts, property, torts from a comparative perspective will be followed by an explanation of the relevant technologies and their implications in the legal understanding of the core legal topics. In addition, the course will focus on the current trends of the harmonization process in order to give a common response to
technology challenges.

GLOBAL STUDIES

51619 - Understanding Globalization: Historical Roots of Economic, Political and Cultural Exchanges between East Asia, America and Europe

Professor: Manel Ollé, Guillermo Martínez-Taberner

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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No one can contest that contemporary globalization harbors unprecedented features (internet, global flight connections, multinational corporations, supranational organizations...). But how new is globalization, compared to previous patterns of contact among societies in different regions of the world?. The course puts the contemporary discussion of globalization into historical perspective by examining the long-lasting interactions of East Asian, Latin America and Southern European countries from 1500 to the present day. The course aims to get a rich and better understanding about how it works, to know which different factors are involved, to study the ins and outs of this secular process, and to determine more precisely what is really new about the recent developments. All this will help to answer: Why the world has become more and more global and, at the same time, some local dynamics reacts in a different direction?; When, how and why Europe and North America diverged dramatically in wealth and economic development from the rest of the world?; In which way, did the technological change, the people's movements, the circulation of ideas, religious or languages influenced the globalization process?.


The course will offer a systematic historical look at globalization, generally arguing that relevant changes of globalization should be seen as emerging in phases, that could turn out to be 1500's, 1800's and the late 20th  Century. The course tries to move our vision of globalization away from an exclusive focus on essentially contemporary developments and move our vision away from the Western civilization tradition to focus on other major civilizations. The growing need for historical perspective on international relationships, global economic patterns of contacts and cultural exchanges has fueled the increasing interest, from international organizations, global companies and institutions with global targets, to find and hire professionals who could develop some of the competences that this course provides.

51667 - Globalization, Development and Social Cohesion: which role for International Development Cooperation? 

Professor: Andrea Noferini

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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Cooperation for development is a fundamental objective for various international actors such as the United Nations (UN), more concretely the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the World Bank; and the European Union. International cooperation, from a multilevel and integral point of view, implies not only the participation of intergovernmental and State institutions but also of local governments and non governmental organizations. In this context, all actors have to contribute from their own areas of expertise in order to improve the system.The European Union is a paradigmatic illustration of this multilevel approach and commitment to international cooperation for development. Currently, Europe is the main source of funds for cooperation. The European Commission and governments, both at national and at local level, conduct several development programmes and projects that not only seek to provide funds but also to exchange experiences in relation to governability and public policies. The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the principal issues related to development and international cooperation, with a special emphasis on the role of the EU as main donor in the field of official development assistance (ODA). The main thrust of the course will be on outlining the institutional and political mechanisms of international development, as well as examine their impact in developing territories. At the same time the course aims to offer students a deepened insight into some of the most controversial debates surrounding the current state of affairs of international cooperation. 

51631 - La protección internacional de los Derechos Humanos

Professor: Joan Solanes

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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Estudiada en la primera parte el entramado normativo e institucional que conforma la denominada protección multinivel de los derechos humanos (mecanismos de protección de los derechos humanos a nivel internacional y regional, con particular atención al sistema europeo de protección, y nacional, estudiando España como ejemplo), se abordarán algunos temas especialmente controvertidos en el seno de los debates de los derechos humanos desde una óptica de derecho comparado. Se hará hincapié en las similitudes y diferencias sobre la manera de afrontar estos temas por parte de los ordenamientos europeos y el americano. Se estudiará el alcance y los límites sobre el derecho al aborto, el reconocimiento de derechos a las personas homosexuales, la problemática de la libertad de expresión, los retos que supone la tecnología para la protección de los datos personales, las consecuencias de la libertad de religión y el laicismo en aquello que hace referencia a la enseñanza de la religión y la presencia de símbolos religiosos en las escuelas, la compatibilidad de la pena de muerte y la cadena perpetua con la dignidad humana y, finalmente, la problemática de los derechos humanos en la lucha contra el terrorismo y el estatus y protección de los derechos económicos, sociales y culturales en un Estado del Bienestar en crisis.

51621 - Los movimientos sociales en el siglo XXI ante la globalización, la crisis y los procesos de democratización

Professor: Jordi Mir, Enric Prat

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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Este curso busca ofrecer análisis de la actuación de los movimientos sociales de diversos lugares del mundo ante fenómenos del siglo XXI como la globalización, la crisis política y económica, y los procesos de democratización. Los movimientos sociales se han configurado como actores sociales y políticos que están incidiendo en la globalización que se está construyendo, en los procesos de democratización en los países árabes y en la profundización democrática en los principales países occidentales.

Se atenderá a las propuestas, las formas de organización y acción, los debates suscitados y los impactos generados. Las principales áreas geográficas de estudio serán América, Europa, el norte de África y Oriente medio. Para el análisis se combinaran las perspectivas que nos ofrecen diferentes disciplinas académicas, destacadamente, la ciencia política, las relaciones internacionales, la sociología, la economía, la historia, la filosofía política, la investigación para la paz, la psicología social, los estudios de género y el periodismo de investigación.

51666 - Screening the Global World: Cultural Diversity and Public Television Space 

Professor: Eva Pujadas

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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How should Television treat the diversity of contemporary societies? How to respond to the challenge of global communication preserving, at the same time, the adequate discursive treatment of diverse cultural groups, minorities, the phenomenon of immigration and the representation of Otherness in broader social sense? In US the industrial TV model and private stations shape social imaginary, but variety of other countries choose the primacy of public television in order to promote values of equality and the integration of citizens. This course will analyze a variety of public television programs from all over the world, dedicated to the subject of diverse cultural identities, transcultural issues, representation of Otherness in different social modalities, including the depiction of foreign cultures, national minorities and immigration. Some examples will also expand to the area of sexual diversity, treatment of disabled and the relationship between totalitarian regimes and democracy. The examples treated along the course will be chosen from the UPF's unique archives of international television festivals INPUT, held every year since 1977.  


As a principal reference for establishing the criteria for adequate visual treatment of cultural diversity issues the course will introduce the competences of Media Literacy, familiarizing the students with the tools for constructive analysis as well as patterns of creation of 'television of quality'. The goal is to offer valuable insides and firm criteria for approaching the television as a public service and its role in shaping the values of diversity in contemporary societies.

51699 - Crossroad in the Arab Countries: Authoritarianism, Spring and Islamic State    

Professor: Albert Garrido

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The Islamic State or ISIS or Daesh is now the main threat in de Arab world. After 9-11, five events determines the evolution in the political landscape: the war in Afhganistan, the war in Iraq, the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the blockage in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and the consolidation of the Islamic State like a political and military reality. For the West, especially in Europe, the main consequences are the terrorism (security crisis) and the refugees (humanitarian crisis). Another questions are the relations between Western and the Arab and islamic governments, the management of the war in Syria from the West, and the crisis inside the Arab world (suna vs. chia, fundamentalism vs. liberalism, the status of women, etc.). In this situation, the intervention of Russia in Syria and the agreement with Iran promoted for the president Obama complete the field of the global crisis. (Former course: El laberinto árabe: de las primaveras al estado islámico).

51632 - Neurosciences and the Humanities: Brain, Philosophy and Art

Professor: Fernando Giráldez

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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How reliable is our perception of the world? What is consciousness? Is free will an illusion? Does beauty reside in our brain? Neurosciences study the brain, from genes and cells to behavior and, during the last years, the scientific study of the brain has provided radical new clues about how the brain works. This knowledge has strong implications for many areas of human activity outside the conventional environment of medicine or psychology, and expands to economics, laws, philosophy or art. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the dialogue between neurosciences and humanities, thereby breaking the classical gap between CP Snows' "Two Cultures". The intersecting topics range from philosophical and ethical issues, such as free will, the grounds of knowledge, or economic behavior, to questions related to art and culture.

51709 - Political Marketing

Professor: Eva Pujadas

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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This course aims at understanding the contexts in which political brands are being modelled in contemporary world. The dynamics of political brands can no longer be understood solely from a communication perspective, a marketing approach or a political science perspective. Concepts such as political star-system, celebrity politicians, political show business or media performance are well settled in specialized practices and academic research and also become an interesting field for the emergence of new professions.

51734 - Independence, Federalism and Secession: Catalonia and Beyond 

Professor: Jaume López

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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This course offers an overview of the concept and practice of self-determination concerning its history and application to different contexts. From Mr. President Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points to the recent Catalan Declaration of sovereignty or the Scottish 2014 referendum the notion of self-determination has suffered several changes. On one hand, this course provides a theoretical knowledge on self-determination and secession through its history, main theories and international legal status. On the other hand, it applies theoretical knowledge to processes of self-determination in Eastern and Western Europe. At the end of the course the student will be able to identify different meanings of self-determination through history and will have an expertise on practical cases in Eastern Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia) and Western Europe (Basque Country, Catalonia and Scotland).

51736 - Ficción televisiva, globalización e identidades culturales

Professor: Lorena Gómez

Language: Spanish

ECTS: 6

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El curso aborda la ficción televisiva como mecanismo de construcción social de las identidades culturales en las sociedades contemporáneas. Parte de la perspectiva interpretativa de los estudios en comunicación y las principales aportaciones de los Estudios Culturales, críticos y consensuales, para el análisis de la ficción televisiva como foro de diálogo en torno a los contenidos sociales que narra y las dinámicas identitarias que activan sus representaciones. Propone una mirada analítica sobre el contexto actual en el que las producciones de ficción enfrentan los retos de la globalización y asumen las tendencias derivadas del consumo transcultural de la televisión. Para ello, recorre los modelos tradicionales de importación/exportación de la ficción hasta actualizar las corrientes de influencia mutua entre los países que capitalizan las narrativas contemporáneas de consumo global. Ofrece, además, una perspectiva histórica de la evolución de la producción de ficción televisiva en España y explora el papel que las producciones propias de la  televisión autonómica catalana juegan en la construcción nacional de Cataluña. Tras esta inmersión en el campo interdisciplinar de análisis de la ficción televisiva, se invita al estudiante a construir una mirada comprensiva de la identidad cultural mediática, catalana o española, presente en alguna de sus series de ficción actuales.

51735 - Comparing Media

Professor: Ruth Rodríguez 

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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The aim of this course is to provide students with a general overview of the Spanish Media and European Media. They study the relationship between media and politics, journalism and literature and the impact of media ethics in Europe. In order to achieve this goal, the students will analyze European newspapers, online media and television.

51658-Law Justice and Legitimacy

Professor: Josep Lluís Martí

Language: English

ECTS: 6

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This course offers students an introduction to the fundamentals of public law and the normative analysis of law. Students will analyze key questions such as what law is, what its nature is, what it is for or what function it serves, and many other basic legal ideas. The concept of constitutionalism will be one of the main overall focuses. The course will also introduce students to the general normative analysis of the content and limits of the law from a moral point of view. Additionally, the course offers a brief introduction to contemporary theories of justice and an overview of contemporary political philosophy in relation to the law. It also addresses the question of how current globalization processes are affecting domestic legal orders and transforming the traditional scenario in which both justice and legitimacy make their respective claims.