Democracy as a Way of Life – On the Political in Social Interaction

Kursinnehåll

The MOOC “Democracy as a Way of Life – On the Political in Social Interaction” consists of four units that build on each other in terms of content. The course serves to expand on the themes of the DeMOOC series and focuses on the (political) significance of everyday experiences and political self-organization. The focus is on the history of the Austrian labor movement, which is told through the emergence of the trade union movement and the development of public education in Austria.

Unit 1 introduces the concept of democracy as a way of life as the theoretical framework for the course. Which aspects and dimensions of democracy are emphasized here, and how does this concept differ from the idea of democracy as a form of government and society? Particular reference is made to the work of John Dewey and his reflections on the importance of everyday life experiences for democracy education.

Unit 2 highlights everyday life as an important reference point for the practical application of democratic principles. It provides a theoretical overview of the concept of everyday life from a sociological and historical perspective and describes the social, cultural, and political functions that everyday life fulfills. One focus is on the academic discipline of everyday history. In addition, the political dimension of everyday life is examined on the basis of feminist and civil rights movements in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally, this is supplemented by considerations on the role of privacy.

Unit 3 focuses on strategies and processes of political self-organisation. Why is this important for a democratic society, and what motivates people to organize themselves? To illustrate this, the history of the Austrian trade union movement is traced and contextualised from its beginnings to the present day. References are made to both the working class during the industrialisation period and the women's rights movement in Austria, and key historical figures in this context are introduced.

Unit 4 focuses on the topic of public education and the underlying idea of emancipatory political education. Here, too, we take a look at history and show how public education has become historically, socially, and democratically anchored in Austria. In the context of the development of the labor movement and the founding history of the Social Democratic Workers' Party, connections are made between their educational approaches and Oskar Negt's socialist theory of education. Finally, the unit shows how adult education centers continue to carry on these approaches today.

Lärandemål

By completing the courses in the DeMOOC series, participants should be able to develop a deeper understanding of democracy, politics and society at various political levels in order to strengthen their own access to politics and experience their own active participation in the political system. The aim of the DeMOOC is to strengthen political education in adult education, in extracurricular and school education, but also among generally interested people. The DeMOOC is therefore particularly suitable for multipliers, course planners, teachers, social workers, educators and anyone interested in the field of civic education. The programs in the “Initiative Erwachsenenbildung” as well as many other course and offer areas in adult education can also benefit from the DeMOOC.

The DeMOOC in-depth course “Democracy as a Way of Life – On the Political in Social Interaction” aims to give interested individuals a perspective on the democratic political dimension of everyday realities. This should enable them to perceive more clearly the intertwining of personal experiences in everyday life with the structural conditions of social interaction. Ultimately, the aim is to view everyday life as political and to emphasise the importance of democracy as a lived practice. References to various movements in the struggle for social justice in Austrian history serve to illustrate the role of political self-organisation and political education in the democratisation of society.

Course participants will gain a fundamental factual and historical understanding of the concept of democracy as a way of life. No specific prior knowledge is required. The information materials, assignments, radio reports, and videos provide a targeted introduction to the topic and, at the same time, supply the necessary points of reference for placing the acquired basic knowledge in a broader social context. In addition, interviews conducted specifically for the course offer insights into various practical perspectives. MOOC participants also receive ideas and materials for addressing this topic in their own educational work. Didactic principles for adult education are provided for this purpose.

Förkunskaper

No previous knowledge is necessary.

Kursplan

The MOOC consists of the following four units, which are self-contained but build on each other and focus on different topics:

Unit 1: On the concept of democracy as a way of life

Unit 2: Everyday (hi)stories – Why our everyday lives are political

Unit 3: Political self-organization based on the Austrian trade union movement

Unit 4: On the idea of public education and its origins in Austria

Each unit is divided into subchapters and contains information materials and media content (explanatory videos, radio clips) as well as specific tasks and a didactic presentation of the respective topics. The information texts, presentations, and didactic materials are freely available to course participants. Each unit begins with a task in the form of a forum post on given reflection questions. After completing the content chapters, participants return to this and, in a second step, write a reply to their own forum post. Each unit concludes with a quiz on the content covered. The units are activated individually on a weekly basis and are then freely available as a self-study course for an unlimited period of time.

For actively participating in the course you will receive an automatic certificate which includes your name, the course name as well as the completed lessons. We want to point out that this certificate merely confirms that you answered at least 75% of the self-assessment questions correctly.

This work is licensed under Creative Commons - 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)