| Unit name | Political Concepts |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLI11101 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Chuka Agboeze |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The module provides an introduction to the academic discipline of Political Theory. It aims to analyse political concepts such as power, the state, freedom, equality, justice, democracy, citizenship, human rights, and difference; as well as how these relate to political realities. The unit also offers students opportunities to critically analyse key political texts, including selected writings of Thomas Hobbes, J.S. Mill and John Rawls, and be able to communicate their opinions on them both orally and in writing.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This is a political theory course, and is foundational to the wider political theory programme of study within the study of Politics and International Relations, and the political concepts it explores are critical to the breadth of the discipline. For instance, the concept of justice could be meaningfully deployed to investigate the subject of climate justice. Furthermore, the critical and analytical skills that the unit equips students with are transferable, and can be fruitfully used in other modules as well.
An overview of the content
This unit introduces students to political theory through a focus on key political concepts. It introduces students to normative debates surrounding key concepts including power, the state, freedom, equality, justice, democracy, citizenship, human rights, and difference. Students are exposed to the contestability of these political concepts, and provided an overview of the implications of different understandings of them. Students are introduced to key texts in political theory, including the work of Thomas Hobbes, J.S. Mill and John Rawls. The unit also explores the ways in which political concepts relate to political realities.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit will help students deepen their understanding of key political concepts such as democracy, justice, and equality among others, and be able to use them in evaluating political realities in a manner that is both academically and socially relevant.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
Teaching and learning activities will be delivered through in-person lectures and seminars. The lecture uses the more traditional teaching technique in which the lecturer speaks, and students actively listen and take notes. It provides an opportunity for students to be introduced, in a more structured and systematic way, to classical academic debates and literature proper to the discipline. Unlike lectures which take place in significantly large group and space, the seminars will take place in smaller groups in order to facilitate interactive learning. In advance of every seminar session, the unit owner/seminar tutor provide students with academic texts to read in preparation for serious academic discussions on the theme of the day. Most of these materials will be made available on the unit’s Blackboard.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
An essay plan. As a means of preparing for the summative assignment, students will produce a formative essay plan. This will provide critical feedback on argumentation and essay structure.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
A 2,000 word essay (100%). Students will be provided with a choice of essay questions all of which require that students integrate material from across the unit. (ILO 1, 2, 3, 4).
When assessment does not go to plan
You will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. You will be required to complete a different assessment question.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLI11101).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
