Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The central aims of this course are to provide students with an advanced understanding of the
politics of contemporary global change, a comprehensive and critical knowledge of debates concerning transnational and transversal politics, and an in-depth case knowledge of global restructuring.

Original Summary:
Module Summary (For pre-entry promotional purposes): The module has the following objectives:
1.       To introduce the competing theoretical perspectives on transnational and transversal politics, and global restructuring.
2.       To critically explore the extent and nature of global change across a range of social spheres.
3.       To encourage students to think critically about the nature of the political in a global context.
4.       To encourage students to reflect upon the challenges posed to conventional state-centric understandings of politics by processes of global change.
5.       To offer students the opportunity to develop interests in spheres of global political change that may form the basis for their future independent research/dissertation.

Outline Of Syllabus

Topics covered are likely to vary from year to year, depending on events. The following outline should indicate a framework for these topics.

1.       What must 'politics' mean when considered at the level or scale of the global?
2.       Changing times and spaces of world politics.
3.       Global politics, authority and state power.
4.       Global institutions and regulation.
5.       Politics of global corporations.
6.       Transnationalisation of technologies and technologies of transnationalisation.
7.       Emergence of global financial markets.
8.       Intensification of global communication and cultural flows.
9.       Global politics and conflict.
10.       Global politics of resistance.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Upon conclusion of the module, students will be able to:
1.       Identify and critically assess contemporary debates on transnational and transversal politics.
2.       Critically discuss substantive issues of global change in different spheres, such as the state, corporation, technology, culture, etc.
3.       Understand the limits to political thought and political action at the 'global' state.
4.       Understand the limits of the 'global' as a scale of political thought and action.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Upon completion of the module, students will be able to:
1.       Communicate, in written and oral formats, their advanced knowledge of the key debates concerning globalisation and its political problematics.
2.       Plan, organise, and structure critical responses to questions surrounding the debates on globalisation, through individual and group tasks.
3.       Demonstrate experience of research into global transformation, presenting their findings in both oral and written formats.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The 2-hour weekly seminar will involve a combination of a presentation by the module leader and discussion based around presentations by students. The themes of the seminars will relate to the theoretical, methodological and substantive issues outlined in the module aims. The seminar-based teaching and learning methods will enable students to develop employment-related skills such as interpersonal communication, oral presentation, teamwork, planning and organising, information literacy and problem solving.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Rationale and relationship of assessment methods to learning outcomes: All students will write a research essay on a topic to be determined in consultation with the module leader. All students will make an in-class oral presentation on topics specified in the module guide.

General Notes

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