This subject measures the ideal of democracy against its capacity to deal with the diversity of the people. We look at how different identities, based on class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity (among others) articulate, negotiate and contest their place and (mis)representation in democratic life. We study the heritage of the concept of democracy in relation to its concrete manifestations in nation states, and compare how the democratic ideal of living together in a political community is debated in various contexts. Topics include: minority and equal rights within a system of majority rule; free speech, censorship and political correctness; the gendered, sexualised and racialised character of social recognition and economics (re)distribution; religious freedom and secularism; political activism, civil disobedience and violence; law and justice; and discourses of human rights. Texts include legal documents, petitions, government papers, propaganda, various media, and academic writings.

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