Study Programmes 2016-2017
SPOL0093-1  
Opinion, attitudes and political behaviour
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in political sciences : general (120 ECTS)5
Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...)5
Lecturer :
Geoffrey Grandjean
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
How can the territorial environment influence electoral choices? Does the rational voter exist? Where in the political arena should a political party position itself if it wants to obtain the maximum number of votes? Do young people tend to vote to the left and older people to the right? How can the red belt around the city of Liege be explained? How can the importance of the CDH in Luxembourg be explained? How can the success of MR in the electoral district of Verviers be explained? How do certain emotions influence electoral choices? What are the effects of opinion polls? How can young people become politically active?
These are questions that will be dealt with during lectures.
To meet this objective, the course aims to give an understanding of the construction of a whole series of opinions, attitudes and political behaviors through the ages. By presenting rational sociological and psychological approaches, it equips students with the necessary tools to understand and decode the construction of the different political universes of citizens.
Two main threads make up this course:
1) the course aims, in a general way, to study the way opinions develop (affirmations on a given subject), attitudes (general terms) and behaviors (actions) of individuals with regard to the political system and political authorities. It is therefore about grasping the positioning of citizens with regard to political power.
2) the course aims to evaluate the influence that current norms can have on opinions, attitudes and behaviors of citizens.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
At the end of the course, the student will be able to better grasp the multiple influences that can explain the political positions of citizens in our contemporary societies and to better understand political information (in terms of opinion pools, political barometers and broad socio-political surveys).
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
None
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The course will be made up of ex cathedra lessons and short presentations by the students on a given question linked to the course topic.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Recommended or required readings :
Compulsory readings :
Grandjean Geoffrey, Opinions, attitudes et comportements politiques. Tome I, Liège, Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2014-2015, 191 p., disponible à l'adresse suivante : http://hdl.handle.net/2268/201681.
Grandjean Geoffrey, Opinions, attitudes et comportements politiques. Tome II, Liège, Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2014-2015, 191 p., disponible à l'adresse suivante : http://hdl.handle.net/2268/201682.
Grandjean Geoffrey, Opinions, attitudes et comportements politiques. Tome III, Liège, Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2014-2015, 191 p., disponible à l'adresse suivante : http://hdl.handle.net/2268/201683.
Assessment methods and criteria :
Oral exam (70% of the final mark). Writing a short research paper (3 pages maximum) stemming from the oral presentation (30% of the final mark)
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
The course is held every even year (2016-2017,2018-2019,...).    
Contacts :
Pr. Dr Geoffrey Grandjean Lecturer Faculté de Droit, de Science politique et de Criminologie Place des orateurs, 3 4000 Liège Boîte 11 Bureau r. 16 Tel./ +32 (0)4/366.96.60 Mail : Geoffrey.Grandjean@ulg.ac.be
Items online :
Opinion, attitudes and political behaviour
Syllabus
Opinion, attitudes and political behaviour
Readings book
Opinion, attitudes and political behaviour
Readings book