Module SGIA3301: POLITICAL EXTREMISM IN BRITAIN

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3301: POLITICAL EXTREMISM IN BRITAIN

Prerequisites

• SGIA2041 Democratic Government

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module aims to examine the nature of British politics and society in light of the failure of 'extremist' movements in Britain in international comparative terms. It will explore the notion of British 'extremism' in popular and academic writing, and the substantial changes in these conceptions over time. It will provide an understanding of the ideology, membership and activity of particular 'extremist' movements in Britain in a comparative context.

Content

• This module will explore the relationship between 'political extremism' and British politics and society. It will look at the changing use the 'extremist' label in the academic literature and relate this to both popular usage and broader social and political changes. It will examine the history of a number of 'extremist' movements in Britain including fascist and communist organisations as well as the political dimensions of religious and sectarian 'extremism'. It will analyse the ideology, leadership, membership, activity and influence of these organisations in the context of debates about class, gender, race, nation and empire. Understanding of these British 'extremist' movements will be developed in a comparative context. This material will be related back to conceptual and theoretical debates and political extremism in Britain.
• Students taking the module should develop knowledge and understanding of the material and the subject specific and key skills necessary for the production of presentation, literature review and essays for assessment

Learning Outcomes

• Through the module, students should acquire subject specific knowledge of:
• The place of fascist, communist and other 'extremist' movements in the British political system
• Techniques and methods for investigating 'extremist' political activity
• The problems of analysing specific political events in an appropriate context
• The relationship between debates about 'political extremism' and changing political circumstances

• Through the module, students should also further develop subject specific skills, enabling them to:
• explain the relationship between particular extremist movements and national and comparative social and political contexts
• relate their understanding of British political extremism to debates about the political mainstream.
• identify current theoretical debates in the study of political extremism and apply appropriate methods of political analysis in support of analytical argument, including the analysis and evaluation of competing theories, concepts and explanations
• effectively utilise diverse sources, including appropriate primary sources
• understand the relationship between political ideas to political action in debates about political extremism in Britain
• demonstrate an independent and self-critical approach to learning.

• During the module, students will demonstrate and further develop important key skills. They should be able to:
• retrieve and utilise a wide range of information using their own initiative
• accurately assess the suitability and quality of resources
• plan and complete written and other assignments on-time and in appropriate formats
• show flexibility in using knowledge and subject specific skills to meet the specific demands of the module
• take responsibility for their own work.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching and learning is by three lectures at the start of the module to introduce the main theoretical approaches the module deploys and then by eleven seminars distributed through the rest of the academic year.
• The lectures offer initial instruction in these approaches as they may not be familiar, imparting basic information necessary for the module and enabling staff to highlight the key differences that underpin much of the rest of the course.
• Thereafter, the module uses seminars, led by student presentations, to set out the principal issues and questions raised by the topic and to provide a framework for subsequent debate, analysis and discussion exploring the contested and dynamic nature of the subject. Seminars offer an opportunity for considering the particular problems of context in this field, and the difficulties of weighing up a variety of factors in reaching analytical conclusions. Presentations also serve to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and to develop key skills.
• Formative assessment is by 2000-word essay and by a seminar presentation. This offers the students an opportunity to evaluate their progress in the module and their understanding of the conceptual and empirical debates as well as developing their key skills.
• Summative assessment is by literature review (33%) and essay (67%). Literature reviews are focused principally on the changing conceptualisation of 'extremist' organisations in the academic literature. This will primarily give students the opportunity to demonstrate subject knowledge specific learning outcomes, particularly relating to the sources, the identification of theoretical perspectives, techniques and methods and the relative treatments of the 'extremism' and the 'mainstream'. The summative essay will test substantive knowledge and skills particularly the application of theoretical and conceptual and ideological frameworks surrounding British extremism and the relationship of these to the understanding of the British political system as a whole. Both assessments will test the development of the identified key skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 2000 word essay and one seminar presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University