Unit name | Post-Modern Political Theories |
---|---|
Unit code | POLI31367 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Carver |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit distinguishes between postmodernity and postmodernism, taking the latter to be a 'way of looking at the world'. This will be explained and explored in informal lectures, focused reading, class discussion and questions, student presentations, and engagement with current politics. Students will be expected to apply insights developed in the unit to areas of special interest such as party politics, gender politics, international relations, political economy, and public policy. This will require self-directed reading and news-following.
Aims:
3 hr seminar
Issue analysis:
Analysis of current political issue of your choice. This must be between 1500 and 2000 words.
Students to write in an objective and analytical style, setting out the historical and political background to their chosen issue, reviewing opinion and commentary very briefly, and then offering their own analysis as to how it should be viewed and understood by a thoughtful person. They do NOT need an ‘argument’; rather they should draw conclusions as they emerge from their analysis. They should include visual framing to draw the reader in and illustration to make their points. Marking will be 50/50 between ideas (such as we have been discussing in the seminars) and analysis.
Book review:
Completion of an individually written ‘Book Review.’ This must be between 1500 and 2000 words.
Students should write as if for publication in The New Yorker, Sight & Sound or similar journal or on-line format which takes lengthy ‘thoughtful’ reviews. Students MUST state what journal or medium they are writing for. Students should draw out the ideas in the novel and link them to the politics of the present, doing their own original research on issues.
Marking will be 50/50 between ideas (such as we have been discussing in the seminars) and politics (their choice from reliable media and academic sources – but it must be recent politics).
The book review assesses the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3. The issue analysis assesses the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 2 and 4.
Required films on DVD in the library
Other reading: